McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson CXIV · Part 11: Franklin, the sea, India and The Raven
120. Labor (Horace Greeley)
Goal: Your student can explain why Greeley thought every child should learn useful work.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- A notebook and pen
- A dictionary
What's in the book
Greeley's short essay arguing that every child should be trained in some useful kind of work. The heading is mid-page, after the end of the Poland poem.
The lesson, step by step
Words and meanings
Look over the notes and definitions printed at the end of the lesson before you start, so names and hard words don't trip up the reading.
Your student picks three unfamiliar words, guesses each meaning from the sentence, then checks a dictionary.
About the author
The book says Greeley (1811–1872) was a famous American editor, born to poor parents in Amherst, New Hampshire. He founded the New York Tribune in 1841, served briefly in Congress, and ran for President in 1872, dying soon after. His best-known book is The American Conflict.
Read aloud
Read the first sentence carefully, then the rest.
Listen for these lines:
Every child should be trained to dexterity in some useful branch of productive industry
Talk about it
SayWhy does Greeley want every child to learn useful work, even if they never do it for a living?
SayWhat does dexterity mean? Name something you do with dexterity.
SayWhat does he say about people who look down on labor?
SayGreeley grew up poor. How might that have shaped his opinion?
Narration
Your student gives Greeley's argument in their own words.
Do it
Pick one useful skill your student doesn't have yet (cooking a meal, mending, a simple repair) and plan when to learn it this month.
Writing (optional)
Write a paragraph about a useful skill you have and how you learned it.