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DEARLY EARNED: EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
The story of industrialization in our region begins with a proliferation of small mills in the many villages which grew up along the rivers of New England. Many of these mills still stand in one form or another; others exist only as a memory. Some towns are left with derelict structures, others have converted them to new uses, or established musuems honoring those who once toiled there. All of these communities are, in one way or another, dealing with the legacy of industrialization.  

Pontine has developed a series of workshops to accompany DEARLY EARNED, an original play whose text is drawn from letters, diaries and newspaper accounts of the era. These workshops bring history to life and connect students with the human experience of life in the mills; they engage students in creative and interactive learning.

MANAGEMENT & LABOR: READING BETWEEN THE LINES
Contemporary accounts of historic events, such as newspaper articles, often assume that the reader understands the social context of the times. When we read these stories out of context we benefit by putting ourselves into the story. This allows us to understand, from a personal point of view, the hidden agendas of the people and groups involved. In this workshop students begin by reading historic newspaper accounts of issues in New England Textile Mills. By changing the point of view and role-playing, students come to better understand the struggle between management and labor which was a central conflict of the Industrial Age.

A DAY IN THE MILL
Industrialization changed the face of rural New England as factory villages were constructed on the region¹s waterways. It also changed the nature of work for many people who moved off the farms into tenements or  boarding houses near the mills. These workers endured difficult working conditions, low pay, long hours and, often, painful separation from their families.  

In this workshop students go "on the line", and experience first hand the dehumanizing effect of factory work. As working conditions deteriorate they are prompted to consider the consequences of a strike. They learn to articulate their grievances and question who held the ultimate power in the factory system.

CHILD LABOR: THEN AND NOW
19th century textile mills depended upon cheap energy and cheap labor. The factory system's division of  labor allowed mill owners to employ unskilled workers. They turned, in large measure, to women and children who could be paid less than men, were easily manipulated, and could be treated as temporary disposable laborers. Children working in textile mills were generally doomed to a life of poverty; either through lack of education, or by being disabled through injury.  

In this workshop students create biographies for real child laborers whose names appear in brief period news stories describing terrible accidents in the mills. By turning these lives into monologues, the students empathize with these children of the past. They gain a personal insight into the need for labor reform. The workshop closes with an overview of current child labor laws.

All workshops can be adapted for adult community groups or students, grades 4 - 12; all run approximately 90 minutes.

Please contact Pontine for scheduling and fee information :

Pontine Theatre
135 McDonough Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 436-6660
info@pontine.org

Funding available through the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and through the New England Foundation for the Arts.

NEW HAMPSHIRE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK  
Pontine’s workshops support New Hampshire’s K-12 English Language Arts Curriculum framework by addressing the Speaking, Listening, and Viewing Curriculum Standard #3: 

”Students will demonstrate the interest and ability to speak purposefully and articulately, as well as listen and view attentively and critically.” 

Pontine’s interactive approach includes a carefully articulated process for approaching problems, sharing ideas, shaping and presenting performances, and providing critical response. Students learn how to communicate and work effectively with others as active participants and  responsive listeners. Pontine’s workshops also support the K-12 Social Studies Curriculum Framework by addressing History Curriculum Standard #16: 

”Students will demonstrate the ability to employ historical analysis, interpretation, and comprehension to make reasoned judgments and to gain an understanding, perspective, and appreciation of history and its uses in contemporary situations.” 

Pontine’s workshops help students to understand the Industrial Revolution from the perspective of those  whose lives were most affected by it. Pontine’s workshops helpstudents understand the point of view and underlying meaning in historical documents; they strengthen students understanding of their own link to the past by connecting them to the eyes and experiences of those who were there; and they help students to understand how the lives of ordinary people were affected by larger social issues. 

MASSACHUSETTS CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK
 Pontine’s workshops support the Massachusetts English Language Arts CurriculumFramework by connecting Language Strand Standard #2 and Reading and Literature Strand Standard #18: 

Standard 2: Students will pose questions, listen to the ideas of others, and contribute their own information or ideas in group discussions or interviews in order to acquire new knowledge. 

Standard 18: Students will plan and present dramatic readings, recitations, and performances that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience and purpose.  

Pontine’s interactive approach includes a carefully articulated process for approaching problems, sharing ideas, shaping and presenting performances, and providing critical response. Students learn how to communicate and work effectively with others as active participants and responsive listeners. 

Pontine’s workshops also support the History and Social Studies Framework by connecting History Learning Standard #6 and Economics Learning Standard #13: 

Standard 6: Students will describe and explain major advances, discoveries, and inventions over time in natural science, mathematics and technology; explain some of their effects and influences in the past and present on human life, thought, and health, including use of natural resources, production and distribution and consumption of goods, exploration, warfare, and communication. 

Standard #13: Students will describe the development of the american economy, including Massachusetts and New England, from colonial times to the present. 

Pontine’s workshops help students to understand the Industrial Revolution from the perspective of those whose lives were most affected by it. These workshops help students understand the point of view and underlying meaning in historical documents; they strengthen students understanding of their own link to  the past by connecting themto the eyes and experiences of those who were there; and they help students to understand how the lives of ordinary people were affected by larger social issues.