Unit 2: Cultural Gardens
Lesson 2: The Industrial Revolution’s Impact on
Agricultural Methods
Grade Level: Fifth Grade
Time Required: 60 minutes
Primary AZ State Standards:
(Cross-reference “Standards Matrix” for full listing)
Social Studies:
SS05-S1C5-04: Describe how innovations in the Industrial Revolution
contributed to U.S. growth and expansion.
Objective(s):
Students will research the development of various agricultural tools over the course
of time, through the industrial revolution.
Students will calculate the time savings of using gas powered tools as opposed to
hand tools.
Students will describe the advantages and disadvantages of technological advances in
agriculture.
Materials:
Key Vocabulary:
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Computer lab
Computer queued to
http://www.harvestofhistory.org/primary_sources.html
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Appendix F -
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Industrial
Revolution
Cultivating
Harvesting
A mechanical roto-tiller
Shovels and rakes
Gloves
Timer
Preparation
___ Adaptation of Content
_X_ Links to Background
_X_ Links to Past Learning
_X_ Strategies Incorporated
Instruction Features
Scaffolding
_X_ Modeling
_X_ Guided Practice
_X_ Independent Practice
_X_ Comprehensible Input
Grouping Options
_X_ Whole Class
__ Small Groups
_X_ Partners
__ Independent
Integration of Process
_X_ Reading
_X_ Writing
_X_ Speaking
_X_ Listening
Application
_X_ Hands-on
_X_ Meaningful
_X_ Linked to Objectives
_X_ Promotes Engagement
Assessment
__ Individual
__ Group
__ Written
__ Oral
Background Information:
This lesson is a great follow-up lesson or supplemental lesson to 5th grade social
studies activities focusing on the Industrial Revolution.
Because so much of the country’s wealth came from the trade and sale of raw,
agricultural materials in the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution had some of the most
significant impact on the agricultural practices of this country. With slave labor
ending with the Civil War in 1865, the country was forced to come up with other
labor-saving agricultural practices.
In this lesson students will use an online source to research the development of
various agriculture tools as they passed through hand-operated, animal-operated,
and steam or gasoline powered phases. Students will then get to calculate the timesaving benefits of using gas-powered tools as opposed to hand tools by doing a
hands-on gardening experiment. Finally, students will make a list of advantages and
disadvantages associated with increasing agricultural technology.
Pre-lesson Preparation:
The week before class:
1. Secure a gas powered roto-tiller. (Check with gardening friends to borrow one,
or rent one from town)
2. Locate an area of school property that can be tilled, either in the school garden
or other area (discuss with principal of school). Make sure you have two areas
of equal size.
3. Gather shovels, rakes, and gloves.
Before class:
4. Prepare computer lab for students by queuing up computers to
http://www.harvestofhistory.org/primary_sources.html.
Activity Instructions:
Online research of agricultural implements
Partners
25 minutes
1. Put students in pairs at computers.
2. Addressing the whole class, ask students to share what they think the greatest
invention has been in their life. Have students imagine life without that
technology.
3. Then ask students to recall what the Industrial Revolution was, when it took
place, and what impact it had on the country.
4. Tell students, “Today, you are going to do some research to find out how the
Industrial Revolution impacted agriculture in the United States.”
5. Explain that they will look through pictures to find examples of hand-held,
animal-powered, and gas or steam-powered farming implements for planting,
cultivating, and harvesting of crops. Make sure students know that
cultivating means caring for the plants to help them grow by plowing or
tilling the land before, or weeding while plants are growing. Harvesting
is the final processing of the crop.
6. Have students go online to the http://www.harvestofhistory.org/primary_sources.html
website. Distribute the worksheet to each pair.
7. Circulate and discuss with students while they are completing the worksheet.
(Optional: have students who finish early print out some of the pictures to
construct a visual timeline)
8. Discuss findings with the whole class.
9. Ask students, “What were some of the positive impacts that the Industrial
Revolution had on agriculture? Why were these important?” Because slavery
was abolished in 1865, farmers had to find other means for getting the
work done. Technological advances meant farmers could produce more
with less human resources. In the end, the Industrial Revolution meant
financial prosperity for many large scale farmers and plantation
owners.
Hands-on experiment: Time-savings
25 minutes
Whole class
1. Tell class, “We are going to do a quick outdoor experiment to see just how
much time is saved using these types of technology.”
2. Take class outside to pre-designated area.
3. Introduce them to the roto-tiller. Distribute hand tools and gloves to students.
4. TEACHER  Do not let students come near roto-tiller when it is on!
Till one of the areas. Have one of the students time you.
5. While you are working, have the other students put on gloves and grab hand
implements. Tell them to work as fast as they can. Have another student time
them.
6. Have students make visual comparisons between the two plots.
7. Put tools away and go back to the classroom.
Discussion of advantages and disadvantages between the two different methods
10 minutes
Whole class
1. In the class, compare the number of people working with hand tools and the
recorded times for each. Have students calculate the number of “man-hours”
for each method. Discuss students’ observations of the two different plots.
2. In closing, ask students to discuss some of the differences between our two
methods; the teacher working alone with a gas-powered tool, and the class
working together with hand tools. Consider:
a. Social components (camaraderie, team-building, connecting with the
plants and the land, people being replaced by machines)
b. Physical components (exercise, sustainability of energy sources, effect on
the land)
c. Economic components (time is money, quantity vs quality, upkeep of
machinery vs tools, man-hours)
Student can work in small groups to discuss the different components, then
come back as a whole class to share.
Resources:
Appendix F is a reprint of a worksheet titled “Agricultural Implements Worksheet”
accessed on July 2, 2010 at
http://www.harvestofhistory.org/mod3_activity1.html. History of Harvest
website. Teachers’ resources: Module 3, Lesson1.