Industrial Revolution: Work and Labor

 Industrial Revolution: Beginnings & Workers Rights

Introduction:

ONE OF THE GREATEST NATIONAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME!!!

Do you have a part-time job? Will you expect to have one soon or in college? If so, how much do you think that you will earn? As a high school student, most employers will only offer you minimum wage. Today’s society has various minimum wage laws while members are Congress are lobbying for the minimum to go higher in coming years. What if you didn’t earn the minimum wage? What if there weren’t any laws to protect your rights as a worker? Certain rights and laws are set in place today because of the history that the labor force has taken. We will learn about and analyze the different conditions and chain of events that occurred during the Industrial Revolution that eventually led to workers rights, minimum wage, and reparations in case of work related injuries. 

California State Standards: History-Social Science Standards CA Standards

10.3 Students analyze the effects of the Industrial Revolution in England, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States.

3. Describe the growth of population, rural to urban migration, and growth of cities associated with the Industrial Revolution.

4. Trace the evolution of work and labor, including the demise of the slave trade and the effects of immigration, mining and manufacturing, division of labor, and the union movement.

Task:

You will be responsible for creating a storyboard that reflects the major events and important points of the Industrial Revolution. Pay particular interest to the happenings and story of the worker or industrial laborer. The storyboard will be graded on how well you visually represent these major events that you will learn about from: the online lecture PowerPoint, teacher provided online content, and any additional individual research. 

After creating a storyboard of the main chain of events during the Industrial Revolution, you will shift your focus to the plight of workers today. Workers are treated unfairly all over the world. Children are especially exploited in different countries in todays modern era. Research the effects of child labor, labor rights, or unfair working conditions in a country outside of the United States today and draft a letter to an organization that fights these injustices.

Resources:

1. Laptop (or any other device used to access internet)
2. Access to online story board creating website:  http://www.storyboardthat.com/
3. Teacher provided Content (located in process section)
• Modern World History (2007), Boston, MA; Ellis & Fisler.
• APA Guidelines
• Industrial Workers Lives
• Labor Unions in History
• Labor Unions
• Labor Unions Timeline
• Additional Industrial Revolution Facts

Process:

1. Review slides on Industrial Revolution found here: Online Lecture Notes
2. Review major facts on Industrial Revolution and Workers here:
1. Industrial Revolution Website 1
2. Industrial Revolution Website 2
3. Industrial Revolution Website 3
4. Industrial Revolution Video
5. Industrial Revolution Primary Sources
3. Create StoryBoard using: http://www.storyboardthat.com/
4. Research the effects and statistics on Child Labor
1. Good Starting Point: Child Labor Search Results
5. Draft a letter in support of a known organization that is working to fight Child Labor
1. Organizations Like: United Nations

Rubric:

StoryBoard Rubric

Letter Rubric

Conclusion:


There has been much that we have learned about the origins of the Industrial Revolution and how it has affected labor over the course of history! On our class discussion page (FOUND ON HAIKU), create a 2-3 paragraph discussion thread as a response to what we have discovered about the IR and how it can even relate to what is happening in our society and economy today. Topic can be on : (IR history, Child Labor, Wages, Labor Rights, Unions, etc)

Respond to 2 different classmates' posts.