Industrial Revolution
World History Honors
The Great Business Exposition
Purpose:
To discover the events that led to the Industrial Revolution and the effects that the
industrial revolution had on society.
Assignment:
The class will be divided into six groups. You will need to create an appropriate exhibit
that will be visually pleasing, informative, and captures the spirit of the industrial
revolution. These exhibits will be displayed in a business exposition which will focus on
the following:
• Changes in agriculture and industry during the Industrial Revolution
• Innovations in transportation and communication during the Industrial
Revolution
• Changes in business organization and the nature of work in the industrial age
• Urbanization and city life in industrialized nations
• Consumer goods and new forms of entertainment
• Developments in the arts and the sciences
Brainstorm with the members of your group for ideas on how to create an informative
and exciting exhibit. Here are some methods you use for your exhibit:
a. Posters, diagrams, graphs, and charts- all with captions and labels
b. Models and artifacts
c. Skits or role plays
d. Original art
e. Movie or film
Additional requirements: All requirements should be typed.
1. You should create a handout/worksheet that summarizes the key points
presented in your exhibit AND lists several discussion questions. These questions
should attempt to promote discussion concerning the focus of your project.
Each group member should be responsible for the portions of the worksheet that
pertain to their part of the project. List questions at the end.
2. Each item in the exhibit should have a title and accompanying caption. The
caption should address how the artifact is significant to the overall theme of your
group. Works cited should be placed on the back of each caption card. See
separate instructions.
Resources:
1. Textbook pages 352- 405.
2. Library Database: ABC Clio
3. Library Database: Thomson Gale: Industrial Revolution Reference Library
4. Spartacus Educational: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/: Scroll down and
choose Encyclopedia of British History
Group 1: Changes in Agriculture and Industry
Your job is to create an exhibit on the changes in agriculture and industry that
launched the industrial revolution. Cover the following topics:
• The key natural resources that aided industrialization.
• Advances in agricultural technology and other developments that improved
farming efficiency.
• The new machines that changed the way goods were made.
Group 2: Urbanization and City Life
Industrialization brought about urbanization. Your exhibit will show the impact of city
growth on people’s lives. Include information on the following subjects.
• Reasons for the growth of cities
• The disadvantages and discomforts of city life
• The attractions and advantages of city life
• New political theories that arose in response to the Industrial Revolution
Group 3: Changes in Business and Work
During the Industrial Revolution, the way businesses were organized and financed
changed dramatically as small workshops gave way to larger factories. The nature of
work changed as well. As you plan your exhibit, make sure you cover:
• Changing forms of business organization
• Changes in the nature of work as work moved out of the home and into the
mills and factories
• The makeup of the industrial workforce
•Worker’s hours, wages, and working conditions
•Worker’s movements that rose in response to industrialization
Group 4: The Second Industrial Revolution- Changes in Transportation and
Communication
Your job is to create an exhibit on the changes in transportation and communication
that shaped the Second Industrial Revolution. Be sure that your exhibit covers the
following topics:
• Key developments in transportation during the 1800s
• New developments in communications
• The importance of electricity in both transportation and communication
Group 5: Consumer Goods and Popular Culture
Your exhibit in the exposition will focus on the new consumer goods and forms of
entertainment that became part of everyday life during the Industrial Revolution. Be
sure that your exhibit includes information about the following:
• The broad range of factory-made consumer goods available by 1900.
• The growth and variety of public entertainment.
• Changes in how and where people shopped
• How people dressed and furnished their homes
Group 6: The Arts and Sciences
Your exhibit will show trends and developments in art, literature, music, science, and the
social sciences during the Industrial Revolution. When creating your exhibit, check the
following list to make sure you have included information on each of these topics:
• Romanticism in art, literature, and music
• Realism in art and literature
• Developments in biological sciences
• Developments in physical science
• Developments in the social sciences
What will I hand in?
Students will turn in an individual works cited sheet and typed captions from the
exhibit. Email Mrs. Murphy the final draft of your group’s handout and discussion
questions.
How will I be graded?
The rubric is posted online. Although it is a group project, you will be graded
individually based on your contributions which will be documented at certain
intervals.