MANCHESTER COLLEGE- Department of Education s1

MANCHESTER COLLEGE- Department of Education

LESSON PLAN by: Paige Koomler

Lesson: Write a journal entry of a worker during the Industrial Revolution

Length: One hour (plus time for reading)

Age or Grade Intended: Grade Six

Source: original

Academic Standards:

6.1.14 Early Modern Era: 1500 to 1800. Describe the origins, developments and innovations of the Industrial Revolution and explain the changes it brought about.

6.5.5 Write persuasive compositions that: • state a clear position on a proposition or proposal. • support the position with organized and relevant evidence and emotional appeals. • anticipate and address reader concerns and counterarguments.

6.5.6 Use varied word choices to make writing interesting.

Performance Objectives:

The students will write a 3 paragraph journal entry from the perspective of a lower class worker during the Industrial Revolution in America using knowledge of the time period, including varied word choice, following the rubric.

Assessment:

I will use my rubric to assess the children’s journal entries. See attached.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher:

Get the appropriate number of copies of the book, The Clock by James Lincoln Collier. I will also create groups of 4-5 for reading groups. I will also need to research and get a timeline of events during the Industrial Revolution.

Procedure:

Introduction/Motivation: (10 minutes) *I will give a short summary of what happened during the Industrial Revolution in America, and the struggles faced by middle class workers. Start class discussion, and ask for volunteers to come up and fill in a Venn diagram of pros and cons to the revolution. (Gardner: Visual/Spatial). *I will also give a timeline of the basic steps in America’s industrial development. *Connect to the current increase of technology in America.

Step-by-Step Plan:

After my introduction of the Revolution, I will put my students into their reading groups. I will talk about the story The Clock and how it features a young girl that is forced to work in a textile mill during this time. Then the students will read the story in their groups. (Will take several days) We will talk about the story in a grand discussion at the end of each section, and relating the story of 15-year-old Annie to the aspects of work that we talked about in the introduction. Next, to further explore the life of a middle class worker, each group will be assigned to choose one textile mill from America during this time and use reputable search engines on the internet to find information about that shop. Each group will be allotted time to create a summary of the mill that they chose, and present their findings to the class in a small group presentation, just to provide more information. (Gardner: Interpersonal). For the main activity, students will use what they learned from the reading, as well as the class discussions and the group presentations to write a 3 paragraph journal entry from the first person perspective of a young worker in these harsh working conditions. I will review the importance of using varied word choice to make their writing fun to read. They will need to include evidence from anything discussed in class or the story to support their feelings.

Teacher will then ask a few questions to further understanding of this new type of word. Can anyone tell me what working conditions were like for Annie, the young girl in the story? (Bloom: Knowledge) What types of benefits did this system have in America during this time? (Bloom: Analysis) What are some more fair alternative options to become more industrial rather than putting young workers at risk? (take several answers) (Bloom: Application)

Closure:

I would talk to my students about how our current society is different from the society that existed in America during the Industrial Revolution. I would also try to ask them to share some of their feelings as to how they would react to being in a child like Annie’s shoes.

Adaptations/Enrichment:

Adaptations: A boy with a learning disability in expressive language would need help using varied words and vocabulary in his entry. I would provide him with a dictionary and encourage consulting it for help.

A girl that has ADD and may have difficulty focusing or understanding the whole class discussion, the teacher should keep her involved throughout the lesson. I would make sure to ask her for her answers and work with an outgoing student when partnering in the groups.

Enrichments:

A boy with giftedness in creative writing would find this assignment boring and easy. I would ask him to include more inventive words and varied sentence structure

Self-Reflection:

-Were the students actively engaged and interested in the topic? -How could I have enhanced student participation in the activity? -What could I have done differently to make sure my students understood first person perspective and how to write a compelling entry from it? -In what way could I have assessed the internet activity? Should I have assessed it? Assessment Rubric Grade Sheet for Journal Entry:

Name:______

0-1 2 3

Perspective Students did not Written from correct Written from first person- write from the perspective perspective almost Perspective of a worker of a young worker most Always. throughout the entire of the time. Entry.

Length/Content Journal entry incomplete, Included 3 paragraphs, Included 3 full paragraphs Less than 3 paragraphs But content is not entirely and content appropriate and not related to topic. appropriate. to the topic.

Evidence from No evidence from the Included 1-2 examples of Included 3 or more story or presentations to evidence in their entry examples to support their story/presentations back up feelings included from something in class. feelings in their entry. in the journal entry.

Varied word choice/ Did not attempt to include Used only 1-4 more Used at least 5 interesting varied word choice in advanced words in their vocabulary words in their vocabulary their entry. entry, but not as effective entry effectively.

Story parts Does not include a Includes at least two of Effectively includes all beginning, middle and the three parts, but not three parts and flows end to their thoughts. effectively. nicely.

Total: ____ / 15