Name:______________________________________

Assembly Line Simulation

Historical Question: How did the robber barons grow so rich during the period of industrialization?

Directions: You will be working in your groups of 4 today. Each group of 4 is a different book company. You
will quickly come up with your company name in 1 minute. Each book company will be competing against one
another to see who can produce the most books. Mr. Cole will be the owner of each company. There are
specific directions for how each book must look.

1. First you must take 3 strips of paper

2. You must put the strips on top of one another and fold them in.
3. You must put a paper clip in the middle of the book to hold your book together
4. You must number all the left pages 1-5. Number should be written in the bottom left hand corner
5. You must write the company name on the front of the book.

First Round- Everybody is working alone. You are not allowed helping one another or sharing. Once you finish
your book you should put in the bag and start on another one. After time is up we will record in the box below:

__________________________ divided by __________________________ = _________________________

(Total books made by group) (Total number of people) (Production per worker)

2nd Round - Now you will work in an assembly line. An assembly line is when the various jobs of creating a
product are broken up. Each person specializes in one specific job and passes their completed item to the next
person. This is how factories are operated. In your group of 4 there should be 1 folder/paper clipper, 2 people
who number, and 1 title page writer.

__________________________ divided by __________________________ = _________________________

(Total books made by group) (Total number of people) (Production per worker)

Flip to the back for questions

 Reflection Questions

1. What happened to the Production per worker after we switched to an assembly line? What does this
mean for the profits of the company owners?

2. Do the workers deserve more money now that the company is making more money? Why or why not?

3. Imagine making books for 12 straight hours with little breaks and an owner like Mr. Cole making you stay
busy. Describe what your emotions or feelings would be like working in a company like this?