A CHatGPT-Using Learning Activity Pertaining to the Lowell Mill Girls

5 min readFeb 6, 2023

Designed for middle school and high school US History students

This activity provides high school US history students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in the experience of a Lowell Mill girl by writing a letter from the perspective of one of the girls to her parents.

This hands-on approach to learning allows students to engage with historical events and cultural movements in a personal and meaningful way and should result in the students gaining a deep understanding of the social and cultural changes that took place during this time period and the impact that the Lowell Mill Girls had on American society.

Step #1:

For homework have the students watch and take notes on the following:

The Lowell Mill Girls (National Park Service
The Lowell Mill Girls and the Factory System (Gilder Lehrman)
The Lowell Mills Girls Bill of Rights Institute
The Massachusetts Mill Workers, (Lowell National Historical Park — 6:31)

Step #2:

The next day, start off the period by reading the paragraph that appears below:

One of the more fascinating stories relating to the topic of the Lowell Mill Girls is the story of the Lowell Mill Girls Strike. The strike, which took place in 1834, was led by three Lowell Mill female textile workers unhappy with the poor working conditions and low wages. In this regard, the three organized a walkout and refused to work until their demands for better treatment were met. The strike was an important moment in the history of labor rights and women’s rights in the United States, as it marked one of the earliest instances of organized labor action by women. Although the strike was ultimately unsuccessful in achieving its immediate goals, it helped to galvanize the labor movement and paved the way for future labor activism.

Step #3:

Next up, have the students write a no more than 750-word “dear mom and dad” letter, with this letter to be written from the mindset of a fictional Lowell Mill girl, (eighteen-year-old, Sarah Hope) on December 20, 1834. Assume further that Sarah’s mom and dad live in Hadley, Massachusetts, a farming town during the time of the Lowell Mill Girls Strike in 1834. Permit students to use CHatGPT to assist in the production of the letter.

Below is one example of a CHatGPT-produced letter.

Dear Mom and Dad,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am so sorry I haven’t written to you in nearly six months, but I have been very busy here in Lowell operating one of the power looms, weaving cloth for 12 hours a day, six days a week. It’s overwhelming work, but I’m grateful for the job.
So this past year, a group of us girls we went on strike. We stopped working and demanded that the mill owners listen to our demands. We want more money and better working conditions, we said. We are tired of working long hours, with barely any time to rest, and receiving low wages.
I am sad to say that the strike was ultimately unsuccessful. The mill owners refused to listen to us, and many of us had to return to work. We had not choice.
It was a hard defeat, but we did not give up without a fight.
I miss you both so much and cannot wait to come home and see you. Please send my love to the rest of the family.
Yours always, Sarah Hope

Step #4:

Next have the students either read their letter out loud to the class or have them provide the class with a no more than sixty-second description of the contents of their letter.

Step #5:

Now tell the students that for homework they need to get themselves ready to answer, in class the next day, a number of follow-up questions, with these questions to assume that Sarah:

Is 65 years old and married to a Lowell Mill factory owner
Has two (adult) children and three grandchildren
Attended the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 (at age 34)
Has maintained a long, close personal friendship with Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Knows about the work of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Beacher Stowe, and Clara Barton
Was active in the American Anti-Slavery Society until 1861
Is a current member of the National Woman Suffrage Association
Has lived through a number of notable labor strikes
She traveled to Seneca Falls (for the Convention) from Albany, New York via an Erie Canal Packet Boat

Permit the students to use CHatGPT to anticipate these questions and ready their answers.

Below are the questions I would want to ask this Sarah, with these questions produced with the help of CHatGPT:

I hear that you attended the Seneca Falls Convention. What was the purpose of that Convention? The outcome?
I hear you traveled to the Seneca Falls Convention aboard an Erie Canal Packet Boat. Tell us about that.
I hear that you’re personal friends with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Detail the role she played in the women’s suffrage movement.
How did immigration to America impact the lives and well-being of the Lowell Mill Girls?
Tell me about some of the girls you worked with. I especially want to know what happened to them after they left the mill.
What do you think about the 15th amendment?
You’ve lived through a number of notable labor strikes. Tells about the one that’s had the greatest impact on your life.
Name three women who you think have had the greatest impact on America, other than Elizabeth Stanton.
What’s the best thing that happened in America during your lifetime?
In your letter, you stated as a fact that (x); did you engage in any fact-checking as it relates to (x).

Click here to view Dr. Scott Petri’s suggested Historical Fiction Letter Fact Checking Report

Step #6:

Assess the students on their content knowledge, as revealed by their answers to the follow-up questions.

The Power of Collaboration
“This blog post is a collaboration between myself and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While ChatGPT provided invaluable assistance in editing and refining some of the paragraphs, all of the ideas and concepts discussed are solely my own and reflect my own thoughts and perspectives.”