human progress lesson

Centers of Progress: Manchester

In this lesson, you’ll learn about the city of Manchester, England, the first center of textile production in Great Britain as well as how industrialization there helped spark a revolution in living standards over the past 200 years.

By Sean Kinnard

Published

Topics
Tags

Centers of Progress

14-part unit
  • A man, two women, and a little girl talking
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 37: Dubrovnik

    Dubrovnik is a beautiful walled city on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, once home to one of the freest and most cosmopolitan societies in Europe and one of the first societies to implement comprehensive public health measures to contain disease.

  • Ships on the ocean coastline
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 36: Seville

    Today we know Seville as the sunny capital of the region of Andalusia, but during the century following the Iberian conquest of America, Seville was one of the most important cities in Europe.

  • Two men playing Mesoamerican Ball Game
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 6: Chichen Itza

    In this lesson, you will learn about Chichen Itza—a sprawling ruined city in the Yucatán Peninsula in modern Mexico—and the oldest continuously played ball sport in the world variously called Pok‐​A‐​Tok, Ulama, or simply, the Ball Game.

  • Two women purchasing fish from a man
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 16: Amsterdam

    In this lesson, you’ll learn about how a unique set of cultural values that emphasized openness and tolerance helped lead Amsterdam to the pinnacle of European commercial success during the Dutch Golden Age

  • Two women tending to crops
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 1: Jericho

    Why did our ancestors turn their backs on a nomadic way of life that was thousands of years old? Why did people begin to live in farming communities about 10,000 years ago? This article answers those questions by discussing the history of Jericho—the world’s oldest city and possibly the birthplace of agriculture.

  • A royal man and woman drinking in front of the Taj Mahal
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 35: Agra

    In this lesson, students will learn about the Mughal Empire and its rulers by exploring the theme of monumental architecture. They will also have the opportunity to research other “new wonders of the world” and examine their own beliefs about memorials in contemporary society.

  • Three intellects sitting in an office having a conversation
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 18: Edinburgh

    In this article, Chelsea Follett describes why the small university city of Edinburgh, Scotland, was such an important intellectual center in the Enlightenment.

  • Two men and a teenager looking over a newspaper
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 15: Mainz

    In this lesson, students will learn about the city of Mainz, Germany and the man responsible for Europe’s rapid adoption of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg.

  • Computer code overlapping people walking in the street
    Your Life in Numbers

    In this lesson, you’ll learn how these measures have changed during your lifetime and compare your results with people in other countries.

  • three women standing in a circle holding a long sheet of paper
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 10: Chang’an

    In this lesson, you’ll learn how the Silk Road greatly expanded the international flow of goods and ideas and how Chang’an both benefited from and contributed to that exchange.

  • An illustration of a woman working on a loom.
    Centers of Progress: Manchester

    In this lesson, you’ll learn about the city of Manchester, England, the first center of textile production in Great Britain as well as how industrialization there helped spark a revolution in living standards over the past 200 years.

  • Clock turning to dust in hand
    Your Life in Numbers: Student Work Document

    Interpret interactive, data‐​driven tools, and compare and contrast international results to make inferences and draw conclusions about changes and improvements over time in the quality of life: locally, regionally, and globally, and more.

Download

As the quintessential industrial city, there is no doubt that Manchester earned its nickname, ‘the workshop of the world’.

— Chelsea Follett

“As the quintessential industrial city, there is no doubt that Manchester earned its nickname, ‘the workshop of the world,’” writes Chelsea Follett in the 22nd article in the series about cities that have shaped our world. In this lesson, you’ll learn about the city of Manchester, England, the first center of textile production in Great Britain as well as how industrialization there helped spark a revolution in living standards over the past 200 years.

Warm‐​Up

What do you know about the Industrial Revolution?

Use this graphic organizer to make a K/W/L chart. Fill the left column with everything you know about the Industrial Revolution. In the middle column, write what you want to know and any questions you may have. Leave the right column empty for now.

Next, watch this video to learn more.

Afterward, add what you learned about the Industrial Revolution to the right column on your K/W/L chart. What are three things you learned about the Industrial Revolution that you didn’t know before? You may also add questions to the middle column: Now that you have some more information, what other questions do you have about the Industrial Revolution?

Questions for Reading, Writing, and Discussion

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

  • Recognize cause and effect. According to the article, what was the pivotal moment of the Industrial Revolution—the key innovation that allowed the spinning and weaving of textiles at a much greater speed?
  • Use prior knowledge. Why did so many British workers leave the countryside to seek factory work in cities like Manchester despite the difficult industrial working conditions?
  • Describe change over time. How had Manchester evolved by 1850? Cite at least three pieces of evidence from the article that show the transformation of the city between from 1760–1850.
  • Evaluate a source. Compare the points of view of two of the primary sources cited in the article: the description of Manchester by British civil servant Johann May, and the depiction of urban living conditions by communist writer Friedrich Engels. How did each writer’s perspective shape their choice of subject matter and their descriptions of what they saw in Manchester?
  • Study the hockey‐​stick chart. In your opinion, what have been some of the greatest benefits that we enjoy now compared to those living in pre‐​industrial societies? Give evidence from the chart and the article to support your argument.
  • The author, Chelsea Follett writes, “Ironically, Marx and Engels’ goals of shorter work‐​days and higher incomes have been achieved within a market economy.” How have industrialized societies been able to achieve these goals? And why did Communist governments fail to do so?
  • What else have you learned about the Industrial Revolution that you can add to the right column of your K/W/L chart?

Activity Extension/​Homework

Go to YouTube. Search for an appropriate video about one of the key themes or terms in the article. For example, Manchester, spinning jenny, water frame, spinning mule, or hockeystick chart. Copy the share link.

Go to Edpuzzle. Sign up for an account if you don’t have one. Paste the video’s share link in the “Search content…” field. Click Edit > Questions. Insert at least three questions during the video. The questions may be multiple‐​choice or open‐​ended. Then insert at least one note as well. Click Finish.

Share your Edpuzzle video with your teacher and classmates by clicking “Share preview.”

Note: In a future lesson or for additional homework/​extension activity, you may wish to have partners share their Edpuzzle videos and/​or assign student Edpuzzle videos to the class.