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Unit Essential Question: What have been some of New
Hampshire's major products?
Activity Essential Question: What is (or, has been ) manufactured
in New Hampshire during the 20th century?
Grade Level: 6, 7, 8
Discipline Focus: Social Studies (History, Economics);
English; Art
M.I. Foci: Linguistic, Spatial, Interpersonal
Rationale: New Hampshire's economy has diversified during
the 20th century. This lesson will allow the children to compare
the histories of several New Hampshire businesses during this
century. It will also allow the children to understand how businesses
have changed over time and how New Hampshire's economy has changed.
At the same time, children will learn about companies that are
in New Hampshrie ( many of them local to Marlborough) and some
of the products that these companies manufacture in New Hampshire.
Background Information: With the advance of technology,
many of New Hampshire's traditional industries, such as textile
manufacturing, started to relocate to other states. Strikes and
the Great Depression also hit New Hampshire hard, with the closure
of the Amoskeag Mills in the early 1930s. Slowly, but helped along
by the World War II economic boom in the 1940s, New Hampshire's
economy started to diversify in the 20th century. Today, New Hampshire
manufactures and produces a wide variety of goods. Among the major
industries are:
- Nashua Corp., located in Nashua, makes paper, packaging, and
office products.
- Sanders Associates, located in Nashua, makes electronics and
military components.
- Monadnock Paper Mills, located in Bennington, makes high quality
paper.
- Somplex Wire and Cable, located in Portsmouth, makes high-tech
wire and cable.
- Kingsbury Machine Tool Corp, in Keene, makes precision part-making
machines.
- D.D. Bean & Sons, in Jaffrey, worlds largest manufacturer
of book matches.
- J. A. Wright & Co, in Keene, makes metal polish.
- Loon Mopuntain Rec. Corp., in the White Mountains, maintains
a major skiing area.
- Annalee Mobilitee Dolls, in Meredith, makes dolls and stuffed
animals.
- James River Corp., in Berlin, produces wood pulp for paper-making.
- Baretto Granite Corp., in Milford, produces granite from its
numerous quarries.
Objectives: After reviewing the company histories of several
corporations in New Hampshire, and doing some outside research,
students will be able to give a presentation to the class about
individual companies and the products they manufacture, with an
oral presentation and some kind of creative project.
Knowledge/Skills: Writing
Reading
Group Interaction
New Hampshire History
Public Speaking
Art
Assessment: After the groups present their projects to the
class, they will be asked to write a brief statement as to how
they feel their group worked together, and what they individually
contributed. Fifty percent of their overall grade for this project
will be their group grade (on the presentation), 50% will be individual.
Activity Procedure:
Introduction:
1. The teacher will begin by asking the class where their parents
work, and what that business produces. A brief discussion should
insue, which will also focus on what other businesses, corporations,
or factories are in the general area.
2. If possible, the teacher should have tried to accumulate a
few items produced in the local area- matches, wood, granite,
or whatever is produced in the vicinity- for the children to examine.
Body:
3. The children will be broken up into groups, using whatever
method the teacher feels is appropriate. There should be two or
three students in each group, so long as the number of groups
does not excede the number of information packets available (11
are provided).
4. The groups will draw the names of businesses that have information
packets 'out of a hat' to decide which group will study which
business. The teacher should give the information packets to the
respective groups.
5. Students will work, both inside and outside of class, to develop
a 10 minute presentation on that business. The project should
include 1) an oral presentation about the company, what it produces,
how long it has been manufacturing different items, where it is
located, how many people it employs, etc; and 2) a creative project
of some kind. This can be a drawing of the product(s) it produces,
a diarama of the factory or work environment, a short skit on
how products are made, or anything the groups wants to produce.
The creative project will also bve presented during the 10-minute
presentation.
6. One class period should be set aside for group presentations.
Groups should be asked to volunteer to go first, second, etc,
before the teacher calls on groups.
Conclusion:
7. When presentations are over, each student will be asked to
write two paragraphs, the first about what they learned from the
project and from other presentations. The second paragraph should
be about how the group worked together, and what that student's
individual contribution to the group effort. This short paper
can be assigned as homework or can be completed in class if time
allows.
Anticipated length of activity:
Introduction: 10 minutes
Groupings, drawing names: 10 minutes
Research, Creative projects: 3-4 days
Group presentations: 10 minutes each group
Writing assignments: 15 minutes
TOTAL: 5 class periods*
*NOTE: As this is is a long-term project, it is advisable to assign
groups and businesses at the beginning of one class period (such
as a Monday) and have the presentations due several days later
(Friday), allowing the students a week to complete their assignment.
Student Grouping:
No more than 11 groups of 2-3 students each
Materials Needed:
For teacher:
No special materials are needed
For student:
Information packet
Paper
Pen, pencil
Glue, colored pencils, crayons, posterboard, and other materials
the students need to create their own creative projects.
Resources:
For Teacher:
1. Rosal, Lorenca Consuelo (1988); God save the people: a New
Hampshire history: level II teacher's resources manual; Orford,
NH: Equity Follows the Law Publishing Co.
2. Heffernan, Nancy Coffey and Ann Page Stecker (1996); New
Hampshire: crosscurrents in its development; Hanover, New
Hampshire:University Press of New England
For Student:
1. Carpenter, Allan (1979); Enchantment of America: New Hampshire;
Chicago, Illinois: Children's Press.