MOSI Google Hangout

On Wednesday, September 24th, our class was given the amazing opportunity to have a live Google Hangout with workers of the Museum of Science and History. During our live chat, Jamie, our museum curator, showed us some machines used in the factories in the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. To prepare for this chat, the class investigated documents on the MOSI website about the textile industry, analyzed a prepared video from Jamie, defined important textile terms, and developed questions to ask Jamie during our live chat.

I really enjoyed the live Google Hangout. While chatting with the museum curators, I learned a lot about the textile industry during the era of the Industrial Revolution. During the live chat I learned about the evolution of the textile process. During the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, cloth was made in mills by workers using dangerous machines such as power looms and speed frames. These machines often caused fatal injuries and death among factory workers. Today, many of the machines used are robotic and prevent injuries while producing cloth more efficiently. A positive impact that the industrialization of the textile industry had on families was the availability and mass production of cloth, making it easier for people to access this product. A negative impact that the industrialization of the textile industry had on families was child labor and poor working conditions in the mills. During the Industrial Revolution, many families faced economic hardships and were forced to send their children to labor in factories to work under dangerous conditions. These employees often worked under poor conditions such as, long hours in the mills, abusive treatment from over lookers of the mills, and the constant risk of injury due to working with such dangerous equipment.

Overall, during our interactive session, I learned a lot about the industrialization of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. I feel that it was beneficial to learn about this topic from an outside expert as they were able to provide  our class with specific information about the machines used to industrialize the textile industry and the lifestyle of factory workers during this era. I believe that it was extremely helpful to see these machines via live chat as it gave me a better understanding of how the machines worked and what purpose they served. During the live chat, I enjoyed seeing the machines on and running to help understand the jobs of workers in the mills during the Industrial Revolution and the function of the machine. If the class were given another opportunity to speak with experts via live chat about another topic in our curriculum, I think it would be very beneficial to the students.

Picture of the loom from Google Hangout

Cat Almeida DBQ

The Industrial Revolution, an era of technological advances, occurred during the 17th and 18th century. The Industrial Revolution has had a major impact on present day industrialization. Without the inventions and achievements of the Industrial Revolution, we would not have the technology that we have today. Along with the growth and success of the Industrial Revolution came poor living and working conditions. As a result of the large amount of industrialization, many people gave up working on farms to work in mills and factories. However, poor working conditions were not inevitable. Although it was common to work in unsanitary, dangerous conditions, research has proven that it is possible to have a healthy working environment in the factories and mills.

Throughout his lifetime, Charles Dickens visited factories in Lowell and Manchester, England. He wrote about the various conditions he witnessed during the Industrial Revolution. Dickens noticed many differences between the environments of the factories. Economic and social structures contributed to the differences in the establishment of industrialization in both locations. (Background Essay) “..Britain had a population boom, which created a large population of  children to be hired at cheap wages”. On the other hand, “...the United States was expanding westward, which kept most parents and children from working on the farm together.” Therefore, families did everything in their power to avoid sending their children to work in the mills. Dickens believed that Lowell offered better working conditions than those of England. Lowell built boarding houses and forced women to keep a strict code of working behavior. He also believed that Lowell “showed him that it was possible for industry to become successful and humane at the same time.”

While in Lowell, Dickens recorded his observations of the working conditions of the factories and mills. Dickens observed, (Document A) “These girls, as I have said, were all well dressed.” Dickens noted that the people of the mills had a healthy appearance. Dickens also took note of their work environment. He recorded:  “There were green plants…...There was as much fresh air, cleanliness, and comfort.” Few children worked at the mills. However, the children that did work at the mills worked for no longer than nine months a year to receive an education. Dickens stated, “...not one young girl...I would have removed from those works if I had had the power.” Lowell put the health and needs of their workers before making a profit which led to the success of Lowell’s industrialization.

The working environment of mills and factories in England differed greatly to conditions in Lowell. The workforce in England consisted mainly of children. Young children were often assigned dangerous jobs such as working the carding engine and cleaning cotton from in between spinning shafts. Also, it was observed that mills consisted of (Document B) “...so many as twenty girls  without any woman presiding over them….” The mills were not only a hazard to workers’ health, but also to their privacy.

Often, workers wrote letters to their families at home, keeping them updated on their lives and schedules. For example, Mary Paul, at the age of fifteen began working in the Lowell mills and wrote to her father. While working in the mills, Mary received a sufficient payment and lived in a well-run boarding house. Mary did, however write to her father regarding factory incidents. Mary wrote, (Document C) “My life and health are spared while others are cut off. Last Thursday one girl fell down and broke her neck which caused instant death.” Although Mary wrote of tragic incidents that happened in the mills, she did write that she enjoyed working at the mills and planned on working there for at least one year.

Reports and letters from factory workers from England offer a different perspective of their work schedule. For example, Hannah Goode’s testimony to the Factory Inquiry Commission reports the horrid environment and conditions of a factory in England. Hannah Goode’s testimony states, (Document D) “We never stop to take our meals, except at dinner. It has gone on this six years and more….” Hannah Goone’s testimony states that her overlooker is cross-tempered and beats small children if they are not working correctly. Hannah was paid very little, could not read well, and did not know how to write. Hannah Goone’s testimony depicts the horrific conditions of the mills and the effects on their workers.

Based on this documentation, it is clear that poor working conditions were not inevitable in the mills during the Industrial Revolution. Although factories and mills in England offered dangerous work environments, the mills and factories of Lowell proved that was possible for mills to provide a safe work environment. Accidents were inevitable as a result of working with such dangerous equipment. However, the mills of Lowell proved that happy, healthy working conditions may exist while maintaining a successful industry during the era of the Industrial Revolution.

Museum Curator Reflection

Picture of Our Exhibit:



For the analysis portion of our curator, my group observed multiple sources regarding the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution. The analysis process included finding the source name or title, date of the source, author, location, what motivated the author to produce the source, and what the visitor should learn from the source. Analyzing sources is an integral part of curating to ensure that the curator has an exceptional understanding of the topic being taught to visitors. My group's exhibit informed visitors about the negative effects if the Industrial Revolution. Most of the negative aspects of this era revolved around pollution and poor living conditions. Our sources consisted of: "Industry 1715-1815", a map of England representing regions of important inventions or achievements, "View of Manchester", an image of the abundant amount of pollution in Manchester, "Observations of the Filth of the Thames", a letter written by Professor Michael Faraday expressing his anger towards to pollution in the Thames River, created by factories, "Evidence on the Standard of Living
Debate in Great Britain", a table of statistics depicting the average income and cost of living during
the Industrial Revolution, showing that one would never be able to escape poverty, "A Victorian Slum", an image depicting the poor living conditions on Dudley Street, and "Differing Views of English Industrialization in the 1880's", an article depicting two opinions and perspectives of the Industrial Revolution. My group chose our title, "Progress Has A Price" to accentuate that even though the Industrial Revolution revolutionized the world, this era had negative effects on the people and environment during this time period. As visitors come to view our exhibit, my group hopes to inform them on the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution and how they impacted the people of this era.


Various posters focused on other themes and aspects of the Industrial Revolution. Other important
aspects of the Industrial Revolution included transportation, child labor, slavery, and sewing. Transportation was an important part of the Industrial Revolution as it allowed perishable goods to be transported quickly. The innovations of the steam engine and the railroad revolutionized
transportation and partially led to the success of the Industrial Revolution. Child labor was also an important topic of the Industrial Revolution. Many children worked in factories and textile mills to help support their families. Often, children worked under poor conditions and risked their health by working in these mills and factories. Another topic connected to the Industrial Revolution is slavery. The bales of cotton sent to factories were picked by slave laborers. These slaves worked under poor condition and under demanding overseers. Lastly, sewing served as an important part of the Industrial Revolution. In an effort to decrease the amount of manual sew work, the almond loom, spinning jenny, mechanized loom, and the spinning wheel were invented. These machines were often run by wives and children.

Recipe for Industrialization

This week, our class learned about discoveries and achievements of the Industrial Revolution and the components of industrialization. During the Industrial Revolution, industrial production increased enormously, providing us with the technology and resources that are available to us today. Achievements from this revolutionary era have changed our world for the better, making it easier for generations to advance. During this period of time, many ingredients, such as people and resources, lead to the overall success of the Industrial Revolution.

One aspect that led to the industrialization of the Industrial Revolution were the people. The people of the 18th and 19th century helped improve farming, created the Enclosure Movement, and contributed to the declining death rates. During the era of the Industrialization, farming was improved by combining small fields, into larger fields, in order make better use of the land. Fertilizer was also introduced, enabling farming to be more efficient with the assistance of new machinery. The people of the Industrial Revolution also created the Enclosure Movement. The Enclosure Movement consisted of rich landowners taking over and fencing off land previously owned by peasants. The creation of these large land parcels allowed productive farming. In addition, the movement established enlarged pastures for sheep, resulting in a larger wool output. Fewer workers were needed as a result of these changes, forcing farmers to move to cities to operate machinery. Due to the lack of workers needed in the fields, profits rose. Lastly, the advancements created by the people of the Industrial Revolution contributed to the decline in death rates during the 1700's. The decline of death rates during this era contributed to the rapid population growth.Many advancements led to increase in the quality of life during this period. Due to the Agricultural Revolution, there was  a reduced risk of famine. Many antibiotics were introduced, saving people from illnesses. Also, women began to eat healthier to improve the health of their babies. As a result of the need for few workers in the field, there was not a need for hard labor to be done, increasing the safety and health of people.

Another ingredient that contributed to the industrialization of the Industrial Revolution was resources.
Important resources of the Industrial Revolution consisted of iron, coal, capitol, and cotton. During this era, iron was used in the construction of steam engines and machinery. In 1709, Abraham Darby found a new, efficient way of producing iron in which coal was used to smelt iron from it's ore. However, the use of coal in the production of iron produced impurities. Darby's discovery led to future production of less expensive,better quality iron. Iron was used even more after the invention of the railroad. Another important resource during the Industrial Revolution was coal. Coal was used as a vital source of fuel in one of the first methods used to produce iron. Coal was also an essential material needed in the construction of machines and steam engines. In addition, the business class accumulated capitol. Capitol is the wealth used to invest in enterprises such as shipping, mines, railroads, and factories. Many workers risked their capitol by traveling overseas. Lastly, during the Industrial Revolution, cotton cloth imported from India became popular. Merchants attempted to create a cotton industry at home by creating a putting out system.This putting out system consisted of raw cotton being distributed to peasants and spun into thread, and then cloth. Unfortunately, this putting out system was inefficient and the machines used to spin the cotton were too large to be stored in homes. Factories were then created to house the cotton spinning machines.

People and resources contributed to the transformation of a primarily agricultural society into one based on the manufacturing of goods and services. Without these key aspects of the Industrial Revolution, we would not have made advancements during the 17th and 18th century or helped contribute to advancements made over time.




 Industrial Revolution. N.d. Wikipedia. Web. 13 Sept. 2014. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Hartmann_Maschinenhalle_1868_(01).jpg>.

How To: Detect Sources

Last week during class, we used A Google A Day and the website, http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ to help advance our understanding of effective ways to search the internet and how find accurate online sources. It is important to search the internet using different techniques for more efficient searching and to be able to identify accurate, authentic, and reliable online sources.

A Google A Day is a program powered by Google that helps students practice efficient source searching. A question is provided and one must answer it by analyzing the question and searching for keywords such as events or people within the question that may lead to the final answer. I enjoyed using A Google A Day, as I liked the strategy of using competition between groups to generate quick responses to the questions. I also found the tips and tricks I learned while searching for sources very interesting. When first using the program, my group became frustrated with the lack of sources and information we were finding. However, as we continued to search, we realized that using specific key words and searching for people and events linked to the question often generates more sources and information. Before doing this activity, I did not know how to use techniques that help find useful sources and contribute to efficient searching. Now that I have the skills for source searching, I can apply this knowledge to searching for information in school projects.

When looking for sources, it is important to make sure that the source is accurate, authentic, and reliable. It is important to find an accurate source to ensure that the information provided by the website is correct and precise. It is also important for a source to be authentic to ensure that the facts or information are genuine and original. This prevents one from using copied information on a specific topic. Lastly, it is important for the source to be reliable to ensure that the website being used is trustworthy and valid. For example, a website about endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is not a website of accuracy or reliability because the information provided is about the fictional Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. Therefore, the information cannot be presented as true or trustworthy. However, this site may be classified as authentic. Although the information is false and untrustworthy, the site is authentic because of it's original information. Overall, this source should not be used in school because it lacks two of three elements that a source requires to be proven a safe, qualified source.






Pacific Northeast Tree Octopus Website

N.d. What Is the Internet? Web. 7 Sept. 2014. <http://www.nwvle.net/course/view.php?id=93>.

Sophomore Year Blueprint

Hello world. My name is Catherine Almeida. However, I prefer to go by "Cat". As I am now embarking my sophomore year of high school, I have experienced many different teachers and many different teaching styles. In my opinion, a teacher is "great teacher" if they listen to their students and have an understanding of their busy schedules. Between sports and extracurriculars, students barely have enough time to eat dinner with their families, never mind write a 5 paragraph essay or study for a test every night. When I think of one or two of my favorite teachers from the past, I remember them being considerate and having a sense of humor. Aside from being understanding, a great teacher must strive to motivate their students to want to come to class and learn everyday. From my past experiences, this can be achieved by having a respectful relationship with their students and throwing humor into a daily lesson. This year, I only ask for support through an understanding of students' chaotic schedules and an open mind towards the ideas of your students.

I completely agree with John Green about our duty to use our education to do great things. In this generation, with the technology and advancements provided for us, we have the opportunity to make a difference. We can advance the fields of science and math by gaining knowledge and applying it to real world problems. However, teachers are those who motivate the students and provide them with the vital knowledge needed to succeed. This year academically, I strive to achieve all A's in my classes to reflect my understanding of the material taught. I plan on achieving this goal through hard work and dedication to my studies throughout the year. Athletically, I aim to excel as a forward on the girls varsity soccer team. I plan to achieve this goal by trying my hardest during practices, trying new techniques, and critiquing my form. I am excited for a new school year.

http://www.eslwebcast.com/eslwc/Home/Entries/2010/8/14_Motivating_Teachers....html