Briefing
The Industrial Revolution really got going with the invention of the assembly line. Before then, most things were made one at a time--and each one was put together by a single person. With this activity, you'll see what happens when people divide up tasks and work together.
Activity
What You'll Need:
The big bag of "automobile parts" (If this is the first time playing this activity, you'll need to spend a minute or two preparing all the pieces).
You can use this picture to help you put the car together.
A stopwatch or a nearby clock to record your times
How to Play:
The goal in each round is to make completed cars out of ALL the parts.
ROUND ONE
1.Sort the auto parts into piles. Each pile should have only one kind of part in it.
2.Look over the assembly instructions.
3.In this round, each player will put together as many cars as possible, all by themselves, from start to finish. Everyone works at the same time.
4.Record the time it takes for the whole group to make all the cars.
ROUND TWO
1.Take the cars apart and sort the parts into piles again.
2.This time, assign everyone a specific job. For example, one person's job might be just to put the wheels on.
3.Everyone takes ONLY the piles of parts that they need to do their job.
4.Line up in the best order you can think of to get the job done quickly. The person who has to put the first pieces together should be on one end. The person who has to put the last pieces together should be on the other end.
5.To make the cars, each person does their job and passes what they've done down to the next player.
6.Record the time it takes to make all the cars in an assembly line.
Debriefing
Which method was faster? Why do you think there was a difference?
Did the assembly line get better with practice? If you had to make 100 cars, which method would be better?
If you've got your Case Journal, answer the questions in it now!