The Industrial Revolution in the United States: think and write
Grades 3–6 · Use with kidinfo.com/learn/american-history/industrial-revolution/
Name(s): Date:
- Read the KidInfo page first, then answer in full sentences.
- Use the key words where you can.
Think and write
- Explain in your own words what changed during the Industrial Revolution. Use the words 'by hand' and 'by machine.'
- Choose one invention from this page. What problem did it solve, and who did it help or harm?
- Why did the cotton gin lead to more slavery, not less?
- Imagine you are a Lowell mill worker in the 1840s. Write a short letter home describing your day.
- Look at a Lewis Hine photograph from the National Archives. What do you notice? What questions does it raise?
- List two good effects and two harmful effects of factories on American life.
- How did railroads and the telegraph change the speed of travel and news?
Key words
| Word | What it means (in your own words) |
|---|---|
| Industrial Revolution | |
| Textile | |
| Mill | |
| Interchangeable parts | |
| Telegraph | |
| Immigrant | |
| Child labor | |
| Labor union | |
| Tenement | |
| Gilded Age |
Free for home and non-commercial classroom use. Sources for every fact are listed on the web page.