- Mark four pieces of large chart paper – one each with the following question.
- Mill Life: What do these documents tell you about Barilla’s experience working in a textile mill in Lowell?
- Family Life: What do these documents tell you about Barilla’s relationship with her family?
- Boardinghouse Life: What do these documents tell you about Barilla’s living arrangements in Lowell?
- City Life: What do these documents tell you about what the city of Lowell was like in 1843-1845 when Barilla lived there?
Option: Instead of the large chart paper, you can use the Document Set Questions (pdf) to guide the activity.
- Divide your class into four groups and assign each group a different colored marker with which they will write their responses on the chart paper.
- Document Sets:
- Give groups 5-10 minutes to look at the documents at their station, discuss the question noted on the piece of chart paper with their group, and then write down everything they can glean from the documents about the question on that piece of chart paper (using their assigned colored marker).
- After the allotted time, each group should rotate to the next station, where they will read the new topic/concept/question and what others have written about it, discuss it with their group, and add new information. Students can also write questions about things that other groups wrote (existing answers/notes about the topic/question).
- Continue this process until each group is back to their original station.
- Wrap up the activity with a discussion about the topics from chart paper, reading and discussing what each group wrote.
- Have your students organize the information by using a graphic organizer, writing a summary, or doing a gallery walk, recording useful information.
- Students use their notes from step #7 to write a short essay response to the worksheet questions using the Carousel learning strategy worksheet (pdf).
- Additional Exploration Ideas:
- Barilla was part of an emerging consumer culture that relied on women earning wages. What would Barilla say about our consumer culture in the 21st century? Cite evidence to support your argument.
- Using the characters and experiences mentioned in the documents, have students write a play about Barilla’s life in Lowell.
