Teacher Resources 

• Vocabulary Cards 
• Teacher Slide Deck
• Lesson Video (coming soon!)
• Teacher Resources
• I Have, Who Has Game 
• Urban Game Slide Deck
• Urban Game Teacher Script 
• Explore #3 Immigration Data 
• Lesson Rubric

Student Resources 

• Handout A: Vocabulary Word Study 
• Handout B: Anticipate Map 
• Handout C: World Countries Quick Research 
• Handout D: Lesson Reading 
• Handout E: Reading Comprehension Questions 
• Handout F: Script Writing Checklist 
• Urban Game Sizing and Drawing Guide 
• Explore #3 Data Investigation Handout 
• Student Self-Assessment Handout 

This lesson is designed around inquiry questions. There is one essential question, and several guiding questions around which the content is based. The lesson takes place in 5 stages:  

• Anticipate- Students build background knowledge needed to be successful in the lesson. 
• Engage- Students are ‘hooked” into the lesson. 
• Explore- Students grapple with the main content of the unit (usually 2-3 parts). 
• Assess- Students demonstrate their knowledge through a performance assessment. 
• Reflect- Students reflect on their learning in the lesson. 
• The sections below provide a brief overview of the unit’s structure. It offers a snapshot of the organization and flow of the entire unit. 

The following detailed sections break down the five stages of the lesson. Each stage is discussed thoroughly with actionable steps to guide you through the teaching process effectively. 

Anticipate

In this part of the lesson, students build background knowledge by studying the virtue vocabulary for this lesson and investigating a map of the world. Students will use these concepts extensively during the subsequent parts of the lesson. 

• Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 
  • Courage  
  • Natural Rights 
  • Country 
  • Immigration 
  • Emigration 

Vocabulary Word Study

To begin, address students’ vocabulary knowledge for this lesson.  

• Provide each student with a copy of Handout A: Vocabulary Word Study, pencils, coloring utensils, and dictionaries or devices for research. 
• Provide students with adequate time to complete in your classroom, 5-10 minutes, or for homework. 
• When students have completed the organizer, review the definitions and illustrations from the lesson vocabulary cards. 

 

World Map Activity

If students have already addressed the vocabulary in another lesson, or you are confident in their knowledge, move on to a world map review.  

• Distribute to students Handout B: Anticipate Map 
• Ask students to fill in as much of the map as they can on their own, both continents and countries. 
  • You can give the group a few large or familiar countries China, Russia, Canada, or Mexico.  

Then, give students the names and locations of the main countries whose people emigrated to the United States between 1820-1877 (earliest immigration data to reconstruction). Ask students to color and label these countries on their own map or lead them through in whole-group instruction.  

• Italy 
• Germany 
• Ireland 
• Russia 
• China 
• Great Britain 
• Scandinavia  
• Canada 

Then allow students to choose 3 countries from the list to complete Handout C: Anticipate World Countries Quick Research. This can be done independently, in partners, or groups depending on your learners. 

Teacher Note: Handout C asks students to identify a word from the language of the countries they choose to study. To deepen connections and bring more relevance to this activity, it may help to guide students to select the same word for each language to compare or select a word that relates to immigration and reasons for it such as journey, dreams, poverty, or religion. 

Engage

In this section of the lesson, students will view primary sources from the Industrial Revolution (1790-1830) to begin to understand the rapid and extreme change that occurred as technology developed in America in the 1800s. In this teacher-led activity, students compare and contrast images aloud with a turn-and-talk partner. 

• Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 
  • Industrialization 
  • Factory 

 Comparing Primary Source Images 

To begin, ensure that students have a way to access the primary sources for this activity. They may be projected, linked on your class LMS, or printed. Then, assign each student a partner.  

Scaffolding note: Mixed ability groups work well for this activity because students do not read or write in the activity. This gives struggling readers the opportunity to express their ideas more easily with their peers of any ability.  

• Image 1 New Orleans 1725 
• Image 2 New Orleans 1885 
• Image 3 Water-powered sawmill 1650 
• Image 4 Factory  
• Image 5 Telegraph on table 1860 
• Image 6 Steam engine/locomotive 

For each of the discussion prompts below, allow students 30 seconds- 1 minute to discuss before moving on to the next item.  

Image 1 

• Display Image 1. Ask students to choose one thing they see and share with their partner.  
• Tell students this is a picture of the city of New Orleans in 1725 before the United States existed as a country. At this time, the city of New Orleans was ruled by France. In the 1800s, New Orleans would grow like many other cities in North America because of new technologies, industrialization, and immigration. 
  • Scaffolding note: Use google maps to show the distance from your school to New Orleans, and/or create a sketched timeline on the board as you go to help students understand these location and date references.  

Image 2 

• Display Image 2. Ask students to choose two things they notice are different about New Orleans in 1885 compared to Image 1. They should share what they noticed with their partner.  
• Tell students “In a little over 100 years New Orleans industrialized. Many technologies were developed that led to these changes. Let’s look at those next.” 

Image 3 

• Display Image 3. Ask students to collaborate with their partner to make a guess about what this item does.  
• Tell students this is a water-powered sawmill. Before the 1800s families had to cut wood for their farms by hand. They needed wood for buildings, fencing, and fires to cook food and keep warm. By the end of the 1800s, wood could be cut, or sawed, by a machine run with waterpower. This saved time and energy for other jobs. This is industrialization, a period of changes in the way products are made, moving from farms to factories.  
  • Scaffolding note: Utilize the Industrialization vocabulary card here to support student understanding.  

Image 4 

• Display Image 4. Tell students this is a factory. Ask students to share with their partner what they know about factories.  
• Tell students a factory is a place that manufactures goods. Factories can make food, clothing, tools, or other items for sale. Before factories, families made what they needed themselves with things they had or could grow on their farms.  
  • Scaffolding note: Utilize the Factory vocabulary card here to support student understanding. 

Image 5 

• Display Image 5. Tell students that this invention came later in the 1860s. It is used for communication. This invention is called the telegraph. It uses a code to send messages called telegrams with electrical signals called Morse code. Ask students to brainstorm with their partner why this might be a useful invention. 
• Ask students to imagine how messages were sent before the telegram and share with their partner. Then tell students that before the telegraph all messages had to be sent on paper and carried by people called mail carriers on foot or horseback. 

Image 6 

• Display Image 6. Students may know that this is a steam-powered locomotive or train. Ask students to tell their partners if they know what this item is.
• Tell students that before the steam powered locomotive, heavy loads were pulled by horses on carts or wagons. Ask students to explain why this might be a useful invention.

Analysis Questions:  

• Which technology do you think was the most important to people at the time? Why? 
• Which technology do you think had the biggest impact on the growth of cities like New Orleans? 
• We do not use most of these technologies today because new and more advanced technologies have taken their place. What technologies can you think of that we use in the place of each of the technologies we viewed?  
• How do new technologies change people’s day-to-day lives?  
• What technologies have developed in your lifetime? What about your adult family members?  

 

Explore 

In this section of the lesson, students read the lesson text and watch the lesson video. Then, they participate in a simulation of industrialization called the Urban Game. Finally, students investigate immigration data in maps, charts, and graphs.  The explore section is broken into 3 parts. The formative assessment in each part builds skills students will need for the final performance assessment. 

Explore #1: How did people in the United States in the 1800s experience industrialization? (30-45 minutes)

In Explore #1, students read the lesson text and watch a video to understand the major changes that occurred in the 1800s. The text and the video cover two different topics. The text covers industrialization through the lens of the Lowell Girls. The video emphasizes immigration through the story of Andrew Carnegie.  

• Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities. Vocabulary cards with visuals and definitions are available to be used as needed. 
  • Industrialization 
  • Manufacture 
  • Factory 
  • Mill 
  • Script 
  • Dialogue 

To begin, watch the lesson video together as a class. Stop the video in several places to discuss and ensure understanding.  

Sample discussion questions:  

• Summarize the life of Andrew Carnegie. 
• What were some reasons that immigrants left their homes and travelled to America?  
• What technologies were developed in the 1800s? How did these technologies make industrialization possible? 
• How could creating something new be considered courageous? 

Then, prepare the students for reading by assigning or allowing students to choose partners. Students will read in partners alternating paragraphs, sentences, or pages. Students choose a seat with their partner around the room including the floor and any other area the teacher deems appropriate. If your students thrive with some freedom, allow each group to choose how they would like to alternate reading responsibilities. If your students need more structure, choose one mode of reading for the whole class to use.   

While students read the lesson text at their own pace, roam around the room listening for student’s attention to task and that all students take a turn reading aloud. Instruct each partner group to answer the comprehension questions together, then return to their normal seats. Not all students will finish at the same time. Be sure to have instructions prepared for your early finishers. 

When all students have returned to their desks, check answers for the comprehension questions together as a class. Then discuss the analysis questions together. 

Analysis Questions: 

• Create a Venn Diagram on the board. Compare and Contrast Andrew Carnegie and the Lowell Girls experiences during the 1800s. 
• Industrialization and Immigration both start with the letter “I”. How can we distinguish them, so we remember what they mean? 
• How did new technologies allow America to grow in the 1800s? 
• How did the Lowell Girls stand for their rights in the workplace? 

Formative Performance Task 1

In the formative assessment for Explore #1, students write a script to showcase what they have learned. This formative assessment will build crucial skills for the summative assessment and allow the teacher time to give students feedback before the summative assessment.  

To begin, equip each student with a copy of the script writing checklist. Review with students that a script is a type of writing used to plan recorded content such as videos, podcasts, plays, and movies. It is how actors know what to say when they are performing or being recorded. Explain to students that in the summative or final assessment for this unit, they will be creating their own video or podcast to showcase their learning and learning to write a script is the first step.  

Then, review the script writing checklist with your students and allow students to ask questions about this form of writing. Once students are comfortable, confident, and understand the pieces of a script, set them to writing their short script.  

Scaffolding note: For struggling writers, the script can be as short as 3-5 sentences. Students will build their stamina throughout the lesson as they prepare for the summative assessment. 

Their script should include:  

• At least 2 characters  
• Labeled Dialogue 
• A setting description 
• Description of 3 sounds or visuals 
• Definitions and/or historical examples of industrialization and immigration. 

Explore #2: How were cities and towns in America changed by immigration and industrialization? (30-45 minutes)

In Explore #2, students explore the industrial revolution more deeply by experiencing a simulation called “The Urban Game”. In this game, students use drawing or google slides to create a map of a sleepy colonial town. Then through the rounds, students industrialize their town into an urban city. The rounds highlight major changes that took place during the 1800s.  

• Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities. Vocabulary cards with visuals and definitions can be found here: 
  • Script 

To prepare for the physical version of the Urban Game, students will need large paper such as 8×14, pencils, and erasers. They will also need copies of the sizing and drawing guide.  

To prepare for the digital version, students will need a device that can access Google Docs.   

Use the Urban Game Slide Deck paired with the Urban Game teacher script to narrate the rounds of industrialization for your students.   

This game requires students to draw quickly, be sure to prepare students by explaining that their drawings should be more like sketches. They should be quick, small, and simple.  

 

Formative Performance Task 2 

For the formative assessment task for Explore #2, students will again practice writing a short script and then practice with the video/audio recording tools they will have access to in the Summative Assessment. This repetition is purposeful as it builds students skills and confidence in preparation for the summative assessment.  

To begin, ask students to reflect on their experience during the Urban Game. Students can respond in whole group discussion, in partners, or in writing.  

• Describe the rounds of the Urban Game, as if your listener has never heard of this game before. 
• Describe how you felt as the rounds of the Urban Game unfolded. 
• How does the Urban Game help you understand the industrialization of the United States in the 1800s? 

Then, tell students that the answers to those questions will be the basis for a video or podcast script that they will write next. Emotions and story-telling are two very powerful tools that content creators and podcasters use when they are creating their products to share. Students will use the tools of emotion and story-telling in their short script. 

Their scripts should include:  

• Labeled dialogue 
• Descriptions of sound or visuals  
• A title 
• A description of the urban game (3 sentences) 
• A description of how you felt during the urban game (3 sentences) 
• A closing that describes how the urban game helped you understand industrialization.  

Students should then practice using the recording tools available for them in the summative assessment. It may help to have a quick class tutorial on using the app or tools you have selected. 

After students have completed their script and as they practice recording, review and return each student’s written script with feedback. The goal of the feedback should be to push each student from their current level  a bit closer to mastery of social studies concepts and improved writing. If you desire a rubric, you can use the “topic” and “script” rows from the summative assessment rubric. 

Explore #3: How can data help me understand more about America in the 1800s? (30-45 minutes)

In Explore #3 students investigate immigration data. Students use a guided investigation page to analyze and synthesize graphs, tables, data, and maps in a cross-curricular activity featuring math and map skills. 

• Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities. Vocabulary cards with visuals and definitions can be found here: 
  • Data 
  • Immigration 
  • Emigration 

To begin, arrange students into groups of 3-4 for working. The students will need a group copy of Handout Set F: Immigration Data Investigation. Each individual student will need a copy of Handout G: Immigration Data Investigation Answer Sheet. 

While students work at their own pace, provide support by roaming around the room offering guidance, support, and gentle reminders to attend to the task in a timely manner.  

Scaffolding note: It can help to post a visual timer in the classroom and assign a time keeper in each group to help students work at an acceptable pace. 

When time for this activity expires, about 20-30 minutes, transition to the formative performance task. 

 

Formative Performance Task 3 

As the formative performance task for Explore #3, students will play a game called “I have, who has”. This popular game has many variations, and it is interactive and fun for students to play. This version will showcase information about the people who immigrated to the United States from various nations from 1800-1899 from their research in the Anticipate section, Explore #3 data investigation, and lesson vocabulary. 

This game gives the teacher an opportunity to see how the class has absorbed key ideas and terms from the lesson. If students play the game easily after they understand the mechanics, then you can move forward confidently to the Assess portion of the lesson. If not, you may want to review the lesson text or video or play a few more rounds of the game. 

To begin, arrange students to stand in a circle and hand each student a card from the I Have, Who Has Deck. Some students may need to have more than one card, depending on your group size. All cards in the deck must be used for the game to work.  

To begin play, a student will have a card that reads “START” at the top and a clue at the bottom. They will read aloud their card 

• For example, the student will say “I have start, who has the country with the most immigrants to America from 1800-1899? 

The student who has the answer to that question will read their cards aloud next.  

• For example, the student will say “I have Ireland, who has the symbol that stands in New York that “welcomes” immigrants?

Play continues in this way across the circle following the order of the cards until a student reads the card that says “I have The End” which signifies the completion of the game. The game is self-correcting. If any cards are left at the end, that will signal that a question was answered incorrectly.  

Scaffolding note: This game can also be played individually with a student laying the cards in a line in the correct order, rather than playing with a group.  

Assess 

In the Assess section of the lesson, students use all the historical knowledge and literacy skills they have practiced creating a product to showcase their learning. Students choose an informational short-form news video or podcast structure to complete the summative performance assessment.  

Short-form video or Podcast

To begin, sort students into groups for their summative performance assessment. Students can work independently, in pairs, or in groups of 3. This is a great opportunity to allow students to choose their own groups.  

Then, ask students to discuss with their groups the following questions and be ready to share with the group:  

• Have you ever watched a short form news story? (i.e., Reels, Shorts, TikTok) 
• Have you ever listened to an interview podcast?  
• What do you remember about the structure of the podcast or short form video news? How did the creator present the information they wanted you to know? 

Have one student from each group share the team’s discussion with the whole class.  

Next, tell students: “Short-form video is very popular right now. It is a common, easy way to obtain information (or disinformation) about nearly anything. Examples can be found on any of your favorite social media websites. Podcasts are an audio or listening only format. They can take a wide variety of styles, lengths, and purposes. For this summative assessment, your group will choose whether to make a short-form video news story or an informative interview podcast. Your podcast or video will show everything you have learned about how industrialization and immigration changed America.”  

Distribute to each group an Assess Assignment page for a summary of the project and expectations.  Discuss the options and expectations for each choice and allow students to make their choice and begin planning. Once you have checked each group’s planning page, they can move on to recording. 

Scaffolding note: It may be helpful to conference with groups during this stage to ensure that students have chosen an appropriate topic, product, and plan for execution. This can give you a clear idea of what groups or students may need more support.  

Ways to support students in this project include:  

• Providing supports for script writing 
• Assigning roles  
• Recruiting a parent or educational assistant to assist a particular group or student 
• Allowing a student or group to record at home or in an alternative location 

 When students have submitted their completed short-form news videos or podcasts for evaluation, decide how students will share their work. You might dedicate a class day to watching and/or listening to all the submissions or play one at the beginning of class for a few days. You might also team up with your school administration to play a podcast on the school intercom or play a video on the school news.   

Teacher Note: Technology availability and comfort vary widely between teachers and schools. For this reason, we are not recommending any tools or apps for recording and editing podcasts and videos.  

• Some teachers may want students to write the scripts only.  
• Some teachers may feel comfortable with students using their own personal devices and social media accounts to record.  
• Other schools may have student-issued laptops or tablets that can be utilized.  
• If you choose to allow your students to record, be sure to provide support for students using technology like a video tutorial. Also, be sure to have school and parent permission for capturing student likenesses before beginning this summative assessment.  

Podcast and Short-form Video Rubric 

Evidence of Mastery	Expectations	Room for Improvement
	The script is well written and includes all major information needed.
	The podcast or video includes an interview that adds value to the product.
	All members of the group have a clear role and responsibility in the group.
	The topic of the podcast or video addresses the question: How did the industrialization and immigration change American in the 1800s? in a creative and effective way.
	Additional Spaces for teacher customization

Reflect (5-10 minutes) 

Students reflect on their learning in the lesson through two activities. First, students complete a guided self-assessment of their learning to reflect and set goals for the next lesson. Then, they complete a time travel journal activity with the rest of their classmates to creatively synthesize the ideas and topics of the lesson. 

Self-Assessment 

As a part of the summative assessment process, allow students an opportunity to reflect on their learning in this unit with the Lesson Student Reflection handout. 

The student reflection is designed to flex to fit your classroom. Be sure to give students the scale they will use to assess themselves. Stars, number scales, written responses, and sketches all work well.  

Students can complete the handout individually or with prompts from the teacher. However you choose to facilitate the student reflection, be sure that each student has their own paper and time to reflect independently so that the activity is a true self-reflection.  

Scaffolding note: It can be helpful to model with a think-aloud the first time students are self-reflecting. To use a think-aloud in your classroom, plan ahead. Before the activity, identify places in the handout that students may struggle. Then while assigning the activity, review the handout and stop in those places. Model for students how they might support themselves. For instance, a teacher may choose to stop on an unfamiliar vocabulary word to define it. Additionally, teachers may read a complex sentence, stop, acknowledge the complexity, and re-read it for more clarity. 

 Time Travel Journal Entry

Ask students to imagine they are a time traveler from the present who was transported back to the nineteenth century during industrialization and immigration. Instruct students to pretend they have arrived in a bustling city that is experiencing rapid growth due to new technologies and waves of immigrants. Encourage students to be as detailed and imaginative as possible in their descriptions, and suggest they draw scenes or key elements from their journal entries to enhance their visual understanding of the period. 

To help some students visualize, they may draw their answers. Ask students to include details such as: 

Describing the Cityscape: 

• What kinds of buildings do you see? Are they tall or short? Made of wood, brick, or stone? Are there any notable landmarks or structures in the city? 
• What are the most common sounds you hear in the city? Consider the noises from factories or transportation. 
• What are the prevalent smells? Think about the scents from food, factories, or crowded living quarters. 
• How do the new technologies, such as factories and trains, impact daily life? 
• What are the living conditions like for both the wealthy industrialists and the immigrant workers?  

Opportunities: 

• What opportunities do the new technologies provide for the people living in the city? 
• How do the immigrants contribute to the cultural diversity and economic growth of the city? 
• Are there any public projects, such as parks or schools, that improve life for the residents? 

Personal Reflection:  

• As a time traveler, what feelings do you experience while witnessing the changes and challenges of this era? 
• What lessons do you take back with you to the present day? 
• How did the courage to immigrate and innovate change America?  

Scaffolding note: If students need more support, display the visualization prompts above. Ask students to choose one bullet point from each section to use in their journal entry. For very young students, instruct students to each choose one bullet point to consider, then partner two students to write a journal entry together.  

After students have completed their journal entry, instruct students to share it with a classmate or the whole class. Discuss the different perspectives and what they learned about life during the Industrial Revolution compared to what they knew before the lesson began.