The class will be divided into 5 groups. The
groups will research one of the following: the telephone, the gramophone, the
automobile, steel, or the textile industry. There will be 5 days of computer
use in class.
The group will be responsible for (3) Journals,
(1) timeline with agenda of each day, one (2) two page essay, and a
presentation.
Instructions for Essay (35 points)
2 pages, typed, double-spaced. 12 point, Times
Roman font. Citations in the same style you use in English class (minimum 1).
The purpose of this essay is to attempt to answer
the investigative question: Why was this industry the most beneficial to
Americans? You will need to introduce your topic in the context of the
aftermath of Reconstruction. What was the state of the nation at this time
period? What necessities led to the invention they are discussing? Who were the
major players who introduced the new technologies? What major events surrounded
the creation of those inventions?
Be sure to include quotes from interviews, books,
or articles in their essays. Also be sure to refer to primary and secondary
sources, quoting or describing them in support of your argument.
Instructions for Presentation (35 points)
Presentations may include but are not limited to
the use of PowerPoint, Prezi, poster boards, videos, audio recordings or other
methods approved by the instructor.
Each team member should participate in the
presentation and explain the team’s research methods and work procedures. The
presentation should attempt to answer the investigative question. Each group
should take questions at the end of their presentations.
The presentation will be graded using the rubric
from the Civil War project (without the number of slides requirement)
Group 1: Telephone
Observe
A.G. Bell’s telephone patent
notes and make predictions about the subject and year they were produced.
What device are these notes referring to? Who might these notes be going to?
What is the purpose of writing this information down? What year was this made?
·Who was the true inventor of the telephone?
·Why did it matter who was granted the patent?
·What was at stake if one man lost the patent?
·How were telephones used in everyday life?
Group 2: Birth of the Recording Industry:
Berliner’s Gramophone
This chart by Emile Berliner details the parts of
his Gramophone. Browse
his
scrapbook to see how an inventor pieced together his work.
Here
you can listen to one of the earliest sound recordings available at the
Library of Congress.
·
What type of jobs might have been created with the introduction of sound
machines?
·
How were gramophones used in everyday life?
Group 3: Automobile
·
Why did the models of Ford’s cars change over the years?
·
Who was most affected by the change from horses to cars?
·
What type of person worked for the automobile industry?
·
How were cars used in everyday life?
Group 4: Textiles
·
What were the dangers of working in a textile factory?
·
How were textile products used in everyday life?
Group 5: Steel
·
What were conditions in a steel factory like?
·
How was steel used in everyday life?