Lesson Plan: Day 7&8

Grade: _11_

Unit: The Rise and Fall of a Textile Empire: Lowell, Ma 1820-1861

Goal (enduring understanding):

Massachusetts has a rich history. Among one of the many events of historical significance is Lowell’s rise as a textile manufacturing empire, leading to the birth of the American Industrial Revolution.

Lowell has had an impact on our nations history. One of many impacts Lowell can claim is the mill girls involvement at the beginning of America’s labor movement which helped pave the way for shorter work days and woman’s suffrage.

Essential Question(s):

Was the story of Lyddie a fair portrayal of the life of a Mill Girl? Why or why not?

Were the Mill Girls justified in starting a labor movement in Lowell? Why or why not?

Development and selection of activities and resources:

• Students will be given a brief lecture on the Mill Girl labor movement and learn of Sarah Bagley and Lucy Larcom
• Students will then discuss and map in groups the novel Lyddie. The map should consist of: setting, problem, goal, and episode (beginning, development, outcome).
• Students will be handed out group PowerPoint activity
• Begin Student Presentations (Day 8)

Content:

• Background on the Mill Girls labor movement for 10 hour work days, etc.
• The Lowell Offering
• Summary of Lyddie

Curriculum Standard:

Economic Growth in the North and South, 1800-1860

USI.26 Explain the importance of the Transportation Revolution of the 19th century (the building of canals, roads, bridges, turnpikes, steamboats, and railroads), including the stimulus it provided to the growth of a market economy. (H, E)

USI.27 Explain the emergence and impact of the textile industry in New England and industrial growth generally throughout antebellum America. (H, E)

a. The technological improvements and inventions that contributed to industrial growth

b. The causes and impact of the wave of immigration from Northern Europe to America in the1840s and 1850s

c. The rise of a business class of merchants and manufacturers

d. The roles of women in New England textile factories

History and Geography

5. Explain how a cause and effect relationship is different from a sequence or correlation of events. (H, C, E)

6. Distinguish between long-term and short-term cause and effect relationships. (H, G, C, E)

7. Show connections, causal and otherwise, between particular historical events and ideas and larger social, economic, and political trends and developments. (H, G, C, E)

Assignment:

Day 7: You are a Mill Girl working in Lowell at the same time as Lyddie (1840’s). You have recently been involved in the growing Labor movement in Lowell and have been asked to write an editorial for The Lowell Offering. Your group assignment is to create a Newspaper editorial for The Lowell Offering in PowerPoint.

Feel free to use class notes, Lyddie, and also I encourage you to use the Internet to download pictures and to also help aid in your research. You can break out the group assignments any way you wish. For example: one student can do the research, another can create the PowerPoint layout, etc. Be as creative as possible. Your group will present their editorials in class (5 minutes). Assessment by rubric.

Day 8: Answer the following question in your journal:

Were the Mill Girls justified in starting a labor movement in Lowell? Why or why not?

How will the essential question be assessed?

• Informal assessment will take place during classroom discussion group mapping and discussions
• Formal assessment will take place in the form of student journal entry
• Formal assessment will take place in the form of PowerPoint presentation

Guided Questions for Lyddie

1. What are the reasons Lyddie is reluctant to turn to the Stevens family for help?
2. What ideas changed in Lyddie after meeting with Ezekiel?
3. What are some of the biggest adjustments Lyddie faced while making the transition from farm girl to a Lowell textile worker?
4. Why was reading Oliver Twist a major turning point in Lyddie’s life?
5. Did Diana Goss lack of family ties influence her decision to be a leading advocate of the 10-hour workday? Why or why not? Did family ties influence Lyddie’s decision?
6. Do you think the portrayal of the mill girls was accurate in the book?
7. Did Lyddie change in her treatment of Brigid after Rachel arrived in Lowell?
8. Why does Lyddie change her mind about signing the petition for a 10-hour workday?
9. What changed in Lyddie after there were no more family to take care of?
10. Will Lyddie succeed in her major decision? Why or Why not?

Multimedia Project: Mill Girl Recruitment Poster

Teacher name: Mr. Mousseau

Student Name ___________________

CATEGORY	4 Excellent	3 Good	2 Average	1 Developing
Attractiveness	Makes excellent use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance the presentation.	Makes good use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance to presentation.	Makes use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. but occasionally these detract from the presentation content.	Use of font, color, graphics, effects etc. but these often distract from the presenation content.
Mechanics	No misspellings or grammatical errors.	Three or fewer misspellings and/or mechanical errors.	Four misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	More than 4 errors in spelling or grammar.
Originality	Product shows a large amount of original thought. Ideas are creative and inventive.	Product shows some original thought. Work shows new ideas and insights.	Uses other people's ideas (giving them credit), but there is little evidence of original thinking.	Uses other people's ideas, but does not give them credit.
Organization	Content is well organized using headings or bulleted lists to group related material.	Uses headings or bulleted lists to organize, but the overall organization of topics appears flawed.	Content is logically organized for the most part.	There was no clear or logical organizational structure, just lots of facts.
Points	13-16 = A	9-12 = B	6-8 = C	3-5 = D
	0-2 = F