Last updated: March 4, 2020
Lesson Plan
Building America's Industrial Revolution: The Boott Cotton Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts (Teaching with Historic Places)
- Grade Level:
- Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
- Subject:
- Science,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
Essential Question
Learn about the Boott Cotton Mills complex in Massachusetts, which contains mills built from the mid-1830s to the early 20th century.
Objective
To view the full lesson plan, visit: https://www.nps.gov/articles/building-america-s-industrial-revolution-the-boott-cotton-mills-of-lowell-massachusetts-teaching-with-historic-places.htm
Preparation
Objectives for students
1) To compare the initial and later power sources of the Boott Mills and explain why they changed.
2) To compare the appearance of earlier mills, such as Slater's Mill, with those constructed in the Boott millyard to see how industrial design changed over time.
3) To explain how function influenced mill design.
4) To discover how the Boott millyard was changed to increase production.
5) To identify the types of industry and industrial structures (factories, mines, bridges, dams, canals, etc.) that exist in their own community or region and to explore how these industries were alike and different from the Boott Cotton Mills.
Materials
Procedure
Materials for students
The materials listed below either can be used directly on the computer or can be printed out, photocopied, and distributed to students. The maps and images appear twice: in a low-resolution version with associated questions and alone in a larger, high-resolution version.
1) Two maps of Massachusetts and Lowell's canal system;
2) Three readings compiled from historic studies and primary documentation on the physical and technological development of the Boott millyard;
3) Five drawings that illustrate the evolution of the site;
4) One historic photo of the Boott Mill complex.
Contact Information
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Tags: urban living industrialization industrial history labor history workers women and the economy women's history textile industry textile mills massachusetts massachusetts history national register of historic places nrhp listing teaching with historic places twhp industrial revolution science womens history women in the workplace womens work mid 19th century