My students learn about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire during our Immigration, Urbanization, Industrialization, and Progressivism unit. Although students agree that the fire was tragic, the full impact of the event is often lost on them. Using resources like the fire insurance advertisement, the pictures of women at work and on strike, and (if I can afford it) an actual shirtwaist may bring this tragedy to light. Especially if students learn about the settlement agreement that was reached between the workers' families and the company.

After learning about this event, I can also encourage students to investigate the mass produced clothing that they wear today. I can have students look on their tag and see where their shirts, shoes, and pants are made, the working conditions in those countries, the pay for those workers, and the labor laws of the nation where their clothing was made. Students can then discuss the cost-benefit of using mass produced items, and determine if the working conditions of the clothing they wear is worth the price of the shirts they buy.

Students use processed foods everyday, and struggle to understand a time when dinner did not come from a package. When discussing war materials, students know that all soldiers need food to win a war. However, students do not often think about the journey that that food needs to take to get to the front.

One way to get students thinking about logistics is to have them go through the process themselves. As part of a stations activity, students could be given the materials needed to produce a fresh cup of coffee for a soldier in the field (water, beans, grinder, camp coffee pot, cup, and a picture of a fire) and the materials needed for an instant cup of coffee (powder, water, cup). Student could take on the role of a quartermaster, examine the pros/cons of each type of coffee, and determine which type of coffee should be sent to soldiers overseas. Students would then write a recommendation to their supervisor about which coffee should be used and why. Students could then watch the videos shown in this module, explaining the rise of the processed foods that they know and use today. Taste tests may be optional.

The American Midwest is often referred to as "America's Breadbasket." While students take that idea at face value, many do not know how the grain from the Midwest gets from the farm to their table. In my Westward Expansion unit, we discuss different technologies that allowed farmers to settle in the Great Plains. Students could roleplay a farmer in the Midwest, and be given the choice of either using hand tools (by hiring more workers) or using machines (with fewer workers). Students could then discuss the pros and cons of using each method. Then, students can discuss where their grain should be sent and why. As students trace their grain from their farm to their table, hopefully they will see how much work must be done behind the scenes to support our nation's population.

When asked what is needed to fight and win a war, students can often list various items like guns, armor, bullets, food, and bandages. However, students do not often consider the logistics behind gathering those materials. Additionally, students often forget that these war materials cost money and that money has to come from somewhere. When studying a major U.S. War (Civil War, Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, etc), students can roleplay as members of the U.S. Government. Not only will students have to list the items needed to win a war, but they will also have to consider where those items come from. Students will need to use math to figure out how much it will cost to feed, clothe, transport, and protect soldiers at war. Then, students will have to brainstorm how to come up with that money. After completing their roleplay, students can study the role of the federal government in times of war -- how the U.S. government raised money and supplies and the effects of those efforts on the American people.