Experiencing the Industrial Revolution

Eighth graders at Saklan are bringing history to life through an immersive exploration of the Industrial Revolution and its impact on American society in the early 20th century.

As part of their studies, students have been examining how rapid technological and social changes transformed the way people lived and worked. They learned how home-based craftsmanship gave way to factory systems, where workers performed repetitive tasks on assembly lines, each contributing a small but essential part to a larger process.

To deepen their understanding, the Humanities classroom was transformed into a bustling factory floor. Students took on the roles of assembly-line workers for the fictional “Get In Line Skating Company,” mass-producing inline roller skates. Each student was assigned a specific task: cutting out right or left boots and blades, assembling pieces with glue or tape, or adding color to the finished product.

Just like in real factories of the time, efficiency and quality were key. Each pair of skates had to pass a final inspection, and any that didn’t meet the standard were sent back down the line. Students also experienced the physical demands of factory work; they were required to remain standing and continuously engaged throughout the 40-minute production period.

In a moment that captured the tensions of the era, the simulation took an unexpected turn when a spontaneous “wildcat strike” broke out. Despite posted warnings discouraging unions, several student workers halted production, with some even lying down on the factory floor in protest. One student called for higher wages, echoing the real labor struggles faced by workers during this time.

Although production temporarily stopped, the class ultimately produced 37 pairs of roller skates. Following some negotiation and a boost in morale, students completed their work and proudly displayed their finished products in the Humanities Room.

This hands-on experience gave students a deeper, more personal understanding of the realities of factory life during the Industrial Revolution—highlighting not only the efficiencies of mass production, but also the human cost and the importance of workers’ voices.

#SaklanHandsOn