Biello and Johnson U.S. History Industrial Revolution Fall 2011  

Topics for Industrial Revolution and Early Reforms :

• Cotton Gin: Eli Whitney and the effects of the cotton gin (positive and negative)
•  Interchangeable Parts: Eli Whitney
•  Steamboat: Robert Fulton
• Erie Canal and the Rise of New York City
• National Road (Cumberland Road)
• Telegraph: Samuel Morse
• Industrial Revolution effects on urbanization and immigration
•  Work conditions in the textile mills and factories and attempts to improve those conditions, including child labor
• Education reforms: Horace Mann and teacher training
• Slavery and Abolition: Fredrick Douglass
• Temperance Movement and women involvement 

Learning Target:

Students will explore aspects of the Industrial Revolution as well as the early reforms of America such as the temperance, abolition, and education reforms. Our goal is to connect events and concepts of the Industrial Revolution and early reform efforts and measures together.  We are exploring how specific events impacted reform efforts.

For example, factory work conditions connect to reforms in child labor and working hours. Women played a big role in industry as well as early reforms in temperance and education.

Monday and Tuesday, October 3-4, 2011

• Introduction of research guide
• Use these two days to explore your topic and develop an "essential" or "big idea" question to explore that answers a "how" or "why" about some aspect of your topic.  You should use print and web resources from the research guide.
• Due Tuesday, 10/4 at the end of class:  your group will submit an essential reserach question to Ms. Johnson for approval.  Ms. Hamilton will provide you the form.

Wednesday and Friday, October 5 and October 7

Ms. Hamilton will introduce the menu of multimedia projects--you will create ONE quality multimedia project that reflects your findings of your inquiry.  Ms. Hamilton will provide you a checklist to help you make sure your product has digital rigor and that your product reflects thoughtful content creation and critical thought.

We will use these two days to work in class on your multimedia product.

Wednesday, October 12

We will work with each group to embed your learning product on a class wiki page---Ms. Hamilton will facilitate this process.  All products must be completed by the BEGINNING of class and be embedded during class time with Ms. Hamilton's assistance.

Learning Product Menu

Please click here or on the icon to access the Facts on File Video Database.