The Industrial Revolution – changes
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You have a small folded piece of paper. Do not open it!
The working lives of many people during the Industrial Revolution were threatened by
the industrial changes. Why do you think this was? Consider:
• Some were frightened that machines would take their jobs (e.g. a power loom could weave much
faster than a handloom).
• There was no redundancy pay or unemployment benefit and people without work usually ended
up in workhouses where whole families were split up and made to do jobs that no one else wanted
to, while living in horrible conditions.
• Many people who worked from home before machine-run factories were built would find that their
wages were cut drastically once the factories opened (e.g. a handloom worker would find that few
people wanted their work once machines could weave, so they would either lose their work or have
to retrain to work in the factories).
1. Some workers were so cross with the industrial changes that they decided to smash the
machines in the factories. They became known as Luddites.
2. Meanwhile there were protests in many country areas, where farmers received threatening
letters demanding wage increases and farmers and landowners also had their hayricks and
farm buildings set alight. The protestors used the name ‘Captain Swing’.
3. The Rebecca Riots were a series of protests made in rural parts of West Wales, including
Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire in 1839–43.
Now open your piece of paper! You will read one of the following words:
• Luddites
• Captain Swing
• Rebecca Riots
You are to spend the next 30–35 minutes researching what is written on your paper, noting the main
facts and anything particularly interesting. To make sure that you cover all details, as you research (and
making notes in rough) ask yourself the questions: Why? When? Where? How? What happened?
http://education.hodge.continuumbooks.com © Susie Hodge (2010)
Resources for Teaching History 11–14. London: Continuum.
63
The Industrial Revolution –
inventions
Introduction: During this lesson, using a range of sources, pupils will investigate some of the
inventions and inventors of the Industrial Revolution.
Aims and outcomes: All pupils will be aware of the abundance of inventions during the Industrial
Revolution. Most pupils will recognize some of the most forward-thinking and successful
entrepreneurs and some pupils will clearly identify certain factors that make some people
successful.
T EAC HE R S H EET
Part G: Revolution!
Starter (5 minutes): Ask who thinks that the Industrial Revolution was good? Who thinks it was
bad? Who has mixed opinions? Discuss their reasons for their opinions. Next ask if anyone can
explain the word entrepreneur. Can they name any contemporary entrepreneurs? (For example:
Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Simon Cowell or Anita Roddick). What attitudes or attributes do
they think these people have or had to become such successful entrepreneurs? What qualities,
good or bad, are needed? It might be helpful if you issue short biographies about some of these
contemporary entrepreneurs and ask the class to draw conclusions about their attitudes and
approaches.
Main phase (40 minutes): Several inventions were made during the Industrial Revolution, most
of which assisted progress. In pairs, they should research and come up with a list of four to six
inventions made during the Industrial Revolution – find out the name, date of the invention
and its function and whether it was successful or important on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being not
particularly successful and 10 being extremely successful and important). After 15–20 minutes,
stop the class and ask them to offer their findings. Online there is a list of suggested inventions and
their dates: these can be displayed on the board as a starting point. Next, they should name some
inventors they might have come across as they researched the inventions. These might include:
Richard Arkwright; Thomas Edison; George Stephenson; Joseph Jacquard; James Watts; Jethro
Tull; Guglielmo Marconi; Samuel Morse; Rowland Hill; Edmund Cartwright; Eli Whitney; Josiah
Wedgwood or James Hargreaves. Either, tell each pair to pick one inventor, or you could choose
one for each pupil to research, identifying what their inventor did, when he or she did it and what
made them and their inventions successful. They will continue this research for homework and
during next lesson they should join with others in the class to present their findings next lesson.
Plenary (10 minutes): Ask the class several questions, including: Is a designer the same as an
inventor? Is an inventor also an entrepreneur? What are the differences (if any)? Write a list of
success criteria for an entrepreneur or inventor.
Suggestions for homework (5 minutes): All pupils should continue to research ‘their’ inventor or
entrepreneur, gathering information for a class presentation next lesson.
Make it easier!
Either, arrange mixed ability pairings, or let some less able pupils research the same inventors as
more able pupils so they can join together when presenting their findings to the class. Less able
pupils might need some more help from you for where to research.
Make it harder!
More able pupils could write an imaginary interview with one of the inventors.
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The Industrial Revolution – inventions
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Part 1
Several inventions were made during the Industrial Revolution, most of which assisted progress.
With a partner, research and come up with a list of four to six inventions made during the Industrial
Revolution – find out the name, date of the invention and its function and whether it was successful or
important on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being not particularly successful and 10 being extremely successful
and important).
Part 2
Name some inventors you have come across as you researched the inventions. Pick an inventor from
that time to research. Identify what your inventor did, when he or she did it and what made that person
and his or her inventions successful.
http://education.hodge.continuumbooks.com © Susie Hodge (2010)
Resources for Teaching History 11–14. London: Continuum.