Assembly Line Ace or Labor Scrooge? Digging Deep into Henry Ford's Impact (Reading Comprehension & Discussion Guide)

Engage your students in a critical analysis of Henry Ford's legacy! This comprehensive reading comprehension worksheet explores the transformative power of Ford's assembly line on the automobile industry, its impact on affordability and worker conditions, and the long-term consequences of mass production.
What's Included:

• A captivating, student-friendly reading passage that delves into:
  • The rise of the automobile and Ford's revolutionary assembly line.
  • The impact on car production costs and the birth of the Model T.
  • The double-edged sword of efficiency: benefits for consumers vs. worker well-being.
  • Ford's controversial five-dollar workday and its implications.
  • The lasting effects of mass production on society and the economy.
• A compelling primary source excerpt for students to analyze.
• Engaging multiple-choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions that assess reading comprehension, critical thinking, and historical analysis skills.
• A detailed answer key for easy grading.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will analyze the impact of Henry Ford's assembly line on the automobile industry.
• Students will evaluate the positive and negative consequences of the assembly line on car production costs, affordability, and worker conditions.
• Students will examine the long-term effects of mass production on society and the economy.
• Students will develop critical thinking skills by analyzing a primary source and drawing conclusions.
• Students will engage in historical debate by considering the complex legacy of Henry Ford.

Common Core Standards Addressed:

• RI.6.1 - Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RI.6.2 - Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, providing an objective summary of the text.
• RI.6.3 - Analyze in detail the structure of a specific passage in a text, including how it contributes to the overall purpose of the text.
• RI.6.6 - Explain how an author's point of view or purpose shapes the content of a text.

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