When we made our assembly line it was just like when Grace works in the mill. It is just like working in a cotton mill. There are steps you have to follow. First you have to clean the cotton, spin the cotton, weave the cotton and make it into cloth. It is just like when we cut the yarn 3 feet, did our pattern and then passed it on. You kept passing it when you were done with your pattern. Then it went to the knotter, then the bagger. If you don't do it right you had to do it over again. GM

I have never thought how scary it could be to work in a mill (until) after today. Now I know how Grace must feel working at the mill, but she must feel way worse than I did because she could get whipped by a ruler and she had way more people in the mill than we had in the all purpose room. And we made necklaces. But they would have to make cotton (cloth) and there is way more stuff to make than there is necklaces. Also, Grace has to work for like 10 hours and she gets one lunch break and we only worked for 40 minutes and one snack break...Just imagine how Grace feels. MJ

It felt scary because if you made a mistake or fooled around or slowed the process down, the overseers would dock your pay or even fire you. At first, when I went in to the assembly line, it was exciting. But as we got further it got boring. While I was doing the assembly line I was imagining the kids actually doing this. The way Grace and I relate is at the beginning of the book we were both excited about working. Another thing I relate to is we both like to read. SCA

I think this simulation was fun but got a little tough at some times, but it was fun. I think if I compare my hour of work to Grace's all day work, I think Grace's all day assembly line would be harder because she has to work all day and go back to work again the next day. When we did our assembly line we did it for about an hour and did not have to go back the next day. EC

I am reading a book called, Counting on Grace . It is about child labor. Child labor is where children are either forced to work or they have to work for (the) money. So, one day in school we decided to do what they did in the book. We had to make 120 necklaces in 45 minutes. There were 4 groups. Each group had to make 30 necklaces. We could not talk. If we did talk or move around we would lose pay. In the book they did the same but had to work in a mill. KR

On the assembly line I had a mix of emotions. I felt good about it, like I was finally doing something important, but in a panic because we had to produce a quota. I felt under pressure with silence and overseers too. I think that Grace will feel this too, except a little more excited. But still, she might not. I was also nervous and jittery. The kids like Grace probably were exhausted, though. After 6 hours, you would be too. LDG

Working in an assembly line is hard because you cannot talk at all. It is also hard because you have to move really fast so you can get your work done. If you don't get your work done, or you fool around, you will get a deduction. In the book, Counting on Grace , Grace has to quit school to work at the mill and (help spin) cotton to earn money for her family. I would rather be in school now than back then, and working now than back then. EL

Well, it felt like it was very hard because you have to work fast and not mess up. I felt unhappy because it was really hard to do because we could not talk. If I fooled around or talked, I would lose money and I would be sad and mad because of the rules. It was very hard when I was in an assembly line because you have to do it like you do on an assembly line. You have to concentrate on what you do or you will mess up. CR

In the book, Counting on Grace , by Elizabeth Winthrop, we were learning about manufacturing cotton and how difficult it might be for Grace. My experience about manufacturing is somewhat similar to Grace's experience manufacturing cotton, but we made necklaces. What was similar about our experience was that we had to be quiet, still and basically get everything perfect. For example, when we were cutting the string to bead, the length had to be exact or we had to start over. So if we had to have a 3-foot long yarn and I made it a half inch too long, we would have to do it again. There were also people watching you all the time saying to you, "Do it again," or "That's not right." So we had to do it perfect again. I don't that that the people watching you called overseers cared how many times we had to redo it again as long as it was perfect. This experience was not similar to Grace's because of course we were manufacturing necklaces and not cotton, but the pay and the length of time were (also) different. What was different about the length of time was that we only worked for 40 mins. and Grace and the other mill workers worked for 12 hours. They woke up VERY early and they had probably 5 mins. to get ready and go to the mill. Everyone would be working so hard and be sweating at the end of the day. 12 hours is double the amount of time we go to school. The difference in our pay was that for 40 mins. I got 10 cents but in 40 mins. the other kids who worked at the mill would get less than that. Grace got $2.50 a week, so that is a big difference. One more thing that was different in the book, Counting on Grace , than what happened in our school/mill is they had child labor which means putting the kids to work that grown ups would do now. That did not happen to us. Child labor is harsh and wrong. That's why we don't have it (in our country). ES