Early Manufacturing in America
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Robert Schroen
Illini Bluffs High School
Fall 2012
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
"Shaping a large iron ring in the blacksmith shop,"
Works of Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company:
Their Industrial and Sociological Aspect,
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company,
1904. (Library of Congress, General Collections).
Exploring The Westinghouse Plants of over a hundred years ago
Description: The purpose of this lesson is to provide young students with historical background about how much manufacturing has changed from the turn of the 20th century to today: Prior to the lesson, a discussion will be held with students to emphasize the idea that technology does not JUST mean cell phones and computers, and that, especially in the context of INDUSTRIAL technology, it has been around for a very long time. Students need to understand this before they begin searching for information about how much technology has changed.
Overview/ Materials/Historical Background/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview Back to Navigation BarObjectives / Students will:
· explore the “Westinghouse Works” collection on the Library of Congress website
· view several time period films of manufacturing from the collection
· answer reflective questions based on the movies they’ve viewed
· fill out a ‘scavenger hunt’ worksheet with information found in the collection
Recommended time frame / 1-90 minute class period/more time as needed
Grade level / 7th
Curriculum fit / Exploratory Industrial Technology Class
Materials / · Computer Lab
· Instruction sheet
· Reflective questions sheet
· Scavenger hunt sheet
· Rubric
Illinois State Learning Standards Back to Navigation Bar
Goal 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.
· 16A. Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation.
o 16. A.3b Make inferences about historical events and eras using historical maps and other historical sources.
Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
· B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
o 3. B.3a Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration and coherence.
Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Day One:
· Discuss the idea of technology being more than just cell phones and computers: that technology encompasses anything that people make or build to improve their lives, and that in that context, technology has been around almost as long as people have.
· Pass out all four handouts:
o Instructions
o Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
o Reflective Questions Sheet
o Rubric
· Explain instructions to students.
· Demonstrate areas within the American Memory Collection to look for scavenger hunt information (this is designed to help students learn some background about the Westinghouse Companies).
· Demonstrate how to load and watch the videos within the collection.
· Use the rubric to grade student responses to the reflective questions. The rubric is designed to differentiate grading between reluctant and advanced learners; assign 5 points to lower level questions that are answered correctly (what was the name of the video that you watched? etc.), but use the left side of the rubric to assign points for those questions that require critical thinking.
· Feel free to adapt this plan to meet your needs or situation.
Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
· Students will fill out a ‘scavenger hunt’ worksheet to prove that they have explored that area of the website.
· Students will answer reflective questions about the films that they viewed, using the rubric to guide their answers.
Extension Back to Navigation Bar
· Search the Library of Congress website and find similar information (pictures or movies) about some other manufacturing concern from the turn of the 20th century besides Westinghouse. Answer the same reflective questions about the other company that you’ve learned about.
Historical Background
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George Westinghouse was an industrial powerhouse of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Famous for inventing the railway airbrake and for his feud with Thomas Edison over alternating vs. direct current, he ultimately presided over a vast industrial empire encompassing tens of thousands of employees.
The collection to be explored in this activity encompasses historical background about George Westinghouse and his companies as well as a series of over 20 films taken at various Westinghouse facilities during the spring of 1904.
Teachers are encouraged to explore the collection themselves to learn more about George Westinghouse, his times, and his companies. They present a snapshot of late 19th-early 20th century industry, and provide a suitable background for understanding the vast technological changes that we all deal with today.
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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Image / Description / Citation / URL/ Winding railway motor armatures / The Westinghouse Companies in the Railway & Industrial Fields, Westinghouse Companies Publishing Department, 1905. (Library of Congress, General Collections). / http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/papr/west/westhome.html
/ Shaping a large iron ring in the blacksmith shop / Works of Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company: Their Industrial and Sociological Aspect, Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, 1904. (Library of Congress, General Collections). / http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/papr/west/westhome.html
/ Workmen returning home / Works of Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company: Their Industrial and Sociological Aspect, Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, 1904. (Library of Congress, General Collections). / http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/papr/west/westhome.html
Rubric
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5 Points / 4 Points / 3 Points / 2 Points / 1 PointAll parts of the question are completely answered, and the answer shows that the student paid attention to the movie, thought about it, and applied what was seen to his/her own experience. / All parts of the question are completely answered, and the answer shows that the student paid attention and thought about the movie. / All parts of the question are completely answered, but the answer is perfunctory, reflecting little thought or understanding. / The question is answered, but not completely. / The question is answered, but not correctly.
Handouts
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Early Manufacturing in America
Instructions:
1. Go to www.loc.gov (Library of congress website)
2. Click on “American Memory”
3. Click on “Technology, Industry”
4. Click on “Factories, Westinghouse”
5. You are now on a ‘collections’ homepage at the Library of Congress website
6. Explore the collection, using your ‘scavenger hunt’ worksheet as a guide. Move on to step seven after you have completely filled out the worksheet.
7. View any two of the movies available: for each movie, answer all of the reflective questions. Use the rubric to guide your answers to insure that they are complete.
8. If you finish before the period is over, do the following extension activity:
· Search the Library of Congress website and find similar information (pictures or movies) about some other manufacturing concern from the turn of the 20th century besides Westinghouse. Answer the same reflective questions about the other company that you’ve learned about.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Scavenger Hunt!
1. What was the Westinghouse Air Brake used for?
______
2. Where was it made?
______
3. Where did some of the employees of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company live?
______
4. What did the Westinghouse Machine Company build?______
5. What TOTAL # of people worked for the Westinghouse Manufacturing Company in 1904?
______
6. What important advance (for workers) in working conditions happened at the Westinghouse Air Brake Company in 1869?______
7. Who started all of these companies?
______
Reflective Questions
Remember to answer these questions for EACH movie that you watch!
1. What is the title of the movie that you watched?
2. What are the workers building?
3. Can you identify any safety practices that the workers are using in the movie?
4. Think about the definition of technology that we’ve discussed in class. Are the workers using any technology to perform their jobs?
5. If you were to view a video of workers building a similar product today, how would it be like the video that you’ve just seen?
6. How would it be different?
7. Do you think it would take more people to do a similar job today, or less? Why?