In HSIE, students have been applying their creativity to understanding societies, environments, businesses and historical events. Here are some of the fantastic work they have produced to show their understanding. They have also been reflecting on the feedback they have been provided by their teachers to make improvements in their writing.

Year 10 Commerce Infographics 

Year 9 Sample Paragraphs

Artemis
A final reason the industrial revolution affected the lives of working class people was when workers moved to cities in droves for work, influencing change in public health and life expectancy. With the need for work expanding, this created major problems for public health, this was due to low quality housing and unsanitary conditions in cities, making them a breeding ground for bacteria. The evidence in the political cartoon from Punch Magazine, 1852, shows that the children would go through the sewage to clean it up and play in it, while other people would go looking through it to find things that are edible. Issues with poor sanitation in the cities and waste not being disposed of properly led to diseases, e.g. dysentery, cholera and TB. ⅔ Children born during the years 1848 - 1853 could expect to die before reaching the age of 5. Many died before they reached their first birthday. However, later on, the Public Health Act of 1875, assigned responsibility for ensuring the establishment of sewage, water, drains, waste disposal, lighting, and public works to local governments. Therefore by reducing the spread of diseases and raising life expectancy, this improved the quality of life for the working class.

Aleah                                                                                                                                Another way the everyday lives of the working class were adversely affected during the Industrial Revolution was due to the unpleasant living conditions they were subjected to. As business began to flourish, more people began moving to the northeast in search of employment. Many of the working class lived in poor housing, also known as "slums". A single room, the size of an apartment, housed five to nine people, causing more people to get sick due to the lack of space and good hygiene. Diseases spread rapidly as a result and caused a number of deaths for working class people. Evidence for these conditions is documented in An Inquiry into the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population of Great Britain, 1842. The source highlights how certain atmospheric impurities, such as decaying animal or plant matter, poor sanitation, pollution, and overcrowded dwellings, contributed towards the progressive spread of disease. The inquiry also stated that the rate of the disease is halted when the above circumstances are resolved. However, it was extremely rare that these impurities were treated, as such dwellings were constructed merely with financial gain in mind. As a means of dealing with the increasing number of workers in urban areas who required cheap housing within close distance to factories, dwellings were built cheap, cramped, and unsafe. With these conditions commonly left unresolved, the health of residents was at risk, and the rate of the disease increased. These dirty and cramped conditions are recorded in a photograph entitled 'Close, No. 118 High Street', taken by Thomas Annan in 1868. The photograph captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of the slums that the working class were subject to and allows a deeper look into what life looked like during this period. In addition, workers received inadequate wages, barely enabling them to cover the cost of living expenses associated with their rent and food. These hazardous circumstances persisted until the Public Health Act of 1875 was enacted. This law meant that back to back houses had to be replaced with byelaw terrace houses, thus solving the ventilation and sanitary problems. Later in the century, living conditions for workers made a vast improvement, and local councils implemented laws and regulations that outlined requirements for adequate housing. By the end of the 19th century, the majority of working class people resided in better homes. Consequently, while the standard of living for the working class did improve over time, it is to be acknowledged that numerous lives were negatively impacted as a result of the harsh living conditions they endured.