People and nature are interdependent with one another.  Our actions have intended and unintended consequences on the health of the natural systems upon which our lives and all life depends

Industry and the Watershed

Brainstorm meanings/definitions for “Industrial” and for “Revolution.” Put the words together and discuss what the Industrial Revolution was and why it was called a Revolution.

Watch: YouTube: Industrial Revolution (20 Minutes) or World History Crash Course: Industrial Revolution (11 minutes). (Crash Course Videos are narrated by a fast talker…If you use the Crash Course and you have ESL students, slow down the YouTube video and make use of the subtitles.)

Use all or selected parts from the following poems from Beth Kephart’s Flow: The Life and Time of Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River “Anthracite”, “Ooze”, “Suppurating”. Poems are linked in the materials menu.

Industrial Evolution and Environmental Devolution

EXAMINE THE HISTORICAL RECORD OF POLLUTION

In this activity, students use multiple sources of information to analyze the levels of pollution and the sources of pollution in the Schuylkill River in the late 1800s. There are a wide variety of maps that can be used alongside data collected for students to use to analyze what was happening.

On the slide deck are links to the primary source documents that detail the Schuylkill River water over the course of many years. The goal here is to have students draw some conclusions about how industrial development was impacting the water quality in the main source of drinking water in Philadelphia.

Choose the documents that you feel would work best with your students and your instructional plan.

When using the Ward maps of Manayunk 1892  they may notice that most of the unusual vocabulary has to do with dyeing and that Manayunk was a center for textile factories. For pictures of textile factories, click here.

ROLE PLAY AND DEBATE

Students can role play a debate concerning the merits of an upstream water supply and whether manufacturers should be prohibited from dumping waste into the Schuylkill between Norristown and Fairmount.

Assign role playing cards of factory owner, citizenry, water committee and factory worker. Role playing cards also include points to help students construct their arguments based on the perspective of their role in the debate. Primary source court documents are also linked in the slide deck to help students use key ideas and details in their presentations. Materials and resources for the debate are linked in the materials menu and student materials.

The students may want to know “Who Won?”  The Business people “won.” The law was not passed.

Compare and Contrast Land Use and Stream Morphology

Provide copies of Adam Levine’s Historical Overview of Creeks to Sewers.

Have students engage in a close reading of the text. Read Robert Frost’s “A Brook in the City”  and discuss evidence that this poem was written as a reaction to creeks turning into sewers.