Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Ohio Standards
Connection:
History
Benchmark B
Explain the social, political
and economic effects of
industrialization.
Indicator 2
Analyze the impact of
industrialization and the
modern corporation in the
United States on economic
and political practices with
emphasis on:
a. Laissez-faire policies;
b. Monopolies;
c. Standard of living.
Lesson Summary:
Students will role-play a person living in the United States
during the 1890s. Students will research their role using
focus questions about daily life, including standard of
living, and apply this knowledge by analyzing and
explaining the social, political and economic realities of
industrialization. Students will have the opportunity to
demonstrate their understanding by sharing their answers
with the class and writing letters about the business
practices of the1890s.
Estimated Duration: Three hours and 20 minutes
Commentary:
The lesson allows for students to gain a better
understanding of the roles, conflicts and challenges of
different people living in the 1890s. Students will assume
first person roles and write their opinions, based on factual
research, of the economic practices of this period.
Pre-Assessment:
 Assess prior knowledge by having students complete
Attachment A, Pre-Assessment.
 Review Attachment A, Pre-Assessment using Attachment
B, Pre-Assessment Key.
Scoring Guidelines:
Determine if students have a basic understanding of
economics and the relationship between government and the
economy during the review of Attachment A, Pre-Assessment.
Provide answers to the questions to help guide learning for the
unit. See Attachment B, Pre-Assessment Key.
Post-Assessment:
Using Attachment F, Summary, as a guide, students will write
a letter to the editor of a newspaper in 1890. The letter should:
 Give reasons for either agreeing or disagreeing with the
laissez-faire policies of the time;
 Discuss the role of monopolies;
 Discuss the effects of industrialization on the standard of
living.
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Scoring Guidelines:
Score the letter according to Attachment D, Scoring Guidelines and Possible Answers.
Instructional Procedures:
Day One
1. Use a chalkboard or overhead projector to preview the benchmark and grade level
indicator with students and provide some background information on economic
conditions in the 1890s.
2. Review Attachment C, Student Answer Sheet with students. Address any questions
students may have.
3. Pass out Attachment E, Roles.
4. Assign groups of students one of the seven roles.
5. Explain to students that they will be allowed to work together to help research answers
and will also be responsible for completing their own personal answers on Attachment C,
Student Answer Sheet.
6. Suggest resources where students will find information including books and electronic
media.
7. Allow students to begin research for homework.
Day Two
8. Take five to 10 minutes to address any issues and questions that are relevant to every
group. Provide examples of economic situations in which the government plays a role.
9. Allow groups to work together.
10. Observe each group and help them work through any problems or questions they may
have. Use Attachment G, Key to guide students toward relevant information.
11. Tell students that each group will have to briefly explain its role to the entire class on
Day Three during the last 15 minutes of class. Tell students to divide the work so that
everyone has the opportunity to present.
12. For homework have students finish research and prepare to share answers to all four parts
of Attachment C, Student Answer Sheet, with the other students on Day Three.
Day Three
13. Give each group four to five minutes to explain all four parts of Attachment C, Student
Answer Sheet, for their role. Time the groups so that every group has a chance to
participate.
14. Instruct the rest of the class to record answers for every role on Attachment F, Summary.
15. Use Attachment G, Key, to enhance student answers if necessary.
16. Debrief students by asking what patterns they see in the opinions on laissez-faire policies
and monopolies. Discuss the impact of industry on the standard of living.
17. Collect Attachment C, Student Answer Sheet, from each student to evaluate as a
formative assessment.
18. Provide feedback from the formative assessment to students.
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Day Four
19. Assign students to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper from the perspective of the
person that they researched on Attachment E, Roles. Students will need to have
Attachment F, Summary, completed and use it to help them write their letter.
20. Explain to students that the letter should be neat and legible and needs to cover these
three areas (post on the chalkboard or overhead transparency):
 give reasons for either agreeing or disagreeing with the laissez-faire policies of the
time;
 discuss the role of monopolies;
 discuss the effects of industrialization on the standard of living.
Remind students to use specific historical and economic terms when writing the letters.
21. Collect the letters at the end of the class period.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the
intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the
specified indicator(s).
 Provide more time for lesson if students need help with vocabulary, examples or
research.
 Define vocabulary words found in the benchmarks and indicators with cartoons or other
visual aids.
 Allow students with limited reading or writing skills to complete the post-assessment
orally with the aid of a graphic organizer (Attachment F) outlining their presentation.
 Challenge students to write a biography of a person during this time period. Have
students cite the sources used for the biography.
Extensions:
 Compare and/or contrast the role they were given to roles in the United States today.
Emphasize the changing economic and political realities.
 Research the connection between minimum wage and poverty for families today.
 Invite a business person from a local industry to discuss the connections to and modern
perspectives on the information studied in this lesson.
Homework Options and Home Connections:
Have students ask family members about their views regarding the need for government
regulation in the economy.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
English Language Arts
 Writing Applications
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
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Benchmark C: Produce letters (e.g., business, letters to the editor, job applications) that
follow the conventional style appropriate to the text and that include appropriate details
and exclude extraneous details and inconsistencies.
Indicator 3: Write business letters, letters to the editor and job applications that:
a. address audience needs, stated purpose and context in a clear and efficient manner;
b. follow the conventional style appropriate to the text using proper technical terms;
c. include appropriate facts and details;
d. exclude extraneous details and inconsistencies; and
e. provide a sense of closure to the writing.
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of
its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does
not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main
page, therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information
required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes
over time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related
to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For teacher: Chalkboard or overhead projector.
For students: Print and electronic resources.
Vocabulary:
 industrialization
 laissez-faire policies
 monopolies
 trusts
 standard of living
Technology Connections:
 Instead of a group presentation, students could record a performance using presentation
software. Students could import various images to illustrate their role.
 Use the Library of Congress’ web page http://www.loc.gov/ to help students locate
primary source materials.
 Students could analyze the change in the distribution of wealth from the 1880’s through
today using a spreadsheet or chart.
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
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Research Connections:
Marzano, R. et al. Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for
Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 2001.
Summarizing and note taking are two of the most powerful skills to help students
identify and understand the most important aspects of what they are learning.
General Tips:
 Time allocated for the lesson may vary.
 Students may use library resources to find primary source documents.
Attachments:
Attachment A, Pre-Assessment
Attachment B, Pre-Assessment Key
Attachment C, Student Answer Sheet
Attachment D, Scoring Guidelines and Possible Answers
Attachment E, Roles
Attachment F, Summary
Attachment G, Key
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
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Attachment A
Pre-Assessment
Directions: Answer the questions below to determine what you already know about the
topics that you will be studying in this lesson.
1. What factors determine a person’s standard of living?
2. Define laissez-faire.
3. Explain the role of entrepreneurs in the economy.
4. Have you ever played a game about monopolies? What is the goal of the game?
5. How does the government regulate businesses today?
6. Why does the government attempt to regulate the economy?
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Attachment B
Pre-Assessment Key
Directions: Answer the questions below to determine what you already know about the
topics that you will be studying in this lesson.
1. What factors determine a person’s standard of living?
Income, assets, educational opportunities, quality of housing, availability of health care,
quantity and quality of consumer goods and services, etc.
2. Define laissez-faire.
An economic principle that opposes governmental regulation of or interference in
economic matters beyond what is needed to maintain peace and property rights..
3. Explain the role of entrepreneurs in the economy.
Entrepreneurs start businesses by organizing productive resources (human resources,
natural resources and capital resources) in order to make a profit. If they are successful
they provide jobs and create wealth.
4. Have you ever played a game about monopolies? What is the goal of the game?
Answers will vary. The goal is to win by owning all property and forcing opponents into
declaring bankruptcy.
5. How does the government regulate businesses today?
Answers will vary and may include minimum wage legislation, safety regulations,
environmental regulation and tax laws.
6. Why does the government attempt to regulate the economy?
The government seeks to avoid economic recession or depression, protect workers,
protect the environment, etc.
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Attachment C
Student Answer Sheet
Name___________________
Role____________________
Directions: You will be given a role of someone who was living in America in 1890. You
will be in a group of students who have the same role to help you find answers to specific
questions. Answer the four questions with detailed responses. You will need to look closely
at your focus questions on the Attachment E, Roles, sheet to answer the first question.
1. Address all of the focus questions for your role.
2. How has industrialization affected your living conditions, working conditions and
standard of living.
3. How have laissez-faire policies or monopolies affected you?
4. How should the government respond to the effects that laissez-faire policies have had on
your life?
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Attachment D
Scoring Guidelines and Possible Answers
4 points
All parts of the
letter
consistently
support one
viewpoint with
clear reasoning
and specific
examples.
3 points
Most parts of
the letter
support the
viewpoint
chosen with
clear reasoning
and examples.
2 points
The viewpoint is
stated but
support is not
well reasoned or
examples are
lacking.
1 point
The viewpoint
is either not
stated or not
supported.
Discussion of
the role of
monopolies
There is a
clearly
explained
understanding of
monopolies and
competition
consistent with
the viewpoint
taken.
There is an
understanding of
monopolies and
competition
consistent with
the viewpoint
taken.
There is a partial
explanation of
monopolies and
competition.
Monopolies and
competition are
mentioned but
not explained.
Effects of
industrialization
on standard of
living
Standard of
living and
industrialization
are linked using
an abundance of
accurate
information that
is consistent
with the stand
taken.
Standard of
living and
industrialization
are linked using
accurate
information that
is consistent
with the stand
taken.
Standard of
living and
industrialization
are linked using
information that
is consistent
with the stand
taken but may
contain some
inaccuracies.
Standard of
living is
mentioned but
not explained or
explained
incorrectly.
Vocabulary
Specific history
and economic
terms are
included and
used correctly.
Most history
and economic
terms are used
correctly.
There is a
mixture of
specific
vocabulary and
more general
terms.
Ideas are
expressed using
vague or
general words.
Agreement or
disagreement
with laissezfaire policies
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
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Attachment D
Scoring Guidelines and Possible Answers (continued)
Letters that support laissez-faire policies may include the following reasons:
1. The government understands that business owners in America need to be in control of the
decisions that effect whether or not they can profit.
2. If a company does not pay its workers enough, they will find another job. If the product
of a company is of poor quality, the company will go out of business. In other words, the
market economy governs itself.
3. Monopolies are a result of competition in which the strongest companies survive.
Competition is one of the basic principles of the market economy.
4. American businesses are very profitable. This profit translates into the hiring of more
workers, the building of more factories, and the expansion of cities.
5. Business owners are charitable, returning the wealth they have received from laissez-faire
policies by building schools, hospitals and museums.
6. People are able to come from other countries or America’s farms and support their
families by working for businesses made possible by laissez-faire policies.
7. America has grown stronger with the building of railroads, bridges and many consumer
products that all have a positive effect the standard of living in America.
Letters that disagree with laissez faire policies may include the following reasons:
1. Because the government does not regulate pay or working conditions, workers are forced
to work for very low wages.
2. The government is not impartial and sides with business owners during strikes.
3. Consumers are hurt by monopolies because once a company has control of a market it
raises the prices of its goods or services.
4. Monopolies hurt workers across America because companies that are taken over often
close factories and the workers are then unemployed.
5. While many people find jobs in the factories, working conditions are often unsafe.
6. Poor health care and living conditions lead to injuries and the spread of diseases.
7. Many factory workers cannot afford the new consumer products because the products are
too expensive due to monopolistic pricing.
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Attachment E
Roles
Directions: The year is 1890. You are responsible for completely answering each focus
question for your role. Yes/no answers are not acceptable. Explanations must be given as
well.
Roles
Pennsylvania coal miner
Illinois meat packer
John D. Rockefeller
New Jersey oil refinery owner
U.S. senator from New York
California railroad owner
Labor union representative
Focus questions (for all roles)
Describe your work.
How has industrialization influenced your work?
What federal laws or policies directly influence how you do your work?
How does your work benefit society?
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Attachment F
Summary
How has
industrialization
affected your living
conditions, working
conditions and
standard of living?
How have laissez-faire
policies or monopolies
affected you?
How should the
government respond
to the effects that
laissez-faire policies
have had on you?
Pennsylvania
coal miner
Illinois meat
packer
John D.
Rockefeller
New Jersey oil
refinery owner
U.S. senator
from New York
California
railroad owner
Labor union
representative
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Attachment G
Key
Pennsylvania
coal miner
How has
industrialization
affected your living
conditions, working
conditions and
standard of living?
How have laissez-faire How should the
policies or monopolies government respond to
affected you?
the effects that laissezfaire policies have had
on you?
I am able to use some
new products, but
generally I have a low
standard of living, a
dangerous working
environment, threat of
black lung disease and
low wages.
I live in a company-run
town.
The government does
not regulate coal mining.
Wages are low and work
is unsafe.
The government should
set minimum wage laws,
shorter work days and
weeks, child labor laws
and safety regulations. It
should support labor
unions.
The government does
not regulate factory
safety; the workers
receive low wages and
work in unsafe
conditions.
The government should
set minimum wage laws,
shorter work days and
weeks, child labor laws
and safety regulations. It
should support labor
unions.
I am able to use some
new products, but
generally I have a low
standard of living, little
education, low wages
and unsafe working
conditions. I live in a
tenement building.
I have a very high
standard of living
John D.
including the finest
Rockefeller
food, clothing, several
homes and medical care.
I help manage the
Standard Oil Company.
I have a comfortable
New Jersey oil standard of living.
I live in safe and
refinery
pleasant environment.
owner
I can afford medical care
and buy fine consumer
products.
Illinois meat
packer
Laissez-faire policies
allowed me to become
wealthy. I was able to
create the Standard Oil
Trust.
The government should
refrain from regulation of
business. It should not
regulate monopolies
because they allow for
survival of the fittest in
business.
The Standard Oil
The government should
monopoly may drive my refrain from regulation of
company out of
business but it should
business.
make owning monopolies
illegal.
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization –
Grade 10
Attachment G
Key (continued)
U.S. senator
from New
York
I have a high standard
of living with the
finest food, clothing
and medical care and
buy fine consumer
products.
Increasingly, I am
hearing from people
who want businesses
regulated.
The government should
hear from businessmen,
laborers and consumers
about the need for
business regulation.
California
railroad
owner
I have a very high
standard of living
including the finest
food, clothing and
medical care. I own
vast interests in the
transportation
industry in
California.
Railroad owners have
become successful. We
have benefited from
some government
policies supporting the
development of
railroads. We make
profitable decisions
without government
interference.
The government should
refrain from regulation
of business. The
government should not
regulate monopolies.
They promote survival
of the fittest.
Labor union
representative
My standard of living
is similar to the
factory workers.
The government does
not support unions and
sides with the owners
during strikes.
Monopolies hurt
consumers who pay
more in the long run.
The government should
set minimum wage laws,
eight hour work days,
child labor laws and
safety regulations. It
should support labor
unions.
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