Industrial Revolution Media Project
You will be assigned one of the following innovations in transportation, communication, or technology that
impacted economic growth and industrialization of America as well as the growth, development, and
urbanization of America in the 19th century.
1. Steamboat
2. Cotton Gin
3. Mechanical Reaper
4. Steam Engine
5. Steel Plow
6. Telegraph
7. Spinning Jenny
8. Sewing Machine
9. Interchangeable Parts
10. Clipper Ships
11. Factory System
12. Bessemer Steel Process
13. Erie Canal and Canal Systems
14. Intercontinental Railroad
15. Pony Express
16. Wagon
17. Textile Mills
18. Steam locomotive
19. National Road
1) Research your invention/innovation then…
2) Create your media product. Choose either a 30 to 60 second commercial (or infomercial), radio
ad/podcast (30-60 seconds), magazine ad (include picture), or newspaper article introducing your
invention.
a. You MUST include:
i. -Who invented it? (or roots of development)
ii. -What Year?
iii. –What were the effects of your technological innovation? Things to think about…
1. How did it improve technology?
2. How did it improve or change daily life?
3. What impact did it have on the growth, development or urbanization of the United
States?
4. How did your innovation bring about economic growth, contribute to rapid
industrialization, or lead to the opening of the West?
5. How did your innovation change the way goods were manufactured and marketed,
nationally and internationally?
iv. -Make a jingle.
3) You will:
a. turn in your written research on your invention and
b. present your media project to the class
RESEARCH GUIDE:
On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions thoroughly. You will receive a
grade for your research results which will be half of your project grade.
1. Who invented it? Or roots of development/change?
2. How did it improve or change daily life?
3. What impact did it have on the growth, development or urbanization of the United
States?
4. How did your innovation bring about economic growth, contribute to rapid
industrialization, or lead to the opening of the West?
5. How did your innovation change the way goods were manufactured and marketed,
nationally and internationally?
6. Which region of the country did your innovation impact economically? How?
7. What social changes did your innovation bring about? For example…
a. Did it lead to an increase in factories or urbanization?
b. Did it lead to the expansion of slavery?
c. Did it encourage the hiring of low-wage workers, low-skilled workers?
8. What were the positive and negative consequences of the human modification of the
physical environment of the U.S. resulting from your innovation?
Name ________________________
Industrial Revolution Media Project
Research (worth 50 Points)
Question Answered
Points
Received
Who invented it? Or roots of development/change? (6 pts)
How did it improve or change daily life? (6 pts)
What impact did it have on the growth, development or urbanization of the United States? (6
pts)
How did your innovation bring about economic growth, contribute to rapid industrialization,
or lead to the opening of the West? (6 pts)
How did your innovation change the way goods were manufactured and marketed, nationally
and internationally? (6 pts)
Which region of the country did your innovation impact economically? How? (6 pts)
What social changes did your innovation bring about? For example… (6 pts)
a. Did it lead to an increase in factories or urbanization?
b. Did it lead to the expansion of slavery?
c. Did it encourage the hiring of low-wage workers, low-skilled workers?
What were the positive and negative consequences of the human modification of the
physical environment of the U.S. resulting from your innovation? (6 pts)
Quality (2 pts)
Total Points (50 pts)
Media (worth 50 pts)
Who invented it? (or roots of development) (5 pts)
What Year? (5 points)
What were the effects of your technological innovation? (25 pts)
1. How did it improve technology?
2. How did it improve or change daily life?
3. What impact did it have on the growth, development or urbanization
of the United States?
4. How did your innovation bring about economic growth, contribute to
rapid industrialization, or lead to the opening of the West?
5. How did your innovation change the way goods were manufactured
and marketed, nationally and internationally?
Jingle (5 points)
Quality (10 pts)
Total Points (50 pts)
Project Grade = _______/100 pts