LYDDIE AND CHILD RIGHTS: POSTER ART GALLERY The Language Arts classes discussed the Summary of United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (see "Links" page for internet resource) and how the Rights may have applied to Lyddie's life in the 1800s, had there been any at that time. The 9-6 students were assigned to create posters about Lyddie and Child Rights. While most posters were hand-drawn, some did collages. Then the posters were scanned for the online gallery. A few students chose to use their computer to 'draw' their posters. Check out Peter's poster with unique step-by-step instructions, and Mark's comic strip at the bottom of this page. Click one of the posters below to see a larger picture. Every child shall have the right to be cared for by his or her parents. Lyddie and Charlie had to take care of themselves. Lyddie did not have the opportunity to go to school because she had to work to pay back her family's debts. Every child has the right to an education.  Lyddie did not have this right. While she worked at the factory in Lowell, however, Betsy taught her how to read. Every child has the right to education today, but Lyddie did not in the 1800s. She had to work to support her family so she was not able to attend school. Lyddie did learn how to read and she bought Oliver Twist, which she copied onto sheets of paper and stuck them to her loom to read as she worked. Every child had the right to be protected from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. The overseer, Mr. Marsden, touched and spoke to the girls in the weaving room in an inappropriate manner. After defending her friend, Brigid, from Mr. Marsden's 'come on', Lyddie was dismissed from her job for 'moral turpitude'. The girls should have been protected, but they were not. Every child has the right to be protected from economic exploitation. I chose this right because I feel as though Lyddie was forced into working to support her family.  In other words, it was child labour.  We learned in class that in some countries there are as many as 15 million children working as child labourers. After Lyddie was dismissed from her job, she decided that she would go to Ohio to attend college. This was the only college that they knew of that would accept females. Every child has the right to education. Every child means every human being under the age of eighteen years. Colleges discriminated against females for not permitting them to attend. Before Lyddie's little sister Rachel went to live with the Phinney's she worked as a doffer at the Concord Corporation. Rachel became sick soon after she started working.  Lyddie knew that it would be better for Rachel to live with the Phinney's because she would have a chance to get an education. Every child has the right to engage in play, recreational activities, and to particpate freely in cultural life and the arts. Lyddie worked up to 14hrs. a day when she was our age. Today, it is estimated that 20% of the world's school-age children do not receive a primary education at all. Lyddie did not attend school because she was sent out to work. USING THE COMPUTER TO CREATE A POSTER This poster depicts one of the girls working a loom in the factory, where coughing, wheezing and illness were commonplace due to poor ventilation and air quality.  The girls worked long, long days in such conditions. Peter says, "I created this poster using AppleWorks 5, and the steps I used were as follows: decided which Child Right, as it applied to the novel, I would use typed the caption using the font I liked opened a document and made the oblique drawing of loom - maybe those drafting classes were worthwhile! drew a stick figure for Lyddie in a separate document filled out and coloured/textured the stick figure cut and pasted stick figure into original document played around with how to convert and save it breathed a sigh of relief and triumph!" Now it's your turn. Use AppleWorks, or any other graphics creation or drawing program that you have available, to make your own poster. It may not look perfect the first time you try, but you will learn something in the process.