Summary: In this three part lesson, students assess the revolutionizing effects of Henry Ford’s production of the Model T. In Part 1, students describe how the assembly line increased productivity and lowered production costs in the auto industry. Students also design a simple assembly line and examine its benefits and costs. In Part 2, students explain how entrepreneurs can improve productivity and explain the importance of vertical integration and human capital in auto factories. In Part 3, students analyze the impact of shifts in supply and demand in the auto market and explain how innovations in auto manufacturing impacted numerous related markets, through shifts in supply and demand.
Overarching Questions:
- ECONOMICS: How has technology (e.g., ships, canals, railroads, newspapers, telegraphs, radio, television, the internet and social media) spread ideas and influenced public opinion, the economy and/or the government? Did the changes strengthen or weaken democratic institutions?
NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:
- 6.1.12.EconEM.6.a: Determine how supply and demand influenced price and output during the Industrial Revolution.
- 6.1.12.HistoryCC.6.a: Explore factors that promoted innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrialization and determine their impact on New Jersey (i.e. Paterson Silk Strike) and the United States during this period.
- 6.1.12.EconET.8.a: Relate social, cultural, and technological changes in the interwar period to the rise of a consumer economy and the changing role and status of women.
Link to Lesson: