The Industrial Revolution A Cross-Curricular Resource

Examining the Industrial
Revolution through the Arts

A Cross-Curricular Resource
Table of Contents
Abstract.. 3
Rationale.. 4
Social Studies Curricular Outcomes.. 6
English Language Arts Curricular Outcomes ..7
Visual Arts Curricular Outcomes.. 9
Resources: Introducing the Industrial Revolution.. 11
Timeline.. 14
Vocabulary.. 17
Social Studies.. 21
Themes.. 22
Social Studies Activities Nature.. 23
Social Studies Activities Darkness.. 28
English Language Arts.. 35
Themes.. 36
English Language Arts Activities Nature.. 39
English Language Arts Activities Darkness.. 43
Visual Arts.. 49
Themes.. 50
Visual Arts Activities Nature.. 51
Visual Arts Activities Darkness.. 56
Helpful Websites and Resources.. 61
Multi-genre Project.. 62
Other Artists and Poets.. 66
Sources.. 67
Abstract
Some teachers struggle incorporating the arts into the everyday classroom, such as
poetry and visual arts. Furthermore, despite the overwhelming amount of online
educational resources, cross-curricular materials are not readily available. Content such
as poetry and visual arts should not be taught in isolation, but rather it should be taught
across multiple subject areas. Our resource package equips teachers to be able to easily
integrate the arts into their teaching approaches. The resource is available in both a hard
copy and an online website, which will blossom into growing resources overtime as more
teachers contribute. Despite the fact that the content will focus on the Industrial
Revolution, it is not intended to limit students learning experiences, but rather it will act
as a vehicle to promote reflection on universal themes and issues. Encouraging students
to express themselves creatively is a skill that will transcend the classroom. Students will
be provided with opportunities to make personal, sociological and aesthetic connections
with the Industrial Revolution through the production and understanding of the arts. With
art as a universal language, students will have opportunities for enrichment and to
stimulate critical thinking across international contexts.
Rationale
The intent of this cross-curricular resource is to make the Industrial Revolution
come alive through poetry and the arts.
According to Mariko Nobori Arts integration goes beyond including art projects
in class; it is a teaching strategy that seamlessly merges arts standards with core curricula
to build connections and provide engaging context. What we also saw in these classrooms
were students who were enthusiastically participating in the learning process, and having
fun. It's not revelatory to say that the arts can engage kids (Nobori, 2012). She continues
to say that engagement can also be leveraged to boost academic growth and improve
discipline seems like a secret that really needs to be revealed. When you see how the kids
embrace these lessons, hear them tell how art helps them remember concepts better, and
learn about the improvements teachers have noted in student understanding and retention,
it makes you wonder why more schools aren't integrating the arts in every class (Nobori,
2012).
Furthermore, according to Elena Aguilar Poetry promotes literacy, builds
community, and fosters emotional resilience. It can cross boundaries that little else can.
Poetry builds resilience in kids and adults; it fosters Social and Emotional Learning. A
well-crafted phrase or two in a poem can help us see an experience in an entirely new
way. We can gain insight that had evaded us many times, that gives us new
understanding and strength (Aguilar, 2013).
William Butler Yeats said this about poetry: "It is blood, imagination, intellect
running together...It bids us to touch and taste and hear and see the world, and shrink
from all that is of the brain only." Our schools are places of too much "brain only;" we
must find ways to surface other ways of being, other modes of learning. And we must
find ways to talk about the difficult and unexplainable things in life -- death and suffering
and even profound joy and transformation.
This unit includes a differentiated material, classroom activities, group
collaboration, and assessment, and aims to target a variety of learners.
Social Studies Curricular Outcomes

General and Specific Curricular Outcomes for Grade 11 Social Studies
Based on the New Brunswick curricular outcomes for Social Studies at the high school
level.
Note: GCO stands for 'General Curriculum Outcome'
Industrial Revolution
GCO 2.1 Causes of the Industrial Revolution
Students will:
2.1.1. Know, understand and be able to explain the new ideas and innovations which led
to the Industrial Revolution.
2.1.2. Analyze elements of social change/conflict during the Industrial period.
2.1.3. Understand, and be able to explain, how governments and workers responded to
issues of industrialization.
2.1.4. Comprehend the economic conditions which led to industrialization and furthered
its development.
GCO 2.2 Historical Thinking Concepts
Students will:
2.2.1 Demonstrate their understanding of the immediate and long term impact of
urbanization on society during the Industrial period.
2.2.2 Be able to explain the evolution of workers rights, and the implications of these
rights, for workers then and now.
GCO 2.3 Making Connections
Students will:
2.3.1 Compare and contrast one aspect of the Industrial period with a modern, evolving
industrialized society.
English Language Arts Curricular Outcomes

General and Specific Curricular Outcomes for Grades 12 English Language
Arts
Based on the Atlantic Canada curricular outcomes for English Language Arts at the high
school level.
Speaking and Listening
GCO 1: Students will be expected to speak and listen to explore, extend, clarify, and
reflect on their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences.
articulate, advocate, and justify positions on issues or text in a convincing manner,
showing an understanding of a range of viewpoints
listen critically to analyse and evaluate concepts, ideas, and information
GCO 2: Students will be expected to communicate information and ideas effectively and
clearly, and to respond personally and critically.
respond to a wide range of complex questions and directions
reflect critically on and evaluate their own and others uses of language in a range of
contexts, recognizing elements of verbal and non-verbal messages that produce
powerful communication
Reading and Viewing
GCO 4: Students will be expected to select, read, and view with understanding a range of
literature, information, media, and visual texts.
read widely and experience a variety of literary genres and modes from different
provinces and countries and world literature from different literary periods
articulate their understanding of the ways in which information texts are constructed
for particular purposes
GCO 5: Students will be expected to interpret, select, and combine information, using a
variety of strategies, resources, and technologies.
access, select, and research in systematic ways, specific information to meet personal
and learning needs
GCO 6: Students will be expected to respond personally to a range of texts.
make informed personal responses to increasingly challenging print and media texts
and reflect on their responses
articulate and justify points of view about texts and text elements
GCO 7: Students will be expected to respond critically to a range of texts, applying their
understanding of language, form, and genre.
critically evaluate the information they access
show the relationships among language, topic, purpose, context, and audience
Writing and Representing
GCO 8: Students will be expected to use writing and other forms of representation to
explore, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and learnings; and to
use their imaginations.
use writing and other ways of representing to explore, extend, and reflect on their
experiences with and insights into challenging texts and issues
GCO 9: Students will be expected to create texts collaboratively and independently, using
a variety of forms for a range of audiences and purposes.
produce writing and other forms of representation characterized by increasing
complexity of thought, structure, and conventions
demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which the construction of texts can create,
enhance, or control meaning
GCO 10: Students will be expected to use a range of strategies to develop effective
writing and other ways of representing, and to enhance clarity, precision, and
effectiveness.
use technology effectively to serve their communication purposes
integrate information from many sources to construct and communicate meaning
Visual Arts Curricular Outcomes

General Curricular Outcomes for Grades 9/10 Visual Arts
Based on the New Brunswick curricular outcomes for Visual Arts at the high school
level.
GCO 4: Students will respect the contribution to the arts of individuals and cultural
groups in local and global contexts, and value the arts as a record of human experience
and expression.
9.4.1 develop an appreciation of diversity among individuals as reflected in their artwork
9.4.2 recognize the existence of a variety of visual languages that reflect cultural, socioeconomic, and national origins
9.4.3 recognize that, and investigate how art as a human activity emerges from human
needs, values, beliefs, ideas, and experiences
9.4.4 create personally meaningful imagery that reflects influence from a variety of
historical and contemporary artists
9.4.5 compare the characteristics of artwork from different cultures and periods in history
GCO 5: Students will examine the relationship among the arts, societies, and
environments
9.5.1 draw upon other arts disciplines as a resource in the creation of their own art works
9.5.2 use, with confidence, experiences from their personal, social, cultural, and physical
environments as a basis for visual expression
9.5.3 demonstrate an understanding of how individual and societal values affect our
response to visual art
9.5.4 interpret visual parallels between the structures of natural and built environments
GCO 6: Students will apply critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to reflect on
and respond to their own and others expressive works.
9.6.1 develop independent thinking in interpreting and making judgments about subject
matter
9.6.2 constructively critique the work of others
9.6.3 analyse the works of artists to determine how they have used the elements and
principles of design to solve specific visual design problems
9.6.4 engage in critical reflective thinking as part of the decision-making and problemsolving process
9.6.5 investigate and analyse how meaning is embedded in works of art
GCO 7: Students will understand the role of technologies in creating and responding to
expressive works
9.7.4 realize the direct influence expanding technology has had and continues to have on
the individual and society
GCO 8: Students will analyse the relationship between artistic intent and the expressive
work.
9.8.1 analyse artwork and determine the artists intention
9.8.2 analyse why images were created by artists
9.8.3 identify and discuss the source of ideas behind their own work and the work of
others
9.8.4 use feedback from others to examine their own art works in light of their original
intent
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Resources: Introducing the Industrial Revolution

A guide to introducing the Industrial Revolution in the high school
classroom
Although this cross-curricular resource focuses on the Industrial Revolution, the

same type of approach of bringing Fine Art and Poetry into all classrooms can be applied
to any type of unit. The content around this classroom resource focuses on two central
themes that encapsulate the overall feelings and beliefs of the Industrial Revolution:
Darkness and Nature. In order to give context to these themes, it is necessary to introduce
the Industrial Revolution, and its global impacts, as a whole.
In modern history, the Industrial Revolution is the process of change from a
handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. This
process began in England in the 18th century and from there spread to other parts of the
world.
The main features involved in the Industrial Revolution were technological,
socioeconomic, and cultural. The technological changes included the following:
The use of new basic materials, chiefly iron and steel
The use of new energy sources, including both fuels and motive power, such as coal,
the steam engine, electricity, petroleum, and the internal-combustion engine
The invention of new machines, such as the spinning jenny and the power loom that
permitted increased production with a smaller expenditure of human energy
A new organization of work known as the factory system, which entailed increased
division of labour and specialization of function
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Important developments in transportation and communication, including the steam

locomotive, steamship, automobile, airplane, telegraph, and radio
The increasing application of science to industry. These technological changes made
possible a tremendously increased use of natural resources and the mass
production of manufactured goods.
There were also many new developments in nonindustrial spheres, including the
following:
Agricultural improvements that made possible the provision of food for a larger nonagricultural population
Economic changes that resulted in a wider distribution of wealth, the decline of land as
a source of wealth in the face of rising industrial production, and increased
international trade
Political changes reflecting the shift in economic power, as well as new state policies
corresponding to the needs of an industrialized society
Sweeping social changes, including the growth of cities, the development of workingclass movements, and the emergence of new patterns of authority
Cultural transformations of a broad order. The worker acquired new and distinctive
skills, and his relation to his task shifted; instead of being a craftsman working
with hand tools, he became a machine operator, subject to factory discipline.
Finally, there was a psychological change: mans confidence in his ability to use
resources and to master nature was heightened.
From the Industrial Revolution, sprung a new mindset surrounding both the beauty
and power of nature: Romanticism.
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Victor Hugo, a prolific French writer, describes the Romantic era as "liberalism in
literature," meaning the freeing of the artist and writer from restrains and rules and
suggesting that phase of individualism marked by the encouragement of revolutionary
political ideas.
Romanticism is the attitude or intellectual orientation that characterized many
works of literature, painting, music, architecture, criticism, and historiography in Western
civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century. It can be seen as a
rejection of the precepts of order, calm, harmony, balance, idealization, and rationality
that typified Classicism in general and late 18th-century Neoclassicism in particular. It
was also to some extent a reaction against the Enlightenment and against 18th-century
rationalism and physical materialism in general one of the major accomplishments of
the Industrial Revolution. Romanticism emphasized a love of nature both its beauty and
its uncontrollable power, the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the
personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental.
Adapted from: http://www.britannica.com/art/Romanticism

http://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng372/intro-h4.htm
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Timeline
An overview of major events that took place in England during 1694-1944
1694 First Central Bank established in England

1712 Thomas Newcomen invented the first productive steam engine.
1719 John Lombe starts his silk factory
1733 James Kay invented the Flying Shuttle, a simple weaving machine.
1764 James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny, which allowed one worker to spin
eight spindles
1769 Richard Arkwright invented the water frame, which hooked up spinning machines
to a water wheel.
1769 James Watt patented his revision of the steam engine, featuring a separate
condenser.
1774 Samuel Crompton invented the spinning mule which combined spinning and
weaving into one machine.
1776 Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations.
1781 Watt adapts his steam engine from a reciprocal to a rotary motion.
1785 Edmund Cartwright invented the power loom, which, after 1800 was powered by
new steam engines. Replaced the flying shuttle.
1785 Henry Cort invented highly successful iron refining techniques.
1790 Arkwright changes his huge factories over from water power to steam engines.
1799 Combination Acts make it illegal in England for workers to unionize in order to
bargain for higher pay or better working conditions.
1800 10 million tons of coal mined in Great Britain.
1801 Richard Trevithick drives the Cornish puffer steam powered locomotive down the
street of Camborne, England.
1811 Luddite Rebellion begins.
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1812 Parliament passes law making it illegal by penalty of death to destroy industrial
machines.
1813 14 Luddites hanged in Manchester after a rushed one-day trial.
1816 George Stephenson patented a steam engine locomotive that ran on rails.
1825 Stephenson commissioned to construct a 30-mile railway from Liverpool to
Manchester.
1829 Stephensons Rocket wins the speed contest on the new Liverpool to Manchester
railroad. 51 miles of railroad track in Great Britain and the entire world.
1832 Sadler Committee investigates child labor in factories and issues report to
Parliament.
1833 The first Factory Act provides first small regulation of child labor in textile
factories.
1834 Poor Law created poorhouses for the destitute.
1835 106,000 power looms operating in Great Britain.
1844 Friedrich Engels publishes his observations of the negative effects of
industrialization in The Condition of the Working-Class in England.
1848 British government sets up the General Board of Health to investigate sanitary
conditions, setting up local boards to ensure safe water in cities.
1848 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published The Communist Manifesto.
1849 10,000 people die in three months in London from Cholera epidemic.
1849 6,031 miles of railroad track in Great Britain.
1875 Public Health Act gives government responsibility to ensure public health for
housing and sewage.
1880 Education Act made school compulsory for children up to age 10.
1890 90% of all ships in the world are built in Great Britain.
1890 35,00 miles of railroad track in Great Britain.
1901 This Factory Act raised the minimum work age to 12 years old.
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1905 236 million tons of coal mined in Great Britain.

1918 Education Act made school compulsory for children up to age 14.
1944 English government mandates and funds compulsory education for all citizens
through age 18.
Adapted
from: http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/IndustrialRevoluti
on/Timeline.html
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Vocabulary
A list of useful vocabulary for teaching students about the Industrial
Revolution
Industrial Revolution: the transformation from an agricultural to an industrial nation

Industrialization: the development of industry on an extensive scale
Rural-to- urban migrations: people are drawn in to cities for opportunities; driven by
poverty and hope to do better
Labor: productive work (especially physical work done for wages)
Textile: artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic
fibers
Modernization: making modern in appearance or behavior
Working Class: a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages:
Working Conditions: the environment of the workplace
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Cottage Industry: small-scale industry that can be carried on at home by family members
using their own equipment
Enclosure movement: The process of consolidating small landholdings into a smaller
number of larger farms in England during the eighteenth century.
Assembly Line: mechanical system in a factory whereby an article is conveyed through
sites at which successive operations are performed on it
Capital: a seat of government
Tenement: a rundown apartment house barely meeting minimal standards
Spinning Jenny: an early spinning machine with multiple spindles
Flying Shuttle: was developed by John Kay, its invention was one of the key
developments in weaving that helped fuel the Industrial Revolution, enabled the weaver
of a loom to throw the shuttle back and forth between the threads with one hand
Water Frame: 1780's; Richard Arkwright; powered by horse or water; turned out yarn
much faster than cottage spinning wheels, led to development of mechanized looms
Spinning Mule: In 1779, Samuel Crompton combined the spinning jenny and the water
frame to create a machine which produced a thread which was stronger, finer and more
consistent
Steam Engine: external-combustion engine in which heat is used to raise steam which
either turns a turbine or forces a piston to move up and down in a cylinder
Command Economy: An economic system in which the government controls a country's
economy.
Market Economy: an economy that relies chiefly on market forces to allocate goods and
resources and to determine prices
Traditional Economy: economic system that relies on habit, custom, or ritual to decide
questions of production and consumption of goods and services
Mixed Economy: an economic system that combines private and state enterprises
Urbanization: the social process whereby cities grow and societies become more urban
Specialization: the special line of work you have adopted as your career
Multinational Corporations: companies that operate across national boundaries: also
called transitional corporations
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Trade Union: an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer

Middle Class: the social class between the lower and upper classes
Putting out system: system of merchant-capitalists "putting out" raw materials to cottage
workers for processing and payment that was fully developed in England
Entrepreneur: someone who organizes a business venture and assumes the risk for it
Free Enterprise: an economy that relies chiefly on market forces to allocate goods and
resources and to determine prices
Standard of living: a level of material comfort in terms of goods and services available to
someone
Urban: relating to or concerned with a city or densely populated area
Human Migration: Movement of humans from one place to another.
Emigration: migration from a place (especially migration from your native country in
order to settle in another)
Push Factor: factor, such as unemployment or the lack of freedom of speech, that makes
people want to leave their country and move to another one
Pull Factor: factor such as freedom or employment opportunities that attract a person to a
country
Infant Mortality Rate: the death rate during the first year of life
Birth rate: the ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area
Death Rate: the ratio of deaths in an area to the population of that area
Globalization: growth to a global or worldwide scale
Method of Production: assembly line
Social Darwinism: The application of ideas about evolution and "survival of the fittest" to
human societies - particularly as a justification for their imperialist expansion.
Combination Acts: These were the laws passed by the Parliament that prohibited the
English people from forming a union
Strike: a conspicuous success
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Factory: a plant consisting of buildings with facilities for manufacturing

Immigration: migration into a place (especially migration to a country of which you are
not a native in order to settle there)
Reform: a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses
Productive Resource: resource or material used to make goods and services (including
natural resources, human resources and capital goods)
Rural: living in or characteristic of farming or country life
Adapted from: https://quizlet.com/15741604/industrial-revolution-vocabulary-list-flashcards/
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Social Studies
Interdisciplinary teaching is the way of the future: it leads to deep learning, and
therefore benefits students immensely in comparison to the traditional, isolated approach
of teaching. According to Ben Johnson in his Edutopia blog post, "Deeper Learning: Why
Cross-Curricular Teaching is Essential", "We have gone about as far as we can go with
isolated instruction and learning. While it may have served the purpose for the older
generations, it does not meet the deeper learning needs of students today and tomorrow."
This resource guide for the Industrial Revolution can serve as an interdisciplinary
resource on its own, but it can also be used as a model for interdisciplinary planning and
teaching.
In the Social Studies classroom, it is effortless to focus on teaching historical

moments through dates and facts. We want to move away from the study of historical
trivia and instead focus on teaching and learning subjects in historical context with the
aid of cultural artifacts and primary sources such as poetry and visual arts. Art and poetry
of time and place can not only aid in the teaching of Social Studies, but is vital for
understanding the mindset and atmosphere of the time and events students are learning
about.
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Themes
Nature
One of the major consequences of the Industrial
Revolution is the effect it had on nature. Although
pollution and ecological harm were not apparent from the
onset of the world-changing revolution, some did take
note of the visible and potential damages to the
environment. Many artists depicted their reactions to the
Industrial Revolution and it's effects on our invaluable
planet earth through painting, drawing, poetry, short
stories, and other mediums.
Darkness
Many artists were very hostile to the societal changes
born from the Industrial Revolution. Through this
bitterness grew a dark and spiteful art. These artists
reflected on the ramifications of mass production, a
consuming economy, alienation, child labor, and
other major societal issues that grew out of the lifechanging Industrial Revolution. Many artists reacted
to the darkness of the era through poetry, novels,
short stories, painting, drawing, and more.
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Social Studies Activities

Activities for the Social Studies Classroom; Nature and the Industrial
Revolution
Urbanization
One of the defining and most lasting features of the Industrial Revolution was the rise of
cities. In pre-industrial society, over 80% of people lived in rural areas. As migrants
moved from the countryside, small towns became large cities. By 1850, for the first time
in world history, more people in a countryGreat Britainlived in cities than in rural
areas. As other countries in Europe and North America industrialized, they too continued
along this path of urbanization.
The Ruined Maid
Thomas Hardy
"O 'Melia, my dear, this does everything crown!
Who could have supposed I should meet you in Town?
And whence such fair garments, such prosperi-ty?"
"O didn't you know I'd been ruined?" said she.
"You left us in tatters, without shoes or socks,
Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks;
And now you've gay bracelets and bright feathers three!"
"Yes: that's how we dress when we're ruined," said she.
"At home in the barton you said thee' and thou,'
And thik oon,' and thes oon,' and t'other'; but now
Your talking quite fits 'ee for high compa-ny!"
"Some polish is gained with one's ruin," said she.
"Your hands were like paws then, your face blue and bleak
But now I'm bewitched by your delicate cheek,
And your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!"
"We never do work when we're ruined," said she.
"You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream,
And you'd sigh, and you'd sock; but at present you seem
To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!"
"True. One's pretty lively when ruined," said she.
"I wish I had feathers, a fine sweeping gown,
And a delicate face, and could strut about Town!"

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"My dear a raw country girl, such as you be,

Cannot quite expect that. You ain't ruined," said she.
Guiding Questions
Literal
What is the poem describing?
What is the title of the poem?
What was the woman tired of?
Inferential
How do you think the speaker feels about urbanization?
What was the main idea of the poem?
Can you explain the tone of the poem?
Evaluative
How did this poem make you feel?
Why did the poet write this text?
The Industrialization of Manchester
The small town of Manchester, England also grew rapidly and famously to become the
quintessential industrial city. Its cool climate was ideal for textile production. In addition,
it was located close to the Atlantic port of Liverpool and the coalfields of Lancashire. The
first railroads in the world later connected the textile town to Liverpool. As a result,
Manchester quickly became the textile capital of the world, drawing huge numbers of
migrants to the city. In 1771, the sleepy town had a population of 22,000 . Over the next
fifty years, Manchesters population exploded and reached 180,000. Many of the
migrants were destitute farmers from Ireland who were being evicted from their land by
their English landlords. In Liverpool and Manchester roughly 25 to 33 percent of the
workers were Irish. Despite the growth in wealth and industry, urbanization also had
some negative effects. Overall, working-class neighborhoods were bleak, crowded, dirty,
and polluted.
Activity
Compare the modern day evolving industrialized society of Fort McMurray with 19th
century Manchester during the Industrial Revolution. Students will represent their
findings through a series of tables and graphs.
Tables and Graphs should: Be easy to read, accurately represent information and
include any additional written information that would be required to interpret the
data.
Students may begin by looking at the Stats Canada website regarding growth and
population in Fort McMurry https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dppd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=0292&Geo2=PR&Code2=24&
Data=Count&SearchText=&Search&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1
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Sources:
http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/IndustrialRevolution/IR
Effects.html#Urbanization
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/urbanization-during-the-industrial-revolution.html
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Living Conditions: A focus on Class Division

Urbanization resulted in an increase in the standard of living. Due to this, the gap
between the wealthy and the working class remained enormous. Industrial and urban
development made society more diverse and less unified, including diversity within the
middle class.
Upper middle class: bankers, industrial leaders, and large-scale commerce
Diversified middle class: businessmen, professionals, merchants, doctors and lawyers
Lower middle class: independent shopkeepers and small traders
Working class: about 80% of population
Urban overcrowding, poor diets and poor sanitation contributed to very poor public
health for the majority of English people. The densely packed and poorly constructed
working-class neighborhoods contributed to the fast spread of disease. Houses were built
touching each other, leaving no room for ventilation. Perhaps most importantly, homes
lacked toilets and sewage systems, and as a result, drinking water sources, such as wells,
were frequently contaminated with disease.
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Guiding Questions
Literal
What is the picture describing?
What is the title of the picture?
What is the picture depicting?
Inferential
How do you think the artist feels about the living conditions of the industrial revolution?
What was the main idea of the picture?
Can you explain the tone of the picture?
Evaluative
Why did the artist create this picture?
Activity
In groups of two students will take a position, either upper-class or working class and
research what types of diseases, illnesses and remedies that were present during the
industrial revolution, and would have effected their chosen class of people. Students will
then compile their data into a cause and effect chart.
Sources:
Effects.html
http://schoolworkhelper.net/social-changes-during-industrial-revolution/
http://www.netnicholls.com/neh2000/paper/pages/txt09.htm
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Social Studies Activities

Activities for the Social Studies Classroom; Darkness in the Industrial
Revolution
Child Labor
The successful exploitation of child labor was vital to Britain's economic success in the
19th century. In 1821, approximately 49% of the workforce was under 20. In rural areas,
children as young as five or six joined women in 'agricultural gangs' that worked in fields
often a long way from their homes. Although a law against the employment of children as
chimney sweeps was passed as early as 1788, young people - because of their size and
agility - were still used in this role for much of the 19th century.
The Chimney Sweeper
William Blake
When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!"
So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.
There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head
That curled like a lamb's back, was shaved, so I said,
"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare,
You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair."
And so he was quiet, & that very night,
As Tom was a-sleeping he had such a sight!
That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned, & Jack,
Were all of them locked up in coffins of black;
And by came an Angel who had a bright key
And he opened the coffins & set them all free;
Then down a green plain, leaping, laughing they run,
And wash in a river and shine in the Sun.
Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,

They rise upon clouds, and sport in the wind.
And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,

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He'd have God for his father & never want joy.
And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark
And got with our bags & our brushes to work.
Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm;
So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.
The Plight of "Climbing Boys" (1818) (primary source document)
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Guiding Questions
Literal
What is the poem describing?
What were the sweepers locked up in?
Inferential
How do you think the speaker feels about child labor?
Evaluative
Activity
After reading William Blakes The Chimney Sweeper and reading the primary source
document The Plight of climbing boys (1818) Students will compare and contrast the
different aspects of childrens rights (between modern Western society and 19th century
industrialized society): e.g., at what age may a child work? Students may also use The
Convention on the Rights of the Child
http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx as resource material.
Sources:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/struggle_democracy/childlabou
r.htm
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/hist8.html
31
Working Conditions - Labors as Commodities

The working classwho made up 80% of societyhad little or no bargaining power
with their new employers. The
new factory owners could set the terms of work because there were far more unskilled
laborers, who had few skills and would take any job, than there were jobs for them. And
since the textile industries were so new at the end of the 18th century, there were initially
no laws to regulate them. Desperate for work, the migrants to the new industrial towns
had no bargaining power to demand higher wages, fairer work hours, or better working
conditions.
Worse still, since only wealthy people in Great Britain were eligible to vote, workers
could not use the democratic political system to fight for rights and reforms. In 1799 and
1800, the British Parliament passed the Combination Acts, which made it illegal for
workers to unionize, or combine, as a group to ask for better working conditions. For the
first generation of workersfrom the 1790s to the 1840sworking conditions were very
tough, and sometimes tragic. Most laborers worked 10 to 14 hours a day, six days a week,
with no paid vacation or holidays. Each industry had safety hazards too; the process of
purifying iron, for example, demanded that workers toiled amidst temperatures as high as
130 degrees in the coolest part of the ironworks. Under such dangerous conditions,
accidents on the job occurred regularly.
32
(Iron and Coal By William Bell Scott)

Guiding Questions
Literal
What are the men in the painting doing?
What is the title of the painting?
Is this a safe work enviroment?
Inferential
How do you think the artist feels about the working conditions during the industrial
revolution ?
What was the main idea portrayed in this painting?
Can you explain the theme of this painting?
Evaluative
How did this painting make you feel?
Why did the artist choose to paint this scene?

33
Activity
Writing historical fiction has the potential to help students put their understanding into
practice. For this activity students will be tasked with taking on the role of an individual
working in a factory during the industrial revolution, each student will have to write a
letter to a fictional government representative requesting better working conditions and
benefits.
Research: emphasize that students must base their fictional letter on evidence. Students
will use historical sources to develop setting, conditions and character motivation
Sources:
http://www.netnicholls.com/neh2000/paper/pages/txt09.htm
Effects.html
The Big Six: Historical Thinking Concepts
34
English Language Arts

teaching.
In the English Language Arts classroom, it can be easy to slip into traditional
methods of teaching. We want to get away from the typical book studies and essay
writing and instead look to teaching and learning subjects in historical context with the
aid of cultural artifacts such as poetry and visual arts. There is no reason why students
should only learn about the Industrial Revolution in the History or Social Studies
classroom, nor is there a reason they should only learn about fine art in the Visual Arts
classroom.
35
Themes
Nature
Darkness
36
English Language Arts Activities

Activities for the English Language Arts Classroom; Nature and the
Materialistic Disconnect
Like many poets and artists of the Romantic Movement, William Wordsworth was very
critical of humanities relationship with the natural environment. Part of his social critique
lies in the fact that there were many changes during the Industrial Revolution, notably on
the side of the economy.
Wordsworth is not only a major figure in European Romanticism, hes also someone who
represents childhood trauma, overcoming obstacles, and never giving up. Some students,
maybe those who have experienced trauma or live with financial trouble, will connect
with Wordsworth's biography and see themselves in him.
The World is Too Much With Us
William Wordsworth, 1806
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;-Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! Id rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathd horn.
Structure of the Poem
This poem is in Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet form. The Italian sonnet has two different
sections; the first eight lines are referred to as the octave and the last six lines are referred
to as the sestet. The common rhyme scheme of the octave is a b b a a b b a. There are
variations of rhyme schemes for the sestet, but Wordsworth used c d c d c d. According
to SparkNotes, the octave and the sestet are usually contrasted in some key way: for
example, the octave may ask a question to which the sestet offers an answer. The answer
found in the sestet can be a type of clarity, a discovery perhaps, and not necessarily a
solution to the presented problem. Although it may be tempting to point out the problem
and answer in the poem, it is more effective for you to teach about the common structure
of the Petrarchan sonnet and then allow students to decode the sections in their own way.
37
For more on sonnet forms and the history of the sonnet visit
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shakesonnets/summary.html
Vocabulary
Sordid: Involving immoral or dishonourable actions and motives; arousing moral distaste
and contempt.
Boon: 1. a thing that is helpful or beneficial, 2. a favour or request
Pagan: A person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions
Creed: A system of religious belief; a faith
Lea: An open area of grassy or arable land
Forlorn: Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely
Proteus: Greek mythology - A minor sea god who had the power of prophecy but would
assume different shapes to avoid answering questions
Triton: Greek mythology - A minor sea god usually represented as a man with a fishs tail
and carrying a trident and shell-trumpet
*Note all definitions are from oxforddictionaries.com
Guiding Questions
Literal
What forms of nature are mentioned in the poem?
What does Triton have to blow on?
What is the rhyme scheme?
Inferential
What does the term sordid mean? (All flagged vocabulary can be inserted here)
How would you explain the title of the poem?
How do you think the speaker feels about nature?
Considering what we have learned about Italian sonnets, can you tell me what the turning
point is in the poem?
Evaluative
What kind of person do you think wrote this poem?
What would you change about the poem if you were the poet?
Is this poem a persuasive poem? Why or why not?
And if so, what techniques did the poet use to make it persuasive?
Activity
Ask the students to read the poem again on their own. When they read it, they should take
note of lines that really stand out to them. Once they choose a line, they will then create a
reflection based on that line. Students should be encouraged to draw a representation,
write prose, write a poem in response, etc. in order to reflect on the line and perhaps the
38
poem in its entirety. Students will then upload their work to the student work page on the
site and will be able to share their work with one another, but also with students from
other schools. Once another class uploads their creations, students can browse through
them and pick one to respond to. Student responses should be sent teacher to teacher, and
can then be shared with the respective students. From here. the teachers can organize a
Skype meeting between the classes, and students can discuss the poem and their
responses in this way.
39
Paying Homage to the Landscape

John Roberts Cozens, a London-born artist who studied under his father, is now known
for the numerous landscape paintings he crafted during the Romantic Movement. John
Constable, another artist at the time, has referred to Cozens as the greatest genius that
ever touched landscape. His paintings pay homage to nature itself, and they often
portray a tranquil peace amidst a sense of vastness.
Analyzing Landscape Paintings
When looking at paintings, it is
important to take into consideration the
following:
Foreground: the ground or parts
situated, or represented as
situated, in the front; the
portion of a scene nearest to the
viewer (opposed to
background).
Middle ground: the middle of a
painting or the area between
the foreground and the
background. This is often
where the main action takes
place. Objects in this area look
smaller than, and are often
placed partially behind,
foreground objects.
Background: the ground or parts, as
of a scene, situated in the read
(opposed to foreground)
Movement: movement is caused by
using elements under the rules
of the principles in picture to
give the feeling of motion and
to guide the viewer's eyes
throughout the artwork. In
movement an art should flow,
because the artist has the
ability
to control the viewer's eye.
Focal Point: the point at which all
elements or aspects converge;
center of activity or attention.
Scale: refers to the size of an object
(a whole) in relationship to
another object (another whole).
In art the size relationship
40
between an object and the

human
body is significant.
Texture: the perceived surface
quality
of a work of art. It is an
element
of two-dimensional and threedimensional designs and is
distinguished
by its perceived visual and
physical
properties. Use of texture,
along
with other elements of design*,
can
convey a variety of messages
and emotions.
*For a more extensive resource about
the
elements and principles of design/art,
please reference this PDF of The
ABCs
of Art,
compiled by M.C. Gillis:
41
Stages of Analysis
Describe: Tell exactly what you see
Analyze: Use what you know about the elements and principles of design to reflect
upon the art
Interpret: Consider what the artist is trying to say. What caused the artist to think this?
What is the historical context? Why is the art in this style?
Evaluate: How successful do you think the artwork is? How important do you think it
is?
Activity
Model an analysis of a painting for your students: describe the painting, analyze it,
interpret it, and evaluate it. After modelling each step, look at another painting and guide
the students through the same analysis process. You may want to go through all Cozens'
paintings included on this page with your students before asking them to work on their
own. Once you are certain that the students understand the process, have them to work in
small groups (3-4) to analyze an art piece on their own. The piece can be a painting, a
photo, or a drawing, and it can be from any place and any time period. In their groups,
students will go through the analysis process and together they will write a small report
and create a presentation to share their findings with the class. Groups should also lead
class discussion on how their chosen art differs from what we saw with Cozens' work and
possibly the work chosen by other groups.
42
English Language Arts Activities

Activities for the English Language Arts Classroom; Darkness in the
Darkness and
Oppression
The visionary poet and artist
William Blake despised the
emphasis on rational thought
so popular in 18th-century
England. Sir Isaac Newton's
mathematics and scientific
discoveries, which proved the
existence of universal laws
and value of scientific
reasoning, heralded the Age
of Enlightenment in Europe.
Advancements in areas such
as optics, chemistry, and
biology encouraged
intellectuals to put their trust
in nature, as understood by
reason, rather than in God.
(The Romantic view of God
was disconnected from
traditional religious beliefs. They viewed nature/the natural universe and God as one
entity).
Many people believed that they could rationally unlock nature's secrets to benefit their
own lives. Blake, on the other hand, believed that imagination, not reason, was the
dominant force of human nature. He rebelled against the art establishment and created his
own artistic vocabulary, often illustrating apocalyptic scenes from the Bible. His bestial
images, including his 1795 version of Nebuchadnezzar, illustrated the uncontrollable,
irrational side of human beings.
In this hand-colored print Blake depicts Nebuchadnezzar as part animal and part man.
The once-mighty Nebuchadnezzar crawls on his hands and knees. His parted lips,
furrowed brow, heavy eyelids, and especially his staring eyes all lend his face an
expression of helplessness. The king's strong muscled body, rendered in great detail,
seems startlingly at odds with his mental instability.
(Intro to the artwork adapted from World Myths & Legends in Art:
http://archive.artsmia.org/world-myths/viewallart/nebuchad_background.html)
43
Blake was known as an artist and poet who spoke up against oppression and the abuse of
class power during the Industrial Revolution. He was also very much against slavery.
Although the print 'Nebuchadnezzar' alludes to the Bible, much symbolism in the print
can be discussed through a Romantic lens and in the context of what Blake rebelled
against during the period.
(For more history on the actual king Nebuchadnezzar see:
http://www.ancient.eu/Nebuchadnezzar_II/)
Guiding Questions
Inferential
How would you explain the emotion in this artwork?
How do you think the figure feels?
What do you think the artwork means?
Can you explain what must have happened to the figure?
Evaluative
What is your opinion of this artwork?
How effective are the colors?
What is the artist not telling you with this visual text?
How does it make you feel?
How would you feel if you were the figure?
Why would the artist create this piece?
What kind of person would create this art?
What changes would you recommend for this piece?
Activity
Before going into the history of this painting, delve into some guiding questions to
generate discussion about the print. After discussing the visual aspects of the piece, have
the students create a short, fictional story about the creature. Students can work in groups
or on their own. Encourage students to create comics to depict their fictional story about
the creature.
Comic Panel Templates: http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/59444/comic-book-templates
Online Comic Generator: pixton.com/ca
Share the stories with the class.
After sharing, get into the historical context and the allusions in the symbolism of
artwork. Have students respond on exit slips or in their writer's notebook as a closing
activity. For example, ask them to respond on the history behind the print, or to the
differences between the story they created and the history related to the print, or to the
emotions present in the print and how they connect with it.
44
The Worker's Plight

While working conditions today are quite regulated and therefore generally safe, during
the Industrial Revolution there were no laws or regulations about workplace safety.
Because of this, working in a factory could prove to be very dangerous. According to the
site SchoolsHistory.org.uk:
Industries such as the cotton trade were particularly hard for workers to endure long
hours of labour. The nature of the work being done meant that the workplace had to be
very hot, steam engines contributing further to the heat in this and other industries.
Machinery was not always fenced off and workers would be exposed to the moving parts
of the machines whilst they worked. Children were often employed to move between these
dangerous machines as they were small enough to fit between tightly packed machinery.
This led to them being placed in a great deal of danger and mortality (death rates) were
quite high in factories. Added to the dangers of the workplace also consider the impact of
the hours worked. It was quite common for workers to work 12 hour s or more a day, in
the hot and physically exhausting work places. Exhaustion naturally leads to the worker
becoming sluggish (slow), which again makes the workplace more dangerous.
file://localhost/(http/::www.schoolshistory.org.uk:IndustrialRevolution:workingcondition
s.htm - .VaFGF19Viko)
Through reformers fighting for the rights of the workers, many changes and regulations
were implemented over the years to make the work space increasingly safer for
everyone.
But putting the matter of safety aside, there still remains the industrialization of cities and
the effects it had on society. England moved from being an agricultural, craftsman
society, where the population lived in rural areas and practiced their craft at home. Older
craftsmen would teach the younger generation through a type of apprenticeship
relationship, and there was a deep connection with the products because they were crafted
by hand and quality was important. Industrialization forced citizens to work in large
factories, where workers became disconnected from their homes, their craft, the products,
and themselves. Now workers were responsible to produce like machines under the
surveillance of factory supervisors. Factory supervisors were responsible to the owners of
the factories - both received the bulk of the profit while the workers received a meager
pay.
Percy Byssche Shelley's life and works is said to exemplify the Romantic Movement.
Major themes of his works include rebellion against authority, restlessness, and our
relationship with nature.
To find out more about Shelley, see his biography on the Poetry Foundation site:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/percy-bysshe-shelley
45
A Song: "Men of England"

Percy Byssche Shelley, 1819
Men of England, wherefore plough
For the lords who lay ye low?
Wherefore weave with toil and care
The rich robes your tyrants wear?
Wherefore feed and clothe and save
From the cradle to the grave
Those ungrateful drones who would
Drain your sweatnay, drink your blood?
Wherefore, Bees of England, forge
Many a weapon, chain, and scourge,
That these stingless drones may spoil
The forced produce of your toil?
Have ye leisure, comfort, calm,
Shelter, food, loves gentle balm?
Or what is it ye buy so dear
With your pain and with your fear?
The seed ye sow, another reaps;
The wealth ye find, another keeps;
The robes ye weave, another wears;
The arms ye forge, another bears.
Sow seedbut let no tyrant reap:
Find wealthlet no imposter heap:
Weave robeslet not the idle wear:
Forge armsin your defence to bear.
Shrink to your cellars, holes, and cells-In hall ye deck another dwells.
Why shake the chains ye wrought? Ye see
The steel ye tempered glance on ye.
With plough and spade and hoe and loom
Trace your grave and build your tomb
And weave your winding-sheettill fair
England be your Sepulchre.
46
Structure of the Poem

The poem is broken up into 8 stanzas. The rhyme scheme is mainly a a b b. It is a lyric
poem, and therefore expresses the character, impressions and emotions of the poet. This
poem also fits into the 'Revolutionary song' sub-type of lyric poetry.
For more on lyric poetry, see the Encyclopedia Britannica
site: http://www.britannica.com/art/lyric.
Vocabulary
Plough: 1) unearth something, turn up the earth, 2) move in a fast and uncontrolled
manner, 3) advance or progress laboriously or forcibly
Tyrants: 1) a cruel and oppressive ruler, 2) a person exercising power or control in a
cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary way
Drones: 1) a male bee in a colony of social bees, which does no work but can fertilize a
queen, 2) a person who does no useful work and lives off others
Scourge: 1) historically, a whip used as an instrument of punishment, 2) a person or thing
that causes great trouble or suffering
Balm: something that has a soothing or restorative effect
Forge: make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and hammering it
Imposter: a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially
for fraudulent gain
Tempered: 1) having a specified temper or disposition, 2) (of metal) a heat treatment
technique to achieve greater toughness
Loom: 1) an apparatus for making fabric by weaving yarn or thread, 2) (of an event
regarded as threatening) seem about to happen
Sepulchre: a room or monument, cut in rock or built of stone, in which a dead person is
laid or buried
*Note all definitions are from oxforddictionaries.com
Guiding Questions
Literal
What is the name of the poem?
Who is the poem addressed to?
What is the rhyme scheme?
What types of tools were mentioned?
Inferential
How does the speaker feel?
What was the main idea of the speaker?
What does the term 'plough' mean? (All flagged vocabulary can be inserted here)
Can you explain what must have happened for the poet to write this?
Evaluative
How would you feel if you worked during the Industrial Revolution?
What would you do if you were forced to work in poor conditions?
How did the poem make you feel?
47
What is the poem trying to make you believe/think?

How effective is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
What kind of person do you think the poet is?
If you were the poet, what would you change about the poem?
Activity
After going through the poem and the historical context, get the students to role play what
it might have been like for the factory workers. Set up the class like a production line,
and have a student act as a factory supervisor. Some students can be customers looking to
buy the products - have those students use fake money to purchase the products. When
purchases are made, the factory supervisor has to give most of it to the boss (the teacher),
then keep a portion for themselves, and have a little bit left for the workers. After a while
of role-playing, have a student act as the speaker of the poem. They can set up something
to act as a 'soapbox' and recite the poem to the workers. Afterwards, have a class
discussion about what the students thought of the activity. How did it make them feel?
What would they do if they really had to work in a factory like that, but even worse - one
where they had to fear for their lives? How did they feel when the poet recited his poem?
If there is limited discussion, offer students the opportunity to write a very short
reflection of the activity, poem, and/or historical context and the way they connected with
it.
48
Visual Arts
teaching.
In the Visual Arts classroom, there is so much potential for cross-curricular
learning. However, there are times where an art assignment is geared towards learning
about a new material or technique without laying a solid historical contextual foundation.
There is no reason that students could not learn about the Industrial Revolution in the
Visual Arts classroom, in fact, the new found knowledge will only strengthen students
abilities to represent themselves in an artistic way while increasing their ability to
interpret and analyze the visual world around them.
49
Themes
Nature
Darkness
50
Visual Arts Activities

Activities for the Visual Arts Classroom; Nature and the Industrial
Revolution
Personified Planet: William Blake and Surrealistic Response

Grade 9/10
Romantic poets, like William Blake, were extremely concerned about the overall wellbeing of the earth. As the world evolved, Romanticism was born as an artistic response to
the earths deterioration. As factories and machines become common place, Romantics
were concerned that humans were becoming far too distanced from the natural world. In
fact, the Romantics believed that artists were some of the only people that remained
solidly connected to the earth during the Industrial Revolution because they could see
what was happening.
William Blakes Earth Answer is poem from his illustrated collection of poems
titled Songs of Innocence and Experience in which he explores the two contrary states
of the human soul. Throughout the poem Earth replies to the bards call from the
Introduction by stating that Reason and the Selfish father of men have imprisoned
her. She is chained in cold and darkness on the watery shore, the bounds of the
materialistic world, which is mentioned in the Introduction. She seeks daylight,
arguing that the creative forces of life such as spring blossoms, the sower, and the
plowman, can only bring life by daylight. She asks that the bard, or the reader, break
this heavy chain that binds even free Love. Blake subtly undermines the Bards voice
by having the Earth reply that she is helpless to rise up on command. She needs the
redemption brought by Love, which is both sexual and spiritual, for the two are not a
dichotomy in Blakes mind, to free her from her icy bonds. In fact, what is necessary is
that those things normally relegated to the night, such as a lover's tryst, be brought into
the daylight. Only then can Earth be restored to her primordial glory. Blake echoes the
Garden of Eden account in Genesis, where the sin of knowledge of good and evil, and
disobedience of God's command, led Adam and Eve to leave the noonday sun and hide
themselves from their Creator's likely wrath.
In responding to the Bard, Earth places the responsibility for her own restoration on the
Bard, and by extension, on all men, to break the chain of Jealousy and to free Love. Only
then can she be free again.
More
found
here:
http://www.gradesaver.com/songs-of-innocence-and-ofexperience/study-guide/summary-earths-answer
51
Earth's Answer by William Blake

Earth rais'd up her head,
From the darkness dread & drear.
Her light fled:
Stony dread!
And her locks cover'd with grey despair.
Prison'd on watry shore
Starry Jealousy does keep my den
Cold and hoar
Weeping o'er
I hear the Father of the ancient men
Selfish father of men
Cruel, jealous, selfish fear
Can delight
Chain'd in night
The virgins of youth and morning bear.
Does spring hide its joy
When buds and blossoms grow?
Does the sower?
Sow by night?
Or the plowman in darkness plow?
Break this heavy chain,
That does freeze my bones around
Selfish! vain!
Eternal bane!
That free Love with bondage bound.
52
Activity:
Have students read the poem aloud and explore how the earth is personified how she
is alive in this poem. If this poem was something visual like a film or an image, what
would it like? What would the earth be doing in this visual depiction? How would she be
responding to the destruction around her? Using the Surrealist movement as inspiration,
have students create a visual response to Blakes poem using the medium of their choice
(coloured pencil, paint, graphite).
Introduce students to the Surrealist movement: The Surrealist movement was
founded in Paris by a small group of writers and artists who sought to channel the
unconscious as a means to unlock the power of the imagination. Surrealists sought to
represent the realistic world in such a way that made their viewers uncomfortable. They
created artwork that was highly detailed and mimicked reality, however, they would
compose the elements in such a way that looked fantastic, abnormal, or even dreamlike.
More found here: http://www.theartstory.org/movement-surrealism.htm
Some notable Surrealist artists and artwork:
Salvador Dali:
The Persistence of Memory (1931)
The Metamorphosis of Narcissus (1937)
Meditative Rose (1958)
http://www.salvadordali.com/
http://www.dali-gallery.com/home.html
Max Ernst:
Woman, Old Man, and Flower (1938)
Celebes (1921)
Two Children Threatened by a Nightingale (1924)
http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=1752
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-ernst-max.htm
Additional Resources:
http://poetryofwilliamblake.weebly.com/earths-answer.html
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/william-blake
http://www.britannica.com/art/Romanticism
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/william-blake
http://www.theartstory.org/movement-surrealism.htm
53
In tune with Nature: Art En Plein Air

Grade 9/ 10
Because of the advancements of the Industrial Revolution, the Romantics believed
that man was becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural world. In fact,
Romantics believed that the artist was one of the few who remained in tune with nature.
Not only were the Romantics sought to share a deeper connection with their
environment, but they recognized that nature has much more to offer than a beautiful
sight. With great beauty comes an uncontrollable power and a lack of order. Unlike the
revolutionary machines, nature did not adhere to a rigid schedule or a set of repetitive
acts; its true beauty lies in its unpredictability.
More here: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roma/hd_roma.htm
(Left) Uncontrolled Garden. (Right) Highly groomed, controlled garden.

These beliefs can be understood more clearly through analyzing the uncontrolled and
unkempt appearances of wild gardens from the Romantic era.
Activity:
Analyze the following artworks in order to better understand natures uncontrollable
power that the Romantics admired so greatly.
Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, Caspar David Friedrich (1818)
The Raft of the Medusa, Theodore Gericault (1818)
Sunset, Eugene Delacroix (1850)
Rain, Steam, and Speed, J.M.W. Turner (1844)
Discussion questions:
How is nature being portrayed in this piece?
What is the artist trying to say about nature?
How does the colour scheme portray a specific mood?
In order to encourage students to forge a true connection with nature, it is important
54
that they are exposed to it. Introduce students to the concept of En Plein Air a French
expression meaning in the open air used to describe painting outside. Take students
outside and encourage them to capture not only the beauty of nature, but also its
uncontrollable power as well through drawing or paintings.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/romanticism/englandconstable-turner/v/turner-rain-steam-and-speed-the-great-western-railway-1844
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/rom_fri_wand.html
http://painting.about.com/od/landscapes/a/plein_air_paint.htm
55
Visual Arts Activities

Activities for the Visual Arts Classroom; Darkness in the Industrial
Revolution
Picturing Poetry: Responding to Imagery through Poetry and Mixed

Media Collage
Grade 9/10
It is important for students to recognize the power of the visual world and the
importance of being able to decode the messages that lies within a piece of artwork. In a
world permeated by images, visual literacy skills extends beyond the classroom
environment, and the following activity will encourage students to use these abilities.
This multi-step activity enables students to explore the relationship between word and
image, while encouraging free association and critical thinking about the importance of
context. Students will form their own poetic responses and visual interpretations to wellknown artworks that were born out of the Industrial Revolution. Furthermore, students
will forge deeper connections with these artworks, and the Industrial Revolution as a
whole, by connecting the overall themes depicted within the artworks to modern day
interpretations.
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great technological progress with the
emergence of factory work, but also a time of great darkness. John Ruskin, a leading
English art Critic of the Victorian era, was worried that workers were becoming
automatons, disconnected from life, community, nature and beauty. He even created a
school for workmen and labourers to learn to draw, and taught them to see the world in a
different way. Ruskin and many other artists of the time noticed the great changes that
were occurring within society and took to their easels in order to voice their concern
visually with the help of their paintbrushes.
Activity
Show the following artworks to
the students (this works best if
the images are able to be
displayed similar to a gallery
setting, on the walls around the
classroom):
The Fighting Temeraire,
J. M. W. Turner (1839)
Black Country, Night, with Foundry,
Edwin Butler Bayliss (1900 1945)
The Iron Rolling Mill, Adolf Menzel
(1872 1875)
Coalbrookdale by Night, Philip James
De Loutherbourg (1801)

56
Have students position themselves in front of one of the artworks and write down
their initial reactions. Students will then look at the image for a second time and write
down 10-15 different words that would sum up their reaction in its entirety. The words
should not be complete sentences, but rather words that focus on description and the
senses in order to tell the story of the artwork. For example, for The Fighting Temeraire
some words might be fire, burn, ship, lightAfter the students have completed their list
of words, repeat the activity for the remaining three images.
The following guiding questions may prove useful in order to encourage authentic
student interpretations:
How does this painting make you feel?
What message is the artist trying to convey?
If you stepped inside of this painting what would it feel like? Smell like? Sound like?
If there are people in the painting, what are they doing? What are they thinking?
As a class, discuss the overall theme that resonates from these 4 images, and discuss
student-selected words. The following guiding questions may be useful for class
discussion:
What made you choose that word? Did anyone else choose that word?
What else is associated with that word (especially in modern day)?
Do we have darkness in your life?
Students will then look at their words as a separate body of work, no longer connected
to the famous image they previously looked at. Students will be invited to choose a set of
words from one painting that appealed to them the most, and transform their list of words
into a short poem using as many of their 10-15 words as possible, and adding additional
words to establish poetic flow when needed.
Once their poem is complete, students will then respond to their own poem through
collage. Remind students that their collage does not have to literally depict the message
of their poem, but rather the collage should capture some essence also expressed in their
poem. Have students display their final collage alongside of their poems.
Information about the paintings and artists:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/romanticism/englandconstable-turner/a/turner-the-fighting-temeraire
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/coalbrookdale-by-night-179866
http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/WAGMU_OP631/
http://www.germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=1312
More on collage:
http://arthistory.about.com/od/glossary_c/a/c_collage.htm
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Visualizing the Industrial Revolution: Abstract Expressionism and the

Poems of William Blake
Grade 9/10
Although a time of global progress, the advances of the Industrial Revolution were
only made possible by the many hardships endured by factory workers, child labourers,
and the public as a whole. With hardships come an expression of emotion whether it is
sadness, anger, denial, or even utter defeat. Emotions play a major role in students lives,
and therefore provide an appropriate theme for artistic expression and, furthermore, can
as a vehicle for forging personal connections with the Industrial Revolution.
William Blakes London provides a glimpse into the life of the London streets
isolated, fear-filled, and plagued with tears. As a romantic poet, Blake recognizes that the
great changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution are wreaking havoc on society. He
explains that humankind is distanced from nature, isolated, dehumanized as a sort of
machine, and is ultimately suffering. In London Blake introduces his readers to the
corruption of humanity by walking his readers through a typical London street that has
fallen victim to the Industrial Revolution. The poems iambic meter mimics the
mechanical hum echoed through the citys streets such as the repeated banging of the
workers hammers, which seeps into our senses and transports us into the poem itself.
The vocals of the meter are reinforced by the auditory word choice throughout the poem
itself such as cry, voice, and hear.
Looking to the Abstract Expressionists as inspiration, students will respond to Blakes
poem through abstract paintings. Students will learn to respond to a text by creating
visuals for an abstract concept such as emotion.
58
London by William Blake

I wander through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does
flow,
A mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every man,
In every infants cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear:
How the chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackening church appals,
And the hapless soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down palace-walls.
But most, through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful harlots curse
Blasts the new-born infants tear,
And blights with plagues the marriage
hearse.
Activity
Opening discussion:
How can we tell what a person is
feeling?
What affects our emotions? (people,
music, places, etc.)
What do these emotions looks like?
Introduce class to Abstract
Expressionist artists Willem De Kooning
and Franz Kline. As a class, how their
artworks tend to exude a specific
emotion. Prompt discussion when
needed: How do you think the artist was
feeling when he was painting this piece?
Happy? Sad? Angry? What elements of
the painting make you think that? If
students are experiencing difficulty,
encourage students to take note of colour
choices and line quality dark colours
are more likely to depict an angry or sad
tone, while light or bright colours tend to
depict happiness. The following artworks
work well for this activity:
59
Willem De Kooning:
Woman V (1952-1953)
Pink Angels (1945)
Attic (1949)
Gotham News (1955)
Franz Kline:
Painting Number 2 (1954)
Black Reflection (1956)
Read London aloud to the class and have students create a visual response to the poem
with oil pastel or acrylic paint on cardstock. Read the poem aloud a few times and
encourage student reaction with a few questions:
If you could imagine this poem was an abstract expressionist painting, what
would it look like?
What is the poets message?
If you were inside this poem, visually depict what your surroundings look like?
Is it sunny and warm? Is it cold and dark?
Have students display their finished pieces and present their depictions to the class what
did the poem mean to you?
Abstract Expressionism: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/abex/hd_abex.htm
Willem De Kooning: http://www.theartstory.org/artist-de-kooning-willem.htm
Franz Kline: http://www.theartstory.org/artist-kline-franz-artworks.htm#pnt_5
William
Blake:
http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/william-blake/songsinnocence-and-experience/songs-experience-london
60
Helpful Websites and Resources

A list of websites and resources that were useful for us, and can be useful for
you and students too!
BOOKS:
Teaching with Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach by Sam M. Intrator
(2003)
Leading from Within: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Lead by Sam M. Intrator
(2007)
WEBSITES:
http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/IndustrialRevolution/Ti
meline.html
http://www.quora.com/What-major-influence-did-the-Industrial-Revolution-have-on-art
Multigenre: An Introduction http://writing.colostate.edu/gallery/multigenre/introduction.htm
61
Multi-genre Project
A possible final project
Multi-genre Project
A multi-genre project (MGP) allows students to explore a theme and create
multiple genres to be used as evidence of learning. Because of the varied options for
representation, and the fact that there is choice, makes this type of project inherently
differentiated. After exploring a theme in any given unit, the multi-genre project acts as a
great final, summative assessment piece.
Students will create 3-5 artifacts for their MGP, with a writing piece for at least one
of the artifacts . Before getting started with the projects, they will write a proposal that
outlines the themes or ideas they will cover, what genres they will choose, and a short
rationale for each artifact. Proposals have to be approved by the teacher.
Students should be shown examples of multi-genre projects, and they should also
be given a list of possible genres they can work with.
A Brief List of Genres:
Journal Entries
Personal Letter
Greeting Card
Schedule/Things to Do List
Inner Monologue Representing Internal Conflicts
Classified or Personal Ads
Personal Essay or Philosophical Questions
Top Ten List/Glossary or Dictionary
Poetry
Song Lyrics
Autobiographical Essay
Contest Entry Application
Business Letter or Correspondence/Persuasive or Advocacy Letter
Biographical Summary
Critique of a Published Source
Speech or Debate
Historical Times Context Essay
Textbook Article
Science Article or Report/Business Article or Report
Lesson Plan
Encyclopedia Article
Short Scene from a Play with Notes for Stage Directions
Short Scene from a Movie with Notes for Camera Shots
Dialogue of a Conversation among Two or More People
Short Story
Adventure Magazine Story
62
Ghost Story
Myth, Tall Tale, or Fairy Tale
Talk Show Interview or Panel
Recipe and Description of Traditional Holiday Events
Classroom Discussion
Character Analysis or Case Study
Comedy Routine or Parody
Liner Notes
Picture book
Chart or Diagram with Explanation and Analysis
Brochure or Newsletter
Time Line or Chain of Events
Map with Explanation and Analysis
Magazine or TV Advertisement or Infomercial
Restaurant Description and Menu
Travel Brochure Description
How-To or Directions Booklet
Receipts, Applications, Deeds, Budgets or Other Documents
Wedding, Graduation or Special Event Invitation
Birth Certificate
Local News Report
Pop-Up book
Review and Poster for a Movie, Book, or TV Program
Board Game or Trivial Pursuit with Answers and Rules
Comic Strip or Graphic Novel excerpt
Power Point Presentation
Informational Video
Web Site
Future News Story
Letter to the Editor
Newspaper or Magazine Feature/Human Interest Story
Obituary, Eulogy or Tribute
News Program Story or Announcement
Tabloid Article
Rubric
The following is an example rubric that can be used when assessing MGPs.
63
64
With this website resource, sharing student work is simple. We will take photos of the
MGPs our students create and add it to the student work page. These can be used as
models for your students. If you want to collaborate, we can add a 'Student Work' page
for you to show off what your students have done!
65
Other Artists and Poets

Other relevant artists and poets that could be explored in this unit
English Romantic Painters

William Blake
Richard Parkes Bonington
Edward Calvert
John Constable
John Robert Cozens
George Dawe
Alfred East
Arthur Elsley
Charles Gough
William Lee Hankey
James Johnson
Thomas Lawrence
Frederick Richard Lee
John Lee
Edwin Long
Samuel Palmer
James Baker Pyne
Edward Villiers Rippingille
J.M.W. Turner
William West
English Romantic Poets

William Blake
George Gordon Byron
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
William Wordsworth
John Keats
Mary Robinson
Hannah Moore
Irish Romantic Poets
Thomas Moore
Scottish Romantic Poets
Robert Burns
Joanna Baillie
Walter Scott
James Macpherson
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/mypaintings/IndustryandEmp
ire/my-collection#/3
66
Sources
(Bibliography)
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/romanticism/englandconstable-turner/a/turner-the-fighting-temeraire
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/coalbrookdale-by-night-179866
http://blackcountryhistory.org/collections/getrecord/WAGMU_OP631/
http://www.germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_image.cfm?image_id=1312
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/mypaintings/IndustryandEmpire/mycollection#/3
http://www.britannica.com/art/Romanticism
http://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-reasons-poetry-needed-schools-elena-aguilar
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-arts-integration-reform-overview
https://quizlet.com/15741604/industrial-revolution-vocabulary-list-flash-cards/
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng372/intro-h4.htm
http://www.quora.com/What-major-influence-did-the-Industrial-Revolution-have-on-art
http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/IndustrialRevolution/Ti
meline.html
https://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/curric/englangartshs.pdf
https://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/curric/ModernHistory111-112-113.pdf
http://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/curric/grade9-10musiccurriculum.pdf
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/cross-curricular-teaching-deeper-learning-ben-johnson
http://archive.artsmia.org/world-myths/viewallart/nebuchad_background.html
http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/IndustrialRevolution/workingconditions.htm#.VaFGF1
9Viko
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/percy-bysshe-shelley
67
2015

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Examining the Industrial

Revolution through the Arts

Social Studies Curricular Outcomes

English Language Arts Curricular Outcomes

Visual Arts Curricular Outcomes

Resources: Introducing the Industrial Revolution

Although this cross-curricular resource focuses on the Industrial Revolution, the

Important developments in transportation and communication, including the steam

Adapted from: http://www.britannica.com/art/Romanticism

1694 First Central Bank established in England

1905 236 million tons of coal mined in Great Britain.

Industrial Revolution: the transformation from an agricultural to an industrial nation

Trade Union: an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer

Factory: a plant consisting of buildings with facilities for manufacturing

In the Social Studies classroom, it is effortless to focus on teaching historical

Social Studies Activities

"My dear a raw country girl, such as you be,

Living Conditions: A focus on Class Division

Social Studies Activities

Then naked & white, all their bags left behind,

The Plight of "Climbing Boys" (1818) (primary source document)

Working Conditions - Labors as Commodities

(Iron and Coal By William Bell Scott)

English Language Arts

English Language Arts Activities

Paying Homage to the Landscape

between an object and the

English Language Arts Activities

The Worker's Plight

A Song: "Men of England"

Structure of the Poem

What is the poem trying to make you believe/think?

Visual Arts Activities

Personified Planet: William Blake and Surrealistic Response

Earth's Answer by William Blake

In tune with Nature: Art En Plein Air

(Left) Uncontrolled Garden. (Right) Highly groomed, controlled garden.

Visual Arts Activities

Picturing Poetry: Responding to Imagery through Poetry and Mixed

Visualizing the Industrial Revolution: Abstract Expressionism and the

London by William Blake

What is the poets message?

Helpful Websites and Resources

Other Artists and Poets

English Romantic Painters

English Romantic Poets

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