Teen job rules: an 8th grade gallery walk on youth labor laws

1. Ask: "At what age can you get a job?" Collect guesses, then share the federal starting age of 14 for most jobs outside farming.
2. Hand out the rule card and read the hour limits together.
3. Groups rotate every 3 minutes. Example cases: a 14-year-old works 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays (follows the rules); a 15-year-old works 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. on a school day (4 hours and past 7 p.m., breaks the rules); a 15-year-old works until 8:30 p.m. on July 10 (follows the rules); a 14-year-old works 20 hours in a school week (breaks the rules).
4. At each poster, groups add a green or red note and write the rule that decides it.
5. Debrief all 6 cases. Point out that many states have their own rules for young workers, and when both apply, the stricter rule must be followed.
6. Each student writes one question they would ask before taking a first job.

Safety: the cases use made-up people. Students should talk with a parent or guardian before applying for any job.

Differentiation: students who need support get rule cards with the key numbers highlighted. Students who are ready add a case for a 16-year-old (federal law does not limit their hours). English learners can use the words legal, schedule and hours.

Quick check: ask: can a 14-year-old work until 8 p.m. on a school night in October?

Save this activity to your library so it is ready when you need it.