Editorial Directions 3

Writing an Editorial on the Industrial Revolution

Directions:

Role: You will assume the role of an English Journalist in 1900 and write an editorial in the London Times. You must give some background about the Industrial Revolution. You must develop a conclusion on whether or not the Industrial Revolution improved life, and you must suggest ways to address problems created by it.

Audience: Write your editorial for the citizens of London, who are familiar with the Industrial Revolution but do not know the details of its effects on individuals and society. Use the investigation notes you gathered from the Document Based Inquiry activity conducted in World Civ to provide essential details and evidence for your conclusion.

Purpose: Convince readers to agree with your claim (argument) of the effects of the industrial revolution on individuals and society.

Follow these guidelines:

a.  Write a claim. What is your informed opinion about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on individuals and society? Are they mostly positive? Mostly negative? Mixed?

Write the claim as a complete sentence.

Examples:

“The effects of the Industrial Revolution on individuals and society were mostly positive/mostly negative/mostly a mixture of positive and negative effects because...”

“Because of … the effects of the Industrial Revolution were mostly positive/mostly negative/mostly a mixture.”

Structure your editorial this way:

Write a Headline that reflects your opinion about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on individuals and society. (Were the overall effects positive, negative, or mixed?)

Write a “byline” under the headline. EX:

Industrial Revolution Has Ruined English Society

By Sheamus O’Connor

Results of Industry in England are Mixed

By Sidney Murphy

Industry Improves Merry Olde England

By Tobin Chamberlain

Paragraph I – Introduction.

1.  Write a “hook,” a “plan,” or a “teaser.” (See “18 ways to hook a reader” from class set.)

2.  Include your claim (opinion or argument) about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on individuals and society (either mostly positive, mostly negative, or mixed).

Paragraph II – Summary. What was the Industrial Revolution?

1. Provide your reader with some background by writing a summary of the Industrial era from

1750 to 1900. You may use any resource material available: Textbooks, class notes from

slide/lecture D, E, F, and G, readings, maps, library books, internet resources, etc. Be sure to include the

“what” (the event or invention) and the “so what” (the effects of the event or invention).

2. Be sure to cite your sources in the MLA style as you state details from the documents.

Paragraph III – Positive Effects:

Include a paragraph that explains the positive effects of the Industrial Revolution on individuals and society. Use what you learned from our activity as evidence to support your claim (opinion or argument), for example, information on working conditions and wages, child labor, the changing role of women, conditions in the coal mines, urbanization, education, the changing class structure, industrial production, modern buildings, and modern inventions.

Paragraph IV – Negative Effects:

Include a paragraph that explains the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution on individuals and society. Use what you learned from our activity as evidence to support your claim (opinion), for example, information on working conditions and wages, child labor, the changing role of women, conditions in the coal mines, urbanization, education, the changing class structure, industrial production, modern buildings, and modern inventions.

Paragraph V – Suggestions for Improvement

Include a paragraph that explains your recommendations for solving some of the problems caused by the Industrial Revolution. Be as creative and inspired as possible. What ideas can you dream up? (You have the advantage of living in modern times and knowing the actual solutions that have been tried over time).

Paragraph VI – Conclusion

Include a final paragraph that “wraps up” the essay. Restate your claim. End with a “clincher,” a clever quip or persuasive phrase to convince your readers, once and for all, of your opinion.

d. Include key details or direct quotations for at least six different aspects of the Industrial Revolution throughout your editorial. (These were the 10 topics covered: working conditions and wages; child labor; changing role of women; conditions in the coal mines; urbanization; education; changing class structure; industrial production; modern buildings; modern inventions

Include a Works Cited using the MLA style for your citations. See OWL of Purdue from the internet for examples. If you access this document online, follow this hyperlink https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/

A class set of the Works Cited entries are provided; you may use the entries for the actual information included as evidence in your editorial.

e. Include a picture, drawing, graph, quote, or cartoon that illustrates one

of the main ideas of the editorial.

Checklist of requirements:

Type or write your final draft neatly in ink.

Headline:

______Capitalized the appropriate words

______Opinion is evident

______Byline is included

Paragraph I: Intro

______Hook, Plan, or Teaser

______Claim (Conclusion to the question: Were the effects or the Industrial Revolution mostly positive, mostly negative or a mix of both?)

Paragraph II: Overview/summary what the Industrial Revolution is/was

______Background / Overview of the Industrial Revolution

______in-text Citations beside facts

Paragraph III: Positive Effects on Individuals and Society

______Topic Sentence

______At least 3 supporting details with in-text citations

Paragraph IV: Negative Effects on Individuals and Society

______Topic Sentence

______At least 3 supporting details with in-text citations

Paragraph V: Suggestions for Improvement

______Topic Sentence

______At least 3 supporting details with in-text citations

Conclusion: No more evidence

(Leave the reader with something to think about)

______Clincher

______Compelling or persuasive phrase

Citations:

______MLA style, complete with document title in quotation marks and a Works Cited page

______Grammar/Writing errors do not detract from the readability of the editorial

Proper use of “effect/affect”

______Double spaced

______Size 12 font (headline may be bigger)

______Picture, drawing, graph, quote, or cartoon

______Referred to at least 6 of the 10 different aspects (topics) of the Industrial Revolution (list)

1.______2.______3.______4.______5.______6.______