Working the Farms- Mike Weinstein

1.

RI.2

What is the central idea of the text?

• Migrant children prefer working on farms with their parents over attending school.

• Migrant children work hard on farms and do not have the same chance to get an education.

• Migrant children are better prepared to be adults because they already have job experience.

• Migrant children are used for farming because they pick fruits and vegetables faster than adults.

How does paragraph 4 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?

• It emphasizes how important migrant children are to the industry.

• It highlights how hard it is to pick fruits and vegetables outside.

• It suggests that migrant workers are happy working outside.

• It suggests that migrant workers are healthy.

What connection does the author draw between migrant children’s work and school? (Paragraph 6)

• Migrant children fall behind in school because they are often working.

• Migrant children care less about school because they already have a job.

• Migrant children study hard so that they can get a job other than farm work.

• Migrant children do better in school because they learn valuable skills working.

What is the author’s purpose for including the data in paragraph 8?

• to show that the estimates about migrant children are exaggerated

• to suggest that there are more migrant children than adults

• to suggest that the statistics about migrants have been faked

• to convey how many children and adults are migrant workers

What is the meaning of “forbidden” in paragraph 10?

• assisted

• permitted

• not allowed

• given support

PART A: Which of the following describes a change in the farming industry discussed in paragraphs 9-10?

• New laws require farmers to provide migrant workers with homes.

• Greater demands for food have required migrant children to work more.

• New laws have been put in place attempting to protect migrant children.

• Farms are required to give migrant children time to work on their homework.

PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• “living and working conditions are far from perfect” (Paragraph 9) “

• A few migrants have even bought houses or mobile homes in southern states” (Paragraph 9)

• “In some places, children under 12 years old are now forbidden from farm work.” (Paragraph 10)

• “With better schooling, migrant children can have more hope that this will come true.” (Paragraph 10)

How are children affected by working as migrant farm workers? Use details from the text to support your answer.