Students learn how industrialization and agriculture shaped the Southern economy, examining how new technology increased production, expanded cotton’s importance, and deepened the connection between economic growth and slavery during the early Industrial Revolution.
Students view an image of raw cotton and read a brief introduction explaining what cotton is and how it has been used over time. They respond to a class wall prompt by describing one everyday item they use that is made of or contains cotton and explaining how their life would be different without it. Students then read an overview of the experience that previews how they will study industrialization, cotton, and slavery in the Southern economy and review the lesson objectives.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience by summarizing how industrialization and agriculture shaped the Southern economy and reviewing key vocabulary. Facilitate a discussion using students’ wall responses to highlight how common cotton-based items are and what this suggests about cotton’s historical importance. Prompt students to recall prior learning about industrialization and inventions related to cotton, such as the cotton gin, to activate background knowledge and set up later scenes. Clearly state the objectives so students understand the focus on economic change and the connection between cotton production and enslaved labor.
Students read Early Industrialization and the Southern Economy to learn how emerging industries, technologies, and changes in labor and transportation began to reshape production and trade in the South while agriculture remained central. They then complete two drag-and-drop matching activities: one matching types of early Southern industries to the goods they produced, and another matching key factors to their roles in changing how goods were made and moved.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene by explaining that students will examine how industrialization influenced the South without fully replacing agriculture. After students finish the reading and matching tasks, lead a whole-class discussion that connects patterns they noticed. Ask questions such as: How do these examples show both continuity and change in the Southern economy? and In what ways did new industries depend on older systems already in place? Encourage students to cite evidence from the text and activities to describe how industrial growth added new layers to an existing agricultural economy.
Students examine how cotton and slavery expanded together during the Industrial Revolution. They explore the interactive maps on The Spread of Cotton and Slavery by clicking through the timeline to see how cotton cultivation and enslaved labor spread across the South, then watch the video The Cotton Gin - an Infamous Invention to understand how this technology accelerated that growth. Students post to a discussion wall explaining conclusions they can draw about the relationship between slavery and cotton. Next, they read The Cotton Economy in the South to analyze what stayed the same and what changed in Southern production and trade, and they complete a graphic organizer that records continuity (what stayed the same) and change (what changed) in how goods were made and produced in the South during the Industrial Revolution.
Teacher MovesBegin by emphasizing that this scene focuses on how cotton and slavery became tightly interconnected in shaping the Southern economy. After students contribute to the discussion wall, highlight responses that recognize the parallel spread of cotton and slavery and use the maps and video to draw out observations about how both expanded over time. Ask: What do you notice about how cotton and slavery grew together? and What made it possible for both to grow so quickly at the same time? Guide students to identify the cotton gin as a key factor. Once students complete the graphic organizer, facilitate a discussion about why some aspects of Southern production changed while others remained the same. Prompt them with questions such as: Why did new machines and industries develop in some areas and not others? and Why did plantation farming and enslaved labor continue? Encourage students to use examples from all three sources to explain how economic goals and profit shaped both continuity and change.
Students extend their learning by connecting the transatlantic slave trade to the internal slave trade within the United States. They first read a brief description of the Second Middle Passage, then contribute prior knowledge about the First Middle Passage to a shared class chart, adding non-duplicative facts and details. Next, they watch the video The Second Middle Passage and use information from the class chart and the video to complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the First Middle Passage and the Second Middle Passage in terms of purpose, conditions, routes, and the experiences of enslaved people.
Teacher MovesExplain that this optional extension helps students apply their understanding of slavery and economic change in a new context. After students add to the class chart, prompt them to recall key details about the First Middle Passage by asking who was taken, from where to where, why the trade expanded, and what conditions were like on the journey. Once students complete the Venn diagram, review their comparisons and lead a discussion focused on continuity and change in slavery over time. Ask: What do these comparisons show about how the institution of slavery stayed the same? What do they show about how it changed? Press students to use evidence from the chart and video to explain how forced movement, labor, and systems of control persisted even as locations, purposes, and conditions shifted.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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