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Maine Samplers Part II Lyddie: by Katherine Paterson
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Lodestar, 1991. Summary: Lyddie provides an opportunity to step back into the 1840’s and to observe what life was like for a 'factory girl' in her early teens in a New England Town. A heartening look at relationships and responsibilities. Level: RL-IL 5-8 Themes: Activities: 1. Use an atlas to help you locate information for a blank New England map. Label the New England States and Lake Champlain.
*2. Use a dictionary to locate and write a definition of dependent. Who was dependent on Lyddie and why? Did this dependency on Lyddie change by the end of the story? Was Lyddie happy or sad that she didn't have to depend on anyone? Explain. *3. A slave is defined as "One who is legally bound in servitude to a person or household to perform labor". How is a slave different from an indentured servant? Who is a slave and who is an indentured servant in the story? In what ways do they obtain freedom to control their own lives? *4. List the working conditions of the factories where Lyddie was employed. Now find out about some textile or shoe factories that existed during the 19th and 20th century. [near to where you live, if possible] Interview older relatives or neighbors and research school and public libraries for information on these factories. Then compare conditions in these factories with those described in Lyddie. Develop a chart that shows the similarities and differences in the working conditions of the factories. 5. Lyddie taught herself to read, write, and spell by laboriously reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Write a paragraph or discuss in class the reasons why she was so impressed by this book. Is there a book that has impressed you deeply? Explain its influence on you. If not, choose a book that you have heard about that you think you might learn from. Explain. *6. Each new wave of immigrants into New England replaced the current mill workers. What immigrant population replaced the current mill workers. What immigrant population replaced the New England farm girls in Lyddie ? Who were the immigrants that came to Lewiston, Waterville, and Biddeford to work the Mills? [You may substitute 3 other towns.] Who are the immigrants in the 1980’s and 1990’s that replace workers in factories, mills, and service jobs in Maine? Give three reasons that factory jobs attract immigrants. *7. As you read Lyddie keep a list of the dangers to the mind, body, and health of the workers. Now research current Child Labor Laws, both federal and state. [Call your local state representative or senator for state laws.] List how they protect you from 'oppressive child labor practices'. How do they relate to school? If these were in force when Lyddie worked in the mill, which of the dangers would she have been protected from? Which dangers would still be a threat to her? Explain. *8. Make a timeline of the major events in Lyddie. Listen to The Coming of the Mills [see resources] and make a timeline of the major events described. [If possible, use Timeliner computer program to make these two timelines. If Timeliner is used, merge the two timelines and color code them.] Write a description of how the information in these timelines enhance each other. Make a presentation regarding the inter-relationship between the two timelines and post them with the description for use by others as a resource for Lyddie activities. 9. As the book ends, Lyddie is planning to attend Oberlin College. What was so unique about this college? Could you attend this college when you graduate from high school? Explain. For what reasons would you or would you not want to attend this college? [Information on colleges may be located in encyclopedias and in college guides.] * Information for these activities may be found in the cassette tape listed below, among other resources. Cassette Tape:
Fiction:
Non-Fiction:
Magazines:
Newspapers:
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