05/07/2025 | Selena Gonzalez, Education Program Specialist II at The Museum of the Grand Prairie

What We Teach is a series spotlighting youth programs that highlight local perspectives on the history, culture, and natural environment of East Central Illinois. Through this series, we share an inside look at the field trips and in-classroom experiences we offer to schools. To learn more about our educational offerings, visit the Champaign County Forest Preserve website and explore the resources available through the Museum and Education Department.

We have recently introduced an Industrial Revolution field trip for grades 4th through 8th that takes the main idea of the Industrial Revolution in America and showcases what it looked like in Champaign County. The field trip includes three engaging, 30-minute rotations, each highlighting a different aspect of the era. One rotation examines the local jobs that emerged or were transformed during this period. Students explore four interconnected industries—railroads, printing and publishing, blacksmithing, and farming—each featuring two representative jobs. These industries not only played a key role in regional development but also depended on one another to thrive.

In this rotation, students will work in small groups, each assigned a specific industry to explore. Together, they will read job descriptions and determine which tools and equipment would have been necessary for each job to carry out its daily tasks. This hands-on activity allows students to imagine what a typical workday looked like and gain insight into the technology available during the Industrial Revolution. Afterward, the class will reconvene to share their findings. Each group will present the industry they studied, describe the jobs within it, and provide a brief overview of the tasks performed and the tools used.