Recently I joined a school tour of an historic building with which I volunteer. One thing that was discussed was the reason a four story building was the tallest building here in Raleigh, North Carolina when it was built, and what has happened to allow buildings much larger to tower around it. One such development was the use of metal in the frames of buildings. One such example is cast iron.
Cast iron has been used for cookware for many centuries, and many homes still use cast iron skillets. In fact, it can be dated back to the very developed China in the 5th century, and was brought to England in the 15th century, most likely thanks to trade. Imagine, with your students, the advancements in cooking that took place in response to this new cookware.
As the infographic continues, it played a major part in the industrial revolution. Bridges, buildings, and even pipes were made out of cast iron. What can be the detriments to using cast iron for our water pipes? How did this allow for advancements in architecture? What other technologies have arisen since the industrial revolution?