The Working Class
Driving Question: How did workers respond to the conditions of industrial life?
In this lesson, you’ll explore what life was like for the growing working class, how people responded to harsh conditions, and how new ideas like socialism emerged to challenge industrial capitalism.
Learning Objectives:
- Use evidence to understand the impact of new economic theories and the modern system of social classes.
- Use a graphic biography to support, extend, or challenge the overarching narratives from this period.
Vocab Terms:
Start by examining how social and economic hierarchies shifted over time. These images will help you think about how industrialization changed who held power, and how workers responded to their place in society.
Pyramids of Capitalism
The Assembly Line Simulation is a great hands-on activity. Be sure to read the instructions ahead of time in the Lesson Guide. You’ll need multicolored paper, markers, scissors, and tape. Be sure to print off the individual worksheets (optional) and Factory Team worksheets ahead of time.
This simulation is the sort of activity that students remember because it’s very hands-on. In your debrief, ask students why workers accepted these sorts of conditions and demands. It’s a great way to embed long-term learning.
These materials show how industrialization changed both factory work and social class structure, helping us understand the growing divide between groups.
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Guiding Questions
Did you know? Proletariat comes from the Roman Empire term that referred to people who were too poor for military service and whose main social contribution was producing children for the state. By the nineteenth century, scholars had begun applying the term to the working class, and Marx popularized its usage for wage laborers with little property.
These materials show how the working class rose up to challenge the problems created by capitalism, and how thinkers like Marx imagined a different future.
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
Looking to include more women in history class? “How Do You Include Women in the Story?” is full of ideas from the OER Project teacher community!
To wrap up this lesson, you'll take a closer look at one worker’s experience during industrialization. Ottilie Baader’s story gives a personal view of how factory life inspired new demands for rights, dignity, and reform.
Explore capitalism and socialism through a fast-paced classroom game. As you play through different rounds, you’ll see how resources get distributed and reflect on how those systems connect to the social and political movements of the industrial era.
These materials bring you face-to-face with the lived experiences of working-class people during industrialization. Through firsthand stories, you'll explore how class and gender shaped daily life—and why these realities led many to demand reform.
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
a political or economic theory in which community members own all property, resources, and the means of production, and control the distribution of goods
Individuals who think community members should own and control property, production, and distribution subscribe to socialism.