The students discussed what they would do if all children under 18 were suddenly freed from their parents and could only take the clothes on their back. Some said they would work for less pay at fast food jobs, while others proposed that the government should provide housing, jobs, or education assistance. There was debate around whether the government should help, as the children now had the choice to stay with parents by doing chores and paying rent.

1. The Kids Are Free
Warm-up
Source: VA Department of Education

2. Before we start our group
discussions…
1.You will be working in your pods today.
2.Each of you need to have your laptops logged into the following
websites:
•Padlet (everyone should log on, everyone will be contributing to their group’s wall)
•Our Class Website
•Please Leave Schoology Open
Wait for further directions….

3. This morning, your parents told you that all children
under 18 are now free of their parents.
You must leave your house immediately, and you may only
take the clothes you are wearing and anything you have
purchased with money earned from jobs you have done for
other people.
Everything else, including any savings accounts in your
name, belongs to your parents and will be sold or kept to
pay them back for the cost of taking care of you.
Your parents have offered to allow you to stay, as long
as you do chores and pay them rent each month.
1. What will you do?
2. What, if anything, should the government do
to help you?

4. Directions: Small Group
Discussions
In your pods, discuss the scenario and come up
with a plan for how you would handle this
situation.
Plus, as a group you have to decide if the
government should help you. Make sure to
explain your opinions and include ways you
think the government should provide assistance.
Click on your pod’s Padlet link. Post your
groups ideas and include images, videos, or
website links to support your ideas. You can
even record yourself explaining your plan
directly into Padlet!

5. WRAP-UP…class discussion activity:
1. Were there any groups in the United States
during that time that might have found
themselves in a similar situation?
2. Why were they similar?
3. How were they different?
GUIDING QUESTION:
How does the idea of “The Kids Are Free”
relate to the Reconstruction Era after the
Civil War?

6. Prior Years
Class Discussions

7. Class Brainstorm – Responses from B-day 3/4
• Work for less money at fast food restaurants (fast food
workers might not be happy because jobs being threatened)
• Move away and start over
• Government should give you a house
• Government should give you a job and lower taxes
• $20 rent to parents
• Government should give you an education so you can apply
for the same job as parents/adults
• Work for parents – work off the rent and cost of food
• You are free, and should be treated with the same rights as
adults, therefore have the same responsibilities as adults
• Government should not help because you have the choice of
staying home with parent, plus you could get a job
• Give you a house, and you work for parents

8. Class Brainstorm – Responses from A-day 3/4
• The government should pay you $100 a week
• Shelter for kids that feeds and educates children – buy your belongings at the shelter
• If under 5 ft, government should provide transportation
• Older people might feel that their jobs are threatened because you are offering to work
longer hours for less money
• Government should buy clothing for you, food, and shelter
• Kids should travel with groups of other kids for safety and to raise money
• Government buys you a house, kids take a survey, group kids by interests
• The government buys you cars, and allows you to drive
• Government should provide education for all children
• Don’t want to have to pay parents rent
• Give you a recommendation for jobs
• Parents can give a “boost” to help children start on the right foot
• Government will pay for your food until you have a job and can pay for yourself
• Kid’s should make their own “club” that talks about what they want to do in life and how
they are going to do it…”kid’s rights”

9. Class Brainstorm – Responses from B-day 7/8
• Ask the government to revoke the law
• Get as many kids as you could together to protest
• Gather friends and pool money together to buy land; buy a few cheap tents and use the
resources from the land, find local work doing odd jobs
• Sneak some of your belongings out of your parents house
• Government should give you something to jumpstart a business, two pets of your choice, a
piece of land, and crossbow for hunting
• Ask the government for “kid” jobs
• Steal wallet from parents, get a job, buy a car, sleep in different locations, and be a
criminal mastermind on the loose
• Offer to work for less money
• Work somewhere until you have enough money to buy a computer, sell stuff online that
you bought from thrift shops, buy a bike for transportation
• Might stay with parents for shelter, might lower the rent, work more chores in return

10. Class Brainstorm – Responses from B-day 7/8
• Ask the government to revoke the law
• Get as many kids as you could together to protest
• Gather friends and pool money together to buy land; buy a few cheap tents and use the
resources from the land, find local work doing odd jobs
• Sneak some of your belongings out of your parents house
• Government should give you something to jumpstart a business, two pets of your choice, a
piece of land, and crossbow for hunting
• Ask the government for “kid” jobs
• Steal wallet from parents, get a job, buy a car, sleep in different locations, and be a
criminal mastermind on the loose
• Offer to work for less money
• Work somewhere until you have enough money to buy a computer, sell stuff online that
you bought from thrift shops, buy a bike for transportation
• Might stay with parents for shelter, might lower the rent, work more chores in return