Lesson 1

 

| The Rights and Responsibilities of Workers and Employers

Learning from Labour | 

Intermediate ETFO Resource

 | 

www.etfo.ca

18

Learning Goal(s)

The Learning Goals are the Overall/Specific Expectations written in student friendly 
language for students to access (post onto chart paper and review with students)

I understand that workers and employers have different responsibilities and rights in the workplace.

I have an understanding of some of the important historical people, events and developments that played a part in the labour 
movement in Canada.

I can write questions that will help me find answers and guide my thinking throughout this unit.

Implementation

Task Component

Instruction

Assessment Focus 
Look Fors

Notes for Teachers*

Before

(Activation/Review)

15 minutes

Small Group Discussion

Break the students into groups 
of four or five. Have the group 
select one student to record the 
thoughts that come up during 
their discussion. 

Write the following questions on 
a whiteboard, chart paper or index 
cards for each group so students 
may refer to them easily. 

• What does it mean to be a 

worker? 

• What are their rights and 

responsibilities? 

• What does it mean to be an 

employer? What are their 
rights and responsibilities?

• In the workplace, who has the 

most power and how is power 
distributed? In what ways 
may it be equal or unequal?

Large Group Debrief

Review each question and ask the 
groups to share their ideas. 

This will help you identify the 
various lenses that students bring 
to the discussion and to determine 
whether any students have 
personal experiences of the labour 
movement.

Assessment for Learning

During the discussion and 
brainstorming, assess the 
amount of knowledge the 
students have about the rights 
and responsibilities of workers/
employers today.

As students discuss, take note 
of their current knowledge and 
experiences. This will help guide 
you throughout the unit.