Forces That Changed America

Modernization—the transformation from a traditional, rural society to an industrial, urban society—serves as the focus of the next unit in Grade 8. Students began with an investigation into three forces that drove the modernization of American society: electricity, technology, and automobiles. By analyzing graphs and trends, students engaged in discussions connecting past developments to present-day life. Ultimately, the class developed fact-supported opinions on which factor has had the greatest impact on society.