Hitchcock versus Shaker Chairs: Artifacts to Teach about the Rise and Rejection of Industrialism in the Young Republic

Students in elementary gifted class use discovery to learn about life in industrial New England. Taking multiple days to analyze this topic, students use artifacts (chairs), discussion, and primary sources to explore the politics of the 1830s. They examine the workings of Hitchcockville, Connecticut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe International journal of social education Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 1 - 22
Main Author Morris, Ronald Vaughan
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published International Journal of Social Education 2008
Subjects
Academically Gifted
Comparative Analysis
Connecticut
Discovery Learning
Elementary School Students
Evidence
Furniture
Grade 4
Holistic Approach
Industrial Structure
Industrialization
Massachusetts
Natural Resources
New England
Primary Sources
Rejection (Psychology)
United States History
Massachusetts
Connecticut
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Summary:Students in elementary gifted class use discovery to learn about life in industrial New England. Taking multiple days to analyze this topic, students use artifacts (chairs), discussion, and primary sources to explore the politics of the 1830s. They examine the workings of Hitchcockville, Connecticut, and a Massachusetts Shaker colony. Students must use evidence to see the rise of industrialism and the reactions society had to it; the chairs reflect the geography, history, economics, and politics of the Age of Jackson. Students examine a parallel Shaker community that lived and worshipped together--people who rejected the industrial age and attempted to insulate themselves from the problems of the age. During this process gifted students unite in examining two artifacts and make discipline connections demonstrating the interrelatedness of the content. The artifacts or cultural materials are dependent upon student interpretation through critical thinking. This article discusses how artifacts can be used to teach about the rise and rejection of industrialism in the young republic. Gifted students find using artifacts important because it allows them to make connections between physical objects and ideas. They can think about these ideas to make evaluations when they compare two cultures. The reactions of the two groups to the Industrial Revolution give students opportunities to critically examine unrestrained capitalism. (Contains 9 online resources and 12 notes.)
ISSN:0889-0293