Letter to the President Theodore Roosevelt

1. Which of the following most closely identifies what Mother Jones is asking of the President?

• 1. A. a face-to-face meeting in New York

• 1. B. laws that will transition children from working in factories to attending school

• 1. C. a standard work week of under 50 hours for textile workers

• 1. D. all of the above

1. Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the passage below (paragraph 6)?

2. "The manufacturers have threatened to starve these children, and we seek to show that no child shall die of hunger at the will of any manufacturer in this fair land. The clergy, whose work this really is, are silent on the crime of ages, and so we appeal to you".

• 1. A. All the children who work in factories can do is to pray that their lives are spared.

• 1. B. Children haven’t been able to find much help, even from people they could normally rely on.

• 1. C. Children will survive and figure out a way to adapt to difficult conditions even if President Roosevelt does not act.

• 1. D. Manufacturers and clergy members are working together to deny children their rights.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

1. With which of the following statements would Mother Jones most likely agree?

• 1. A. The growing American economy has left certain workers unprotected.

• 1. B. Roosevelt has a reputation of responding directly to requests from regular citizens.

• 1. C. There are many different groups advocating for the rights of child laborers.

• 1. D. Limiting the hours textile employees can work is more important than addressing child labor issues.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

1. Which statement from the text most strongly supports the answer to Question 3?

   Answer choices for the above question

• 1. A. “If the United States Senate had passed the eight-hour bill, this strike might not have occurred.”

• 1. B. “The clergy, whose work this really is, are silent on the crime of ages, and so we appeal to you.”

• 1. C. “As Chief Executive of the United States, you are, in a sense, our father and leader, and as such we look to you for advice and guidance.”

• 1. D. “We ask you, Mr. President, if our commercial greatness has not cost us too much by being built upon the quivering hearts of helpless children?”

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.8

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.7.1

1. In which line, does the author most effectively use ethos by appealing to the reader's sense of moral principles?

• 1. A. “Being citizens of the United States of America, we, members of the textile industry, take the liberty of addressing this appeal to you.”

• 1. B. “In Philadelphia, Pa., there are ninety thousand (90,000) textile workers who are on strike, asking for a reduction from sixty to fifty-five hours a week.”

• 1. C. “If the United States Senate had passed the eight-hour bill, this strike might not have occurred.”

• 1. D. “We also ask that the children be taken from the industrial prisons of this nation, and given their right of attending schools, so that in years to come better citizens will be given to this republic."

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

1. How does this use of rhetoric help the writer achieve her purpose in QUESTION 5?

   Answer choices for the above question

• 1. A. This use of ethos demonstrates Mother Jones’s deeper argument that child labor is not only hurting young people today, but it’s damaging to the country’s future.

• 1. B. This use of logos shows that children enjoy being in school more than they enjoy working sixty hours a week in the factories owned by rich textile merchants.

• 1. C. This use of ethos works to convince President Theodore Rooselvelt to meet with Mother Jones and the child laborers once they reach his home in New York.

• 1. D. This use of pathos shows that the profits of capitalism and the textile workers are not worth it if it costs millions of children their health and childhoods.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

How effective is the argument presented by "Mother" Jones in persuading the President to take action?

• A. The argument is weak because it lacks evidence.

• B. The argument is effective because it appeals to the President's sense of responsibility and compassion.

• C. The argument is ineffective because it is too emotional.

• D. The argument is strong because it offers a detailed plan of action.

1. What does Mother Jones’s diction, evidenced in her choice of words such as suffer and hope, suggest about the reason she wrote the letter?

   Answer choices for the above question

• 1. A. to inform readers about the unfair working condition with facts

• 1. B. to encourage readers to write letters to their senators for help

• 1. C. to persuade readers and stress her opinion by using emotional words

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.6

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

What is the author's purpose in mentioning the "words of Christ" in the letter?

• To entertain the President with religious references.

• To criticize the President's religious beliefs.

• To appeal to the President's moral and ethical values.

• To inform the President about religious teachings.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.9

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

What is the author's purpose of writing the letter to President Roosevelt?

• A.to consider different ways the President can help the suffering children.

• B.to question whether it is possible to change the laws.

• C.to convince President Roosevelt to end child labor.

• D.to demand answers from the President about the textile workers.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.6

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.7.6