Let’s talk..

1. Let’s talk.. Teaching for Understanding in Global History: Stopping the Content Train Presenters: Professor Kevin Sheehan and Dr. Chuck Howlett Co-Presenters and Website Creators: Alicia Centeno, Katelyn Dunn, Anthony Ianece, Danielle Sekesan, and Jacqueline Wick

2. Understanding in a Day Unit: The Industrial Revolution Act it Out “Perspective” Create a Statue “Roles in Industrial Society” Response Groups “Which event?”

3. Directions for Act it Out • The students should be put in two groups • One group will be responsible for developing an “act it out” skit that depicts the agricultural society of Europe prior to the Industrial Revolution • The other group will be responsible for “acting out” the shift to a factory and industry based society • Each group will be given the images depicting the topic of their skit, a brief description that gives background information, and guiding questions to focus them on the important information. • They will examine the images and use their prior knowledge to develop an act it out skit • They will have the opportunity to use any of the props available to them

4. Props for both Activities • Garden hoe • Shovel • Shirt • Pants • Chairs • Monopoly Money • Extension Cord • Rope • Plastic bowls • Straw hat • Paper • Markers • Doll • Hammer • Pillow

5. Act It Out

6. Act It Out

7. Act It Out

8. Questions for Groups • Describe your daily working conditions. • Is it easy or difficult? • How do the majority of people earn their income? • Describe the new working conditions. • Is work easier or more difficult in the factory? • What are the new living conditions compared to life before the Industrial Revolution?

9. Create a Statue Directions • The students will be placed in three groups representing the different perspectives of people who are involved in factory work • Employees (Women) • Children • Employers (New Middle Class) • They will be given written descriptions of each group which they will use along with their prior knowledge to create a statue involving every member of the group • They will be able to use whatever props are available to them for their statue

10. Women’s Role • During the Industrial Revolution, the role of women in society was greatly changed. Prior to the revolution, a woman’s place was originally at home to care for her family. However, women in the working class were forced to leave the boundaries of their homes for factories and other workplaces. Women often worked in the mills or mines. Hours were long and conditions were harsh. Women also faced the added burden of raising children during this time. The Industrial Revolution led to a rapid increase in birth rates and it was not uncommon for women to work right up to and straight after the day of their child’s birth for financial reasons.

11. Children’s Role • Children had been an important part of the family economy during the Industrial Revolution but child labor soon became exploited. Children as young as six years old worked hard hours for little or no pay. The smaller size of children made it easier for them to move under machines to gather loose cotton and they were more easily trained to factory work. Working class families couldn’t afford to send children to school so therefore they were not educated enough to argue or complain about the work. Children represented a cheap supply of labor and were carefully supervised, even whipped with a rod, to ensure that they constantly were hard at work.

12. The Employer’s Role • A new middle class emerged during the Industrial Revolution which became composed of entrepreneurs, the employers of factories and production, and the wealthier members of society. The employers were responsible for raising capital, setting company objectives and rules, organizing the factory and its labor, and training supervisors who would act on their behalf. There were many opportunities for this group to make money. The growth of the factory system and goods helped them earn a profit. Hiring women and children also helped the employer by hiring cheap labor who would work long hours for little pay.

13. After the Activity • Afterwards, each group will answer questions about their own skit or statue as well as what they learned from the other groups • Engaging and actively involving students in their own learning experiences make the topics much more memorable in the long run

14. “Response Groups” Directions • Students divided into small groups of 3 or 4. • Each group is going to respond to a question presented to them using historical facts. • Students must use historical facts to back up their responses. This enables the students to apply the information. Let’s see an example …

15. Which event from the Industrial Revolution led to the MOST cultural destruction?

16. Which event from the Industrial Revolution was the MOST beneficial to culture?