The Industrial Revolution, which started in Europe and quickly spread worldwide, increased production through machines and new energy sources. Daily life was fundamentally altered as people moved away from farming and countryside life and started migrating towards cities and urban areas to find work. There was a significant increase in life expectancy, free education (arguably to create a better workforce), and better wages for unskilled labor. However, workers were often exploited, which created the necessity for labor unions. The history of the Industrial Revolution is fascinating, and it still has ramifications on today’s political and cultural climate.

In America, during the turn of the twentieth century, Henry Ford introduced a novel mass production concept inspired by meat packing plants in Chicago. In these plants, animal carcasses would be moved along a conveyer belt from worker to worker, with a specific task for processing the meat. This idea, to have the product move to the worker (instead of vice versa), would allow more work to be done in a shorter time. In addition, the operator needed less skill because they only needed to know their assembly section. Previous to the assembly line, cars were costly and rare. After the assembly line, more cars were produced faster, and more workers were hired, contributing to a growing middle class in the United States.

Another significant change of the Industrial Revolution was the price of goods; supply and demand were drastically altered due to the new speed that goods could be produced. Because it was cheaper to process resources and transform them into usable goods, the supply increased, lowering prices. For cars, this meant that many more people could own them since they were cheaper, which revolutionized how Americans traveled. Workers could live in suburbs and commute, and increased mobility created the travel industry and the restaurant boom. Even though wages generally increased for those working in factories and manufacturing, working conditions were still pretty poor compared to today. The Industrial Revolution made basic and mid-level items less expensive. However, goods that required lots of expertise and craftsmanship still demanded a higher price.

In this game, the students experience the changing landscape of the workforce during the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Students will start as independent craft workers; some will transition to factory work. In contrast, others can remain independent. This game demonstrates that the assembly line dramatically changed the landscape of goods and services and the workforce.

Preparation: 

·      Lots of paper (at least a ream of paper)

·      Metal geometric insets

·      A pencil for every student

·      Lots of colored pencils or markers

Age: This simulation is best suited for upper elementary and middle school