The Second Industrial Revolution

Perspectives: City Hall Meeting The Perspectives: City Hall Meeting is a role-play in which a variety of character roles participate in a question-response discussion. The activity is intended to enhance our understanding of the era (the Second Industrial Revolution) and increase our ability to understand contemporary arguments with their multiple perspectives.

In this activity students will work with a small group to discuss and assume the role of either:

Entrepreneurs & Industrial Tycoons Labor: the Working Class The New Middle Class Labor Unions The Populist Party

Activity Sequence of Events

Team teachings to watch:*** All video teachings are from the Education Portal website: History 104: US History II  / Industrialization and Urbanization (1870-1900)

*** You need to access these videos through Mr. Ruhl’s Online Classroom teaching links!

Entrepreneurs & Industrial Tycoonso American Industry Development in the Gilded Age: Bessemer Process, Scientific

Management & New Business Modelso Andrew Carnegie and the Robber Barons

Labor: the Working Classo Immigration in Industrial America and the Rise of Nativismo Labor Conditions During the Second Industrial Revolution

The New Middle Classo Middle Class Opportunities in American Cities During the Second Industrial

Revolutiono The Social Gospel Movement: Definition and Goals of Urban Reform Movements

Labor Unionso Labor Unions During the Second Industrial Revolution: Organized Labor vs.

Management

The Populist Partyo The Grange and the Populist Party Platform: Goals, History & Definitions

EXPECTATIONS: Your part in this activity is to learn your role through the teaching video(s) assigned, additional research (not required), prior knowledge and team discussion; and then participate in the City Hall Discussion Role-Play.

City Hall Discussion Role-PlayPart One: Character Presentations

Each team will be responsible for sharing a 1-2 minute presentation (words only) with the entire class so that all teams know the various character roles that are participating in the role-play. Teams should share a description of their character role and some details about their daily life.

Part Two: Discussion Questions1. Some people believe that the government policy of “laissez-faire” is NOT working and that

government needs to be much more involved and hands-on—regulating and controlling these greedy businesses. What do you think?

2. Some people have suggested that the government needs to change its pro-business policies and support the workingman and the labor unions. What do you believe?

3. As you know, equality and opportunity are two of our important founding ideals. How do you think we are doing as a nation during this time period of rapid industrialization, urbanization and immigration?

EVALUATION: Students are required to write a two-paragraph review of the activity in which they discuss what they learned through the activity in the first paragraph and then share their evaluation of the era in the second. This assignment will be completed in Edmodo. Students are to wait until after the Seminar Discussion, the following day, is completed to do this assignment, so as to have additional information and a deeper understanding for evaluating the era.