A Google Chat with MOSI

Last week, I was able to speak with the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, England via Google video chat. We spoke with Jamie, a museum curator, who showed us many of the industrial-era machines and described how they were used. To prepare for this, in class we did some looking around on the MOSI website to learn more about the machines they had. We also learned about some of the terms used in the mills, such as carding, slubbing, and roving. We then wrote down some questions that we wanted to ask Jamie in our notes for the chat.
     During the chat, Jamie described to us the textile process in the mills. It was a very dangerous and unsanitary process, but there was no faster way of making cloth at the time. The wool was cleaned, straightened, combined into slivers of cloth, twisted, and finally weaved into usable cloth. The new inventions of machines helped this process. They made producing cloth faster and cheaper. One of these machines was the Arkwright Waterframe, which was a water powered machine that made producing cotton even faster. Another was the carding engine, which sorted and cleaned the fibers into strands that could then be made into cloth. These machines were faster, but dangerous. People could have legs broken, limbs lost, and even killed. One person was chopped in half by a machine.
     Discussing the Industrial Revolution with an outside expert greatly widened my knowledge of this topic. I enjoyed speaking with Jamie about this topic. I think it would be fun to speak with him or another expert on topics throughout the year.

Here is a picture of Jamie from the MOSI:

The Industrial Museum

 For our first class project we constructed posters about an aspect of the industrial revolution. We were given about five different documents relating to the topic, and we had to analyze them and take notes. We had to make a "museum exhibit" and we had to be the curators. The analysis process is important for being a curator so that you understand the topic, its setting, viewpoint, and details. Our exhibit, shown to the left, is about the railroad and steamboat. We were given a diagram of the steam engine, which powered both methods of transportation by boiling water to turn motors. Our second source was a picture of workers cutting a path through the mountain and laying railroad tracks. Another source was a map of England, and highlighted regions that produced either coal, clot, or metal. The map also had lines showing major railroads and canals across England. We were also given two poems of opposite perspectives on the growing railroad industry, one supporting it, the other opposing it. A letter from Robert Fulton describing the steam boat, and how it can achieve speeds of 5mph. Our final source was a timeline of the progression of canals and railroads in England. We also came up with the title of our poster "All Aboard" because of the growing transportation industry. We hoped that it would draw attention to the exhibit and that people would learn how transportation evolved throughout the industrial revolution.

Other posters were based on different aspects of the industrial revolution. One of the topics was child labor. The children were chained and put in mines to do adult labor so they could help their family. Another was about the poor living conditions after factories and mills were made. Pollution started becoming an issue and people working there lived in squalor. There was also an exhibit about the new machines in the industrial ear. These increased production of wool in mills like the Spinning Jenny and the Power Loom.

A Step towards the Industrial Era

The Industrial Revolution was one of the most innovative times in history. Population was increasing greatly, production was expanded while manual labor was reduced. Transportation was faster, and an increased life expectancy. But what made this time period so "revolutionary"?
     In class we discussed this and split up into groups. Each group studied a different aspect of what made the Industrial Revolution what it was.
     One of the leading factors was a change in population. The Dutch combined small fields into large ones to increase crop yield, and used fertilizer to renew the soil. This led to more food, which led to people not dying of famine. The death rates declined, and families were healthier and could work more efficiently. Also, with the population boom, less people had to work.
     Another revolutionary concept was the development of new modes of transportation. Specifically, the railroad and canals. This allowed people to move larger amounts of products faster and easier over land and water.Railroads were built across countries and were widespread by 1870. Steam boats were also built and did not rely on the wind. They were able to carry much larger cargo loads and could travel at speeds up to 5mph.



A steam engine-powered industrial era locomotive, a brand new method of transportation.

Image URL:http://www.industrialrevolutionresearch.com/industrial_revolution_steam_engine.php

Great Teachers

Teachers play a big role in school. They lead your class and make sure you learn what you're supposed to and succeed. That's their job. But what makes a teacher great is when they do more than that. They learn the student's personalities and interact with them. They make the class fun. One of those classes that you see on your schedule and you can't wait to get to it, and that's the high point of your day. One of my favorite teacher's was Ms. Bailey. She was very lively and just a fun person in general. She taught us history in an entertaining way, and I feel like that helped me learn. Have a fun time with the students, throw a couple of jokes in or spark up an interesting conversation on world events or a debate or  whatever suits your fancy. School shouldn't just be black-and-white learning. I'm not saying just talk and don't learn anything. Still teach, but have fun with it.
     Students are the other half of the role in school. They learn the subject and how to do it and how to apply it to the real world. John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars but also the Crash Course videos posted a video to students telling them that the reason they go to school is not just to sit there for 7 hours and learn, but to set them on a path to improve the world. I'm taking an Intro to Engineering class this year so I can become some type of Engineer and contribute back to the world.
It's not just the teachers job in school but also the students to apply what they learn back into the world once they graduate and contribute back to society.

A Guide to Media Literacy and Internet Searching

The internet can be a pretty tricky place. Especially when you are searching for something specific. You have to always make sure that the website is safe and not trying to steal information or that it has credible and correct information. The class activities that we practiced helped make us aware of the do's and do-not's.
One of these activities was a Google a day, a website run by Google where they ask a question, and you have to figure out the answer to this question by doing a series of Google searches. Its quite fun and entertaining, as the questions are odd and not known to the common individual. But some questions are harder than others and it can get a bit frustrating. And when you solve the puzzle you get that feeling of accomplishment, but it also teaches you to search for a more specific topic, using keywords from the question in your search to narrow down the results.
A Google A Day can be found at this website: http://www.agoogleaday.com/#game=started
Another site used to benefit our internet searching abilities was the website for the "Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus". This site was used to validate reliable sources. It helps define Accuracy, Authenticity, and Reliability. Accuracy is how precise the information is. Authenticity is if the information isn't just copied from another website and Reliability is if you can trust the person telling you this information. Now, the website for the tree octopus clearly does not fit any of those qualifications, and thus could not be used as a reliable source. This author does not provide sufficient evidence that he can be trusted, as the picture of him is a sketch. Also, the information is not remotely accurate, as the octopus' natural predator is apparently the Sasquatch. Also, there is no creature called the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, which is a big giveaway. This website can be used as a model for websites that you shouldn't use. Make sure that the website is valid before you get your information from it.
The website for the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus can be found here: http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/