Download This Lesson:
Mills and Money Background
Activity: Getting to Know a Maine Mill Girl
Rubrics for Assessment
Lowell Mill Girls
Ideas for Alignment
Brief Description: Mills gradually took over the spinning and weaving jobs done at home. Because of the number of rivers in Maine, water power was plentiful so many mills and mill towns were established. Mills carded, spun yarn and wove fabric. Maine was even involved in the production of silk thread in the mid to late 19th century. Often very young people worked in the mills and the jobs were dangerous. Students will discover what working life was like for a young girl through a series of letters.
Level: Grades 3-5
Subjects: English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Skills: Listening, communicating, internet researching, thinking creatively, writing, comparing, contrasting, drawing conclusions
Fiber Maine-ia: Exploring Maine’s Fiber History is an eight lesson program exploring the use and evolution of fiber from early man to the present, with a focus on Maine. The lessons could easily be used, without alignment activities, as an after school enrichment program or in learning centers during a Maine History Day.
The alignment ideas provide suggestions for including the lessons in a study of Maine history, with opportunities for alignment to the Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction and the Common Core Standards. Teachers may use the ideas as written, or as a springboard to develop their own alignment activities. The alignment for Fiber Maine-ia has been done for the 3-5 grade-span., although grade 6-8 teachers may find ways to increase the level of cognitive demand in some of the activities to meet the standards at that level.
Helpful Links:
How to Make a Drop Spindle
How to Make a PVC Niddy Noddy
Resources
Correlations to State of Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction
ELA = English Language Arts, HE/PE = Health Education and Physical Education, MA = Mathematics, SCI = Science, SS = Social Studies, VPA = Visual and Performing Arts
** Alignment possible only if lesson extension is done
Criteria for Fiber Main-ia Alignment
|
Grade |
Maine Learning Results |
Common Core Standards for English and Mathematics |
|
3-5 |
ELA B1a-h Writing – Interconnected Elements B5a Writing – Practical Application SCI C3 Science, Technology and Society SS D2a, b Geographic Knowledge, Concepts, Themes & Patterns
|
ELA Speaking and Listening: 2 Writing: 4, |