THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

About the project

The project commenced with a study of the Industrial Revolution, how it started, where it began and the technological innovation it enabled. Its impact, historically and in modern times on individual lives, society, politics and the global economy were examined. The far-reaching consequences of the Industrial Revolution on how we use and relate to technology in contemporary times were touched upon.

Students brainstormed together on ways to make this topic interesting. To understand it better, they decided to create a chronological timeline and learned how to present this complex topic in PowerPoint. For the project culmination, the students decided to write a video script and create a video documentary.

Driving Question

What is the best way to research and write about a historically significant process?

How did Industrial Revolution change the world and how does it impact our lives today?

Process

Activities
The class started by trying to imagine life without machines in our lives and our dependence on them. How earlier generations lived without machines was visualised.

Breaking into groups, students researched different aspects of the Industrial Revolution. This resulted in an annotated and illustrated timeline showing the beginning, spread, and economic effects of the Industrial Revolution. The changes and growth in the textile industry and the use of coal and steam for transportation were looked at in depth.

The class created journal entries from the perspective of a child working in a factory during the Industrial Revolution. The journal detailed the living and working conditions the children faced as factory workers.

The learnings from these different activities were then synthesized into a draft document which was used to prepare the script for a documentary. Students then put together a video documentary based on the script.

Project Culmination

The video documentary was shared with children across the School and parents.

Teacher Reflection

At the start of the project, my students and I decided that rather than travel the familiar route of researching the topic and doing a report, we would create a visual timeline and make a video documentary.

During the initial research phase, my role was that of a guide, but as the project progressed my students took over the entire process, right from planning and designing  and down to the final execution.

Students contributed individually as well in teams. They looked at the topic from different perspectives to understand that the revolution was not just about a change in technology but rather that its impact was far more wide spread affecting every aspect of human life across the globe.

This entire journey has been an enriching experience both for me and my students. It was heartening to see how they decided to extend themselves and push their boundaries to explore new avenues. I am proud of the final outcome of the research, the video documentary which remains as proof of their deep understanding of  the topic.