This volume of essays and activities is written for use in the eighth grade course "United States and New York State History." The volume follows the chronology from the Civil War to the present, emphasizing child labor during those years. The essays are intended for teachers but can be mastered by many students. The activities focus on child labor and social history and are suited to the peer orientation of middle school students. The book is divided into four sections: (1) "Child Labor in the Gilded Age: 1865-1900"; (2) "The Struggle for Child Labor Reform: 1900-1933"; (3) "The 'High-Water Mark' of Child Labor Reform: 1933-1960"; and (4) "The Resurgence of Child Labor: 1960 to the Present." Guiding questions for the volume are the inter-related questions of: (1) "Which children should work?"; (2) "What work should children do?"; and (3) "Under what conditions should children work?" (EH)