Management Discussion and Analysis of Iron Mining

							        Building Bridges - Teaching American History Lesson Plan
                    2005-2006 School Year Workshops

Name(s): Jan Colville
School: Forest Park High School
Target Grade: Tenth Grade
Instruction Time Required: Two Weeks
Material and Resources:
     *Paper and pencil
    *Poster Board
    *Computer and Internet access
    *Cassette Recorder and Tapes
    *Scanner
    *DVDs and DVD Burner
    *Overhead Data Projector

Resources:
 Bernhardt, Marcia Ed., Frames for the Future, Iron River Area Michigan. Iron County Historical
    and Museum Society in Cooperation with the Iron River Centennial Committee. Dallas, Texas:
    Taylor Publishing, 1980
 Bernhardt, Marcia Ed., Men, Mines and Memories, Iron Mining in Iron County, Michigan. Caspian,
   MI: Iron County Museum, 2001
 Hill, Jack. A History of Iron County Michigan. Norway, MI: The Norway Current, 1976
 Hoffman, Bernie, Reflections from Old Crystal Falls.
 Magnaghi, Russell M. Miners, Merchants, and Midwives. Ishpeming, MI: Globe Printing, Inc.,
 1987
Miller, Lynn Ed., A Collection of Recollections: Crystal Falls, Michigan 1880 - 1980. Crystal Falls,
 MI: Crystal Falls Centennial Committee, 1980
Mining in the Upper Peninsula. (Volumes 1 - 40) Iron Mountain, MI: Mid- Peninsula Library
  Federation, 1975
 Reimann, Lewis C., Between The Iron and The Pine. Ann Arbor, MI: Edwards Brothers, Inc., 1952

Web Materials:
     http://www.aflcio.org/
     http://www.laborarts.org/collections#section4
     http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/curriculum.htm
     http://www.labor-studies.org/Professor
Rivittes_Guide.htm
     http://www.msuedu/-rewritte/publications

Other Sources:
    Michigan History
    Iron County Historical Museum, Caspian, Michigan
     Harbour House Heritage Center Museum, Crystal Falls, Michigan
     The Diamond Drill (back issues)
     The Iron River Reporter (back issues)


Topic/Title: Organized Labor and the Iron Mining Industry in Iron County, Michigan

Overview:
     For many decades iron mining was the anchor industry in Iron County. Mining provided
employment opportunities for many groups of people. During the19th and 20th centuries Iron
County, similar to other regions of the country, experienced an influx of many immigrant groups as
waves of immigrants entered the United States.
      As the mining industry began to take hold in Iron County, it provided a means for the new
arrivals to earn a living for themselves. This in turn led to the growth of mining locations and small
towns throughout the county. Concurrently, a variety of local businesses opened county wide to serve
the needs of the growing population which of course included the miners and their families. Over
time a solid economic base began to develop for the respective settlements throughout Iron County.
Throughout the iron mining era, it was assumed that this economic base would be enduring.
      The evolution and growth of the mining industry begs the question: Did the iron mining
industry in Iron County evolve smoothly for the benefit of all, which includes the company
owners/stockholders, workers, the respective communities, and local businesses, or were there
struggles that surfaced? A study of the growth of the iron mining industry in Iron County suggests
that there were some wrinkles in the relationship between the iron miners and the mining companies.
Ultimately, workers began to organize into labor unions. This was in response to many issues and
concerns iron miners had about their working conditions.

Historical Questions and Problems to Consider:

     *What were the issues and concerns of the iron miners?
     *What challenges did the iron miners face in their attempts to organize?
     *Who were the catalysts in organizing the miners? Were they insiders (locals) or outsiders?
     *How did miners go about organizing?
     *Were all of the miners receptive to organizing?
     *Did organizing impact working conditions?
     *Once organized, what strategies did workers use in communicating their sentiments and
      concerns to management?
     *Were these strategies effective? Why or why not?
     *How did the mining companies react to workers’ attempts to organize into unions?
     *How did the communities, local governments, and businesses react to workers organizing?
     *Were the iron miners successful in their attempts to organize?
    *Overall, were the unions and workers successful in achieving their goals?
     *What is the legacy of organized labor in Iron County?
Objectives
      *Students will gain a basic understanding about the iron mining industry in Iron County using
their critical thinking skills in the analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary sources.
      *Students will develop an understanding about the working conditions of iron miners in Iron
County using their critical thinking skills in the analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary
sources.
      *Students will gain an understanding about iron miners attempts to organize and form unions in
Iron County using their critical thinking skills in the analysis and interpretation of primary and
secondary sources.
      *Students will analyze and draw generalizations about the successes and failures of labor
organization of iron miners in Iron County.
      *Based on analytical and critical thinking skills, students will determine the legacy of organized
labor in Iron County.
      *Based on their research of primary and secondary sources, and oral history interviews, students
will identify continuing issues of organized labor and the continued relevance of organized labor in
Iron County.
      *Using critical analytical skills, students will establish the context of a primary document’s
creation. By doing so, students will verify the author’s competence as a witness to the event under
study. Students will also infer meaning from the information in the document. To infer means to
conclude or decide from something known or assumed; derived by reasoning; draw as a conclusion.
      *Based on their research and understanding of the organized labor movement in Iron County,
students will emulate through role playing a negotiation, mediation, or arbitration session that could
have taken place between union members and management in Iron County during the period studied.

Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks and the National History
Standards Addressed
  I. 1 HS 2 Time and Chronology - Describe major factors that characterize a specific era in
      Michigan history.
  I. 2 HS 1 Comprehending the Past - Draw upon narratives and graphic data to explain significant
       events that shaped the development of Michigan.
  I. 2 HS 2 Comprehending the Past - Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated
        good character and personal virtue.
  I. 3 HS 1 Analyzing and Interpreting the Past – Use primary and secondary records to analyze
        significant events that shaped the development of Michigan as a state.
   I. 3 HS 4 Judging Decisions from the Past – Select pivotal decisions in Michigan history and
        evaluate them in light of core democratic values and resulting costs benefits as viewed
         from a variety of perspectives.
 III. 3 HS 2 Democracy in Action - Explain why people may agree on democratic values in the
abstract but disagree when they are applied to specific situations.
 IV. 4 HS 4 Economic Systems – Describe relationships among the various economic institutions
         that comprise economic systems such as households, business firms, banks, government
            agencies, and labor unions.
 V. 1 HS 1 Information Processing – Locate information pertaining to a specific social science topic
           in-depth using a variety of sources and electronic technologies.
 V. 1 HS 2 Information Processing – Use traditional and electronic means to organize and interpret
        information pertaining to a specific social science topic and prepare it for in-depth
        presentation.
 V. 1 HS 3 Information Processing – Develop generalizations pertaining to a specific social science
        topic by interpreting information from a variety of sources.
 V. 2 HS 1 Conducting Investigations – Conduct an investigation prompted by a social science
         question and compare alternative interpretations of their findings.
 V. 2 HS 2 Conducting Investigations – Report the results of their investigation including
       procedures followed and a rationale for their conclusions.
 VI. 2 HS 2 Group Discussion - Engage each other in elaborated conversations that deeply examine
       public policy issues and help make reasoned and informed decisions.
 VII. 1 HS 2 Responsible Personal Conduct – Plan and conduct activities intended to advance their
      views on matters of public policy, report the results of their efforts and evaluate their
       effectiveness.

National History Standards Addressed:
*Era 6 The Development of the Industrial United States (1870 - 1900)
Standard 3 The rise of the American Labor movement and how political issues reflected social and
economic changes.
3A The student understand how the second industrial revolution changed the nature and conditions
of work. Analyze how working conditions changed and how the workers responded to new industrial
conditions. [Explain historical continuity and change]
3B The student understands the rise of national labor unions and the role of state and federal
governments in labor conflicts. Explain the ways in which management in different regions and
 industries responded to labor organizing workers. [Formulate historical questions]
  Analyze the causes and effects of escalating labor conflict. [Analyze cause-and-effect relationships]
  Explain the response of management and government at different levels to labor strife in different
regions of the country. [Compare competing historical narratives]

 *Era 7 The Emergence of Modern America (1890 - 1930)
   Standard 3 How the United States changed from the end of World War I to end of the Great
   Depression.
     3B The student understands how a modern capitalist economy emerged in the 1920s. Examine
the changes in the modern corporation, including labor policies and the advent of mass advertising
and sales techniques. [Analyze cause-and-effect relationships]
  *Era 8 The Great Depression and World War II (1929 -1945)
   Standard 2 How the New Deal addressed the Great Depression, transformed American
federalism, and initiated the welfare system.

     2B The student understands the impact of the New Deal on workers and the labor movement.
     Explain how New Deal legislation and policies affected American workers and the labor
         movement. [Analyze cause-and-effect relationships]
      Explain the reemergence of labor militancy and the struggle between craft and industrial unions.
        [Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas]
     Evaluate labor union positions on minority and women workers. [Consider multiple
      perspectives]
 *Era 9 Postwar United States (1945 - early 1970s)
    Standard 3 Domestic policies after World War II.
    3A The student understands the political debates of the post-World War II era.
         Evaluate Truman’s continuation of New Deal policies in labor relations, housing, education,
         and health. [Formulate a position or course of action on an issue]
  Era 10 Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)
    Standard 1 Recent developments in foreign policy and domestic politics.
    1B The students understands domestic politics in contemporary society. Explain why labor
         unionism has declined in recent decades. [Interrogate historical data]
    Standard 2 Economic, social and cultural developments in contemporary United States.
    2A The student understands economic patterns since 1968. Examine the consequences of the
        shift of the labor force from manufacturing to service industries.[Evaluate debates among
          historians]
    Evaluate how scientific advances and technological changes such as robotics and the computer
    revolution affect the economy and the nature of work. [Explain historical continuity and
     change]
    Assess the effects of international trade, transnational business organization, and overseas
   competition on the economy. [Utilize quantitative data]


Description of Class Activities
Anticipatory Set:
     This unit of study will follow the new industrial age. Students will have analyzed the effects of
various scientific discoveries and manufacturing innovations on the nature of work, the American
labor movement, and businesses.

Day 1: Introduce unit with an historical overview of the emergence and growth of the labor
movement and unions in the United States.

Day 2: Students will research materials about the growth of iron mining in Iron County. They will
learn about: which mining companies set up operations in the county; how many mines were
established throughout the county; where the mines were located; how many people were employed at
the mines; which towns became mining towns and what it meant to be a mining town; and when
mining ended in Iron County.

Day 3: Working conditions of iron miners: students will continue their research focusing on the
conditions under which the iron miners had to work.

Day 4: Students will form groups. Their charge will be to review, analyze and discuss their findings
based on their research. Each group will have a recorder and a group leader who will provide a
summary oral report of the groups’ findings. Emphasis will be given to working conditions of the
miners. Each respective group will need to determine whether the working conditions could lead to
issues of contention between workers and management.
Days 5 - 7: Analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary sources: students will analyze
and interpret sources, focusing on miners’ attempts to organize. They will identify the issues that
served as catalysts for workers to organize. Students will draw generalizations about the successes
and failures of labor organization by iron miners in Iron County.

 Students will also conduct interviews with former iron miners or with family members of former
miners. The interviews will focus on their recollections of working conditions of miners and
organizing of iron miners.

Student will use Photo Story and incorporate the interviews with pictures from the mining era in
Iron County, and music from the labor movement. The visual presentations will be placed on DVDs.

 Time permitting, students will create posters and set up an exhibit room for other students and
community members to view.

Day 8: Role Play. Based on their understanding of the organized labor movement in Iron County,
students will conduct a negotiation, mediation, or arbitration session that could have taken place in
Iron County during the period studied.

Days 9&10:      Photo Story presentations. Students will present their completed Photo Stories on
organized labor and the iron mining industry in Iron County. Students will also incorporate into their
presentations what they think the legacy of organized labor is in Iron County. Additionally, they will
identify and discuss continuing issues of organized labor and the degree to which organized
labor continues to have relevance in Iron County.



Assessment/Evaluation of objectives

  1. Students will analyze primary and secondary sources in their study of the mining industry
and organized labor in Iron County. Students will be expected to take concise notes on the sources
they read and analyze. Students will be evaluated on the quality of their note taking. An assessment
rubric will be used for assessing the quality of their work.

     2. Students will be graded on their individual class participation and their group participation.
Did the respective students remain focused and contribute to the group activities? An assessment
rubric will be used to assess student performance.


     3. Students will present their respective photo stories reflecting iron mining and organized
labor in Iron County. The photo stories should grasp the emotions and struggles of the iron miners,
and the essence this period of time. The photo stories should also reflect the varying opinions and
music of the era. An assessment rubric will be used to evaluate all of the above components.
An assessment rubric will also be used to evaluate the quality of the posters created by the students.