Summary
In this lesson, students will work on their very own assembly line to create "kicks'' fit for the Second Industrial Revolution. Through an exploration of texts and videos, students will begin to formalize their understanding of industrialization and how technological change and innovation has impacted society and the economy.
Essential Question(s)
How do technological change and innovation impact societal change? How did industrialization transform the United States?
Snapshot
Engage
Students analyze an image and participate in a strategy called Tell Me Everything, describing everything they know about the shoes displayed in the slides.
Explore
Students participate in a demonstration of a factory assembly line followed by reflection questions.
Explain
Students fill out a Fishbone diagram using an article to formalize their understanding of “industrialization.”
Extend
Students watch a video and reflect on the essential question.
Evaluate
Students use the 3-2-1 strategy to reflect on their learning.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Group 1 Shoe handout (attached, 6 per group)
Group 2 Shoe handout (attached, 3 per individual)
The Second Industrial Revolution reading (attached, class set)
Fishbone handout (attached, one per student)
Scissors
Glue/tape
Markers/crayons/color pencils
Pens/pencils
Engage
10 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Display slides 3-4, and review the essential questions and lesson objectives with the class. Explain that for this lesson, they will be exploring these questions in order to meet the objectives.
Transition to slide 5 to display the image of the Air Jordan 1 set of shoes. Using the strategy Tell Me Everything, invite students to describe the shoes in detail. While students are sharing out details, jot down what they mention on the board or scratch paper for all to see. Make sure your students continue to describe as much as possible about the shoes. Once conversation reaches a stopping point, read back the details to the class, and then pose the following questions on slides 6–8.
Would you consider these shoes unique, or do others like these exist?
Have students share responses, and ask the next question.
How many pairs like this one do you think exist? Keeping that in mind, how do you think these shoes were made?
Have students share responses, and transition to the last question.
Where do you think shoes like these were made? Explain your reasoning.
Explore
30 Minute(s)
Begin by having students number off into ones and twos. Have a designated work area for each group in the class. All of the ones will be in the “factory labor” group. All of the twos will be “self-employed artists.” Have everyone move to their designated work station.
Display slide 9 with the following scenario:
Retro is popular again, especially in the sneaker industry. There is a craze for the Kick20s Shoe all over the world. The Kick20s Shoe Factory has started to increase their production to keep up with the constant demand. There are several assembly lines within this factory. To cash in on this craze, there are independent laborers and artists who are also making the shoes independently of the factory.
Display slide 10 for Group 1 instructions. For Group 1 (the factory laborers), create small groups of six students. If the numbers are uneven, have a few of the Group 2 students move to these groups. Once the small groups are formed, have them select a “team lead” and sit in a straight row like an assembly line.
Explain to these groups that each individual will have one task, and after the task is completed, they will send the product down to the next person to complete the next task. Repeat this step until they have achieved their goal. As you give instructions, stress to this group that quantity is important, and their goal is to complete six shoes. Distribute about six of Group 1 Shoe handout copies to the group leader.
Display slide 11 for Group 2 instructions. For Group 2 (self-employed artists), they will be working independently to assemble the shoe. As you give instructions, stress to this group that quality is important and to keep that in mind. Distribute three copies of the Group 2 Shoe handout to each artist. If they finish their stack, provide more.
Once expectations are clear with both groups, give students 20 minutes to complete the task. A timer and group instructions can be found on slide 12. If you feel your students need more or less time, you can find additional countdown clocks on the K20 Center’s YouTube Channel.
Once groups have reached the end of time, they show their final products to the class. Count how many shoes the assembly lines finished, and point out their uniformity. Then count the amount of shoes that the self-employed artists completed, but point out their creativity and quality of work. Display slide 13, and pose the following questions to the whole class.
What are some benefits of mass producing a product? What are some benefits of independently made products?
Are there any drawbacks to either type of production?
Give students a few moments to respond to each question.
Explain
20 Minute(s)
Explain to students that now that they have an insight into the benefits and drawbacks of mass production, they will be exploring how industrialization made this possible. Move to slide 14. Distribute the Fishbone handout and The Second Industrial Revolution reading.
Display slide 15. Tell students that the Fishbone strategy is used to assess the causes of an event. Point out that the fish head has been filled in to say, "Effect: Industrialization transformed the United States."
Students will use their new knowledge of the Second Industrial Revolution from the reading to fill in the fishbone with the causes that led to the transformation of the United States.
Have students work in pairs to complete the fishbone. Next, ask for volunteers to share their causes. Continue with this process until students have shared all the causes they have in common.
Extend
15 Minute(s)
Transition to slide 16, and read the essential question to the class. Instruct students to consider the question as they watch a video from Insider Tech.
Transition to slide 17 for the video. In this video, students will watch the experience of Dejian Zeng, an NYU graduate who went undercover for 6 weeks at an iPhone factory in Shanghai.
As students watch the video, ask them to think about the benefits discussed earlier in the lesson regarding assembly lines and to consider at what cost those benefits might come to the workers. Once the class has watched the video, instruct students to answer the essential question posed before watching the video. The essential question can be found on slide 18 and the bottom of their Fishbone Handout.
How do technological change and innovation impact societal change?
Once students have responded, invite a few to share out to the class.
Evaluate
10 Minute(s)
Display slide 19. Using the completed shoe from the factory simulation to write on, have each student complete the 3-2-1 strategy.
What are three things you learned?
What are two questions you still have?
What is one thing you found surprising?
Invite a few students to share their responses with the class. Use this time to dispel any misconceptions and answer further questions. Collect responses to check for understanding and determine further instruction.
Resources
Insider Tech. (2017, April 20). This man worked undercover in a Chinese iPhone factory [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ItLIywwepY
K20 Center. (n.d.). 3-2-1. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/117
K20 Center. (n.d.). Fishbone. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1664
K20 Center. (n.d.). QR codes. Tech tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/2449
K20 Center. (n.d.). Tell me everything. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/107