Laistos

Was the factory System better than the domestic system?

(adapted from http://www.successlink.org/gti/lesson_unit-viewer.asp?lid=3559)


Resources required:

Rewards – history stickers?, one pair of scissors per student, glue, and possible sound recording of factory sounds, templates for ‘baskets’ and piles of scrap A4 paper

Learning outcomes:

All must be able to identify some of thebasic differences between the domestic and factory systems
Most should be able to explain the differences between the production of the domestic and factory systems
Some could be able to compare, analyse and conclude on the differences between the production of the domestic and factory systems.

Time allowance and place in learning:

This ‘practical’ section of learning will probably take30 minutes to complete, with additional time for discussion and completion of any accompanying written work. It should act as a useful and stimulating introduction to the period of industrial revolution as well as some of the benefits and disadvantages of this change. These can be followed up in subsequent lessons.

Lesson outline

Teacher Activities:

o Distribute ‘Activity - Part One’procedures to students and discuss this with them. The students will need a pencil to draw round a cut-out basket template onto scrap A4 paper unless you have photocopied piles of prepared copies. Check that they understand that this is the domestic system.


o Start the activity and run for indentified length of time (7 minutes?). Circulate the classroom to ensure that students are workingindependently. Work as Inspector and Purchaser of baskets.

o Call time, start process over for Part Two - giving each student a pair of scissors to aid them in the production of their baskets.

o Call time on this second activity. Then put students into predetermined groups of three. Distribute glue and scissors. During this part of the lesson the classroom lights could be dimmed so as to imitatethe poor lighting conditions of a factory. Play the Factory sounds tape loudly so as to imitate the loud conditions of a factory and the machinery within it. (Ideally one would imitate the smell of smoke coming off of the machinery also, but this would not be practical or healthy for the students, but this would be good to mention to the students as well.) Teacher needs to circulate the classroomloudly ordering students to get busy, work, work, work - act as a hard-nosed supervisor. Act as Inspector and Purchaser of baskets.

o Each section can be followed with a short discussion and written activity with a longer discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of both systems at the end.



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INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ACTIVITY
Was the factory System better than the domesticsystem?


ACTIVITY – PART 1

The Industrial Revolution was the change in the way people worked in Britain between 1750 and 1900. The main feature of this revolution was a huge increase in ‘per capita’ (per person) production that was made possible by machinery and factories, mostly in towns and cities. This meant that Britain changed from a society based on farming (agriculture) into an urbanindustrial society (one where people lived and worked in factories in towns and cities).

The ‘cottage industry’ or ‘domestic system’ was a way of working that had been used by farming families to help them get a little money through the winter months. People made items in their own homes with little help.


Procedure - Part One

1.  Imagine that you are a basket maker plying your tradearound the year 1700. You are using the ‘domestic system’: each basket you produce must be made entirely by hand using no machinery. After examining the pattern provided to you, estimate how many baskets you can make in a 7 minute period of time.

____________________________ (Record estimate here)

2.  Make baskets for 7 minutes. How many did you make? _________________

3.  Why did your...