Teacher: Michelle Hochmuth School: Hackett Middle School
Grade: 8 U.S. History Time Period: 43 minutes
Unit: Industrial Revolution
Lesson Topic: America enters the Industrial Revolution
Lesson Objectives:
Students will identify the causes and effects of the American Industrial Revolution by filling in a graphic organizer.
New York State Standards:
Standard 1, Intermediate 2, Key Idea 2: Students will investigate key turning points in New York State and United States history and explain why these events or developments are significant.
Activities:
1. Students will complete the POD: (3 minutes)
Day 1: Explain how natural resources and new means of transportation affect the growth of Industry in the United States?
Answer: Natural Resources and new means of transportation affected the growth of industry because people began developing new inventions, people could move from one place to another more easily, and people wanted more goods.
Day 2: Describe as many negative effects of Industrialization as you can.
Answer: Some negative effects of Industrialization are overcrowded tenements, filth in the streets, dangerous jobs like building skyscrapers, and child labor.
2. Students will copy four questions into their notebooks and told to write one word answers
during the movie, but leave enough space to expand their answers after the movie.
(See questions below) (5 minutes)
3. Show video: America the Story of Us- Chapter “Cities” Section 2-4. (20 minutes)
4. Questions about the movie will be reviewed. (20 minutes)
a. Immigrants from Europe were processed at Ellis Island and were greeted by what
feature?
i. Answer: Statue of Liberty.
ii. Expanded Answer: Once immigrants arrived at Ellis Island, they
were examined by doctors before allowed to enter the country.
Immigrants from Asia were processed in a similar way at Angel
Island in California.
b. Andrew Carnegie is known for revolutionizing what process?
i. Answer: Steel
ii. Expanded Answer: Carnegie was a business tycoon of the
Industrial Revolution. He kept the cost of steel down
whenever possible. Another business tycoon is John D.
Rockefeller. He is known for creating a monopoly on oil,
called Standard Oil Trust.
c. Urban population increased as a direct result of what kind of buildings?
i. Answer: Skyscrapers
ii. Expanded Answer: Since steel could be produced cheaper and
easier, skyscrapers could be built. These buildings could be many
stories tall because the electric elevator was also invented.
d. Poor living conditions were exposed because of what invention?
i. Answer: Flash gun
ii. Expanded Answer: Jacob Riis was a photographer that took
pictures of the tenements and slums. Since there were usually no
windows for light in the tenements, the invention of the flash gun
allowed for pictures to be taken in low light. Many people were
surprised at how bad conditions were for the poor.
5. Students will be provided with blank graphic organizer outline. Ask students what they think some of the causes of the Industrial Revolution are. Have them copy this into the organizer (ie: mass production of steel, inventions, interchangeable parts, production line, etc.) (10 minutes)
6. Ask students what some positive and negative effects of the Industrial Revolution are. Have student’s fill out information on graphic organizer (i.e.: Negative: child labor, poor sanitation,dangerous jobs, etc. Positive: speedy production, jobs for uneducated, working class emerges, urbanization, etc.) (10 minutes)
7. Have student’s identify some effects in modern society that are a direct result of effects from the Industrial Revolution (i.e.: Labor reform, Safety reforms, travel by car, etc.). (10 minutes)
Assessment: Informal- question and answer discussion