MPS/MOEC Teaching American History Grant Lesson Plan Template

Teacher’s Name: Lyn Pahls and Missy Everts

District: MillardDate Submitted November , 2006

Lesson Title: Mass Production Using an Assembly Line

NE Standards
8.4.2
8.1.5 /

Overview

Students will demonstrate skills for historical analysis
Students will describe growth and change in the United States
Age Level
5th Grade / Established Goals (Learning Objectives)
To understand the importance of the assembly line and mass production in American History.
Duration
3 days / Understandings (Background Knowledge)
Students will need to have a knowledge of the concept of supply and demand. In the early 1900’s, there was a huge demand for the horseless carriage, but supply was limited. There was a need to come up with a way to produce these cars more quickly.
Materials
Styrofoam Cups
Yarn
Sharp pencil
Aluminum Foil
Computer web site
Power Point
Handouts / Essential Questions (Engaging Question)
How did mass production using the assembly line become a major factor in the Industrial Revolution?
How did the assembly line affect other industries in the Unites States at this time?
Learning Activities (Procedure)
Day 1
Anticipatory Set: Show students a model of the “Ball in Cup” colonial toy. Explain to them how it works. Tell them that they are each going to have the opportunity to make one, but they have to figure out how to assemble it on their own.
Go through the “Ball in Cup” activity Part 1.
Day 2
Advanced Preparation: Download the Power Point presentation from
Establish an assembly line to make the “Ball in Cup” toy and time to see how long it takes to make a whole class set. See “Ball in Cup” activity, Part 2.
Hopefully, it took a lot less time to make the toys using the assembly line. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the assembly for the car industry.
On Day 2 or 3, depending on time, show the Power Point on the Rouge Ford Factory. This Power Point contains lots of primary sources depicting the time era. It’s good to see the differences between the pictures at the beginning and at the end. There are questions embedded in the Power Point to use at your discretion. (Hint: Use the “Next Page” icon at the top to move between pages instead of the bottom arrow.)
Day 3
Have students explore the website: www.autolife.umd.umich.edu
Assessment: Have students write a paragraph explaining the effects of the assembly line in U.S. history.
Technology Links:

www.autolife.umd.umich.edu
Differentiated Instructional Strategies (Learning Advice)
While exploring the web site, there are many opportunities for kids to go more in depth by choosing various links.
Assessment Evidence:
Performance Tasks
The paragraphs that students write will show an understanding of the effects of mass production.

Ball In Cup Activity

Materials needed:

Styrofoam cups – 2 per student

Spool of string or skein of yarn

12 inch sheets of Aluminum foil – 2 per person

Sharp pencils (pencil used to poke hole in bottom of cup)

Part 1:

Advanced preparation: Teacher needs to have already made 1 “Ball in Cup” toy for display. (See directions below in Part 2.) Have supplies for lesson distributed around classroom and/or school as you see fit. In the lesson, students will be going to these various locations to collect the supplies for their toy.

  1. Show students model of the “Ball in Cup”. Explain to them how it works.
  1. Tell students they are each going to have the opportunity to make a colonial toy, but they must figure out how to assemble it.
  1. Inform students that before they start their construction, they must first find and gather their supplies.
  1. Tell students you are going to be timing them to see how long it will take for the whole class to make a class set of toys.
  1. Time students as they find and construct their own “Ball in Cup” toy. Stop the timer when everyone has completed his/her toy.

Part 2:

  1. Have supplies out for assembly line production.
  1. Discuss what each person’s job is in the assembly line.
  1. Practice by making one “Ball in Cup”. Make sure everyone knows his/her job in the assembly line.
  1. Time students as they make their class set.
  1. Students begin assembling “Ball in Cup” toys. They will be making one for everyone in the class.
  1. Stop timing when they have completed a class set.

Directions:

Station 1: Cut an 18 inch piece of string and pass to person 2.

Station 2: Using a sharp pencil, poke the string through the center of the bottom of a Styrofoam cup. Pull string half way through the cup. (Cups should be located at station 2.)

Station 3: Tie a knot at the top of the string. Knot needs to be big enough so it won’t go through the hole in the cup.

Station 4: Crinkle foil in the center and tie the bottom of the string to the center of the foil.

Station 5: Form foil into a ball around the knot.

THE ROUGE: A TIMELINE

1903 / Ford Motor Company founded
1906 / Ford Motor Company becomes America’s largest car manufacturer producing 8729 cars
1908 / Ford introduces the Model T
1908 / William C. Durant forms General Motors
1910 / Ford opens the Highland Park Plant
1913 / Ford engineers introduce a moving assembly line for auto production
1915 / Ford introduces the $5 day wage for hourly workers
1915 / Henry Ford purchases 2,000 acres of marshland along the Rouge River in Dearborn
1917 / Construction of Rouge Plant begins
1918 / First products of the Rouge are Eagle Boats for the US Navy
1921 / Fordson tractor production begins at Rouge Plant
1924 / First public tours of the Rouge Plant
1925 / Walter P. Chrysler reorganizes Maxwell Motor Corp. into Chrysler Corp.
1926 / Ford adopts 40 hour work week
1927 / Model T production ends after more than 15 million are produced
1927 / Ford loses first place in sales to Chevrolet
1927 / Model A production begins at Rouge
1928 / Tractor production discontinued at the Rouge
1928 / Ford regains first place in sales
1929 / Total Rouge employment climbs to 103,000
1932 / First V-8 Ford car produced at Rouge
1937 / Union organizers stage massive “sit-in” strikes at General Motors’ plants in Flint
1937 / Ford Service men attack union organizers in what becomes known at The Battle of the Overpass
1941 / Ford signs contract with United Auto Workers, the last major auto company to do so
1942 / World War II halts civilian car production
1943-45 / War production at the Rouge contributes to Detroit’s reputation as “The Arsenal of Democracy”
1945 / Ford civilian truck and auto production resumes
1946 / 75,000 employed at the Rouge
1949 / Ford introduces the first all new cars built at the Rouge since World War II
1953 / 60,000 employed at the Rouge
1953 / The first Ford Thunderbird rolls off the line at the Rouge
1965 / Ford Mustang begins production at the Rouge
1965 / New yearly record for Rouge Plant Tours set with 239,669 visitors
1971 / All time yearly record for Rouge Plant tours set with 243,175 visitors
1980 / Rouge Plant tours end
1997 / UAW and Ford Motor Company sign Rouge Viability Agreement to revitalize the Rouge
1999 / Six workers are killed in an explosion at the Rouge Power House
2004 / New F150 truck production begins at the Rouge in a newly constructed, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility
2004 / Ford Rouge Factory Tours resume

5/18/20191