Industrial Titans

This worksheet helps students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 develop critical reading, historical interpretation, ethical evaluation, and evidence-based writing skills through analysis of two major Industrial Age figures. After reading short biographies of John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, learners evaluate each leader’s impact and decide whether they should be labeled a “Robber Baron” or a “Captain of Industry.” Students then justify their judgment using specific evidence, encouraging nuanced thinking about power, responsibility, and leadership during Industrialization.

Skills Reinforced

• Industrial Leaders & Influence (Grades 6-8) – Analyze the roles of Rockefeller and Carnegie in shaping the U.S. economy
• Historical Interpretation – Evaluate positive and negative impacts of industrial leadership
• Ethical Reasoning – Consider issues such as monopolies, labor conditions, philanthropy, and growth
• Evidence-Based Writing – Support judgments with details from biographical texts

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with middle school social studies and ELA standards
• Balanced Perspective Format – Encourages students to weigh multiple sides of a historical argument
• Short Constructed Responses – Builds clarity and precision in 2-3 sentence explanations
• Flexible Use – Suitable for classwork, discussion prep, assessment, or homeschool instruction
• Promotes Nuanced Thinking – Moves beyond labels to thoughtful historical judgment

This Industrial Titans worksheet helps students grapple with the complexities of leadership during the Industrialization era. By evaluating Rockefeller and Carnegie through evidence-based reasoning, learners strengthen critical reading, ethical analysis, and historical judgment skills. It’s a no-prep, engaging resource for classrooms and homeschool settings focused on thoughtful evaluation of economic power and responsibility in U.S. history.

English Language Arts – Critical Reading of Biographical Texts

This worksheet is part of our Industrialization and the Gilded Age Worksheets collection.