Students learned about the industrial revolution and picked often forgotten negative issues that erupted due to this era, such as labor rights issues, and environmental damage. After picking those issues and researching them, they developed a steampunk character whose mission was to help fix these problems. They had to make something that used a steampunk aesthetic, whether it was an invention that helped the environment, or a soapbox monologue that called for people to give attention to child labor, or a film that showed what happened when there are no labor regulations. The exhibition focused on steampunk ways to change the world and make it better.

Teacher Reflection:

I really loved that every student got to make something and that they could decide what they wanted to make out of their research. The diversity in products allowed for equitable access into the classroom. I loved how students took ownership over developing a pitch to display their learning about the industrial revolution and the dark underbelly of it; it was also great to explore change ideas with the students and see how much they began to care about issues like child labor and wealth inequity.

Student Reflections:

I learned about the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in making my short film. By reading and developing our understanding of the event we were able to imagine the scenes in our heads including the factory, the day the fire was caused, and the real struggles factory workers went through at work with low pay.

—Idalia

Our invention uses solar panels to produce electrical currents that get stored in batteries. The batteries get charged and are used as energy to power the sensors. If we use more solar energy, we will be taking people out of the harsh environment of the coal mines and giving them jobs in the solar industry.

—Carla

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