Focus (or Guiding) Questions:  

What social, economic, political, or societal problems existed as a result of mass immigration and urbanization?

What were working conditions in jobs like in the late 19^th and early 20^th century for children, women, and men?

How did industrialization and urbanization affect the different population groups of the US?

How did muckraking contribute to changes in society during the Progressive period?

What labor reform movements were put into motion as a result of Progressive era campaigns?

What role did political machines play in the Progressive era?

How did trusts impact the economic sphere of the US and how were they dealt with by policymakers of the time?

How did the personal beliefs of leaders during the Progressive era cause inconsistencies and split ethic, gender, and race lines?

What factors led to a split between the fight for African American rights and women’s rights?

Know:

Problems faced by Americans in cities and in jobs

Settlement houses – Jane Addams and Hull House

Famous Muckrakers of the time

Child labor and labor reforms

Role of political machines

Trusts, monopolies, and anti-trust legislation

Role of the US President’s in the Progressive era

African American reforms and reformers

Women’s struggle for political, social, and economic equality

Progressive era reform

Do:

Analyze primary sources about immigration and urbanization

Create a city-life drawing

Analyze child labor photographs

Analyze the plight of female factory workers

Research muckrakers

Create Progressive cards about famous people of the time

Research trusts and monopolies and create a political cartoon about a current monopoly

Compare and contrast African American reformers

Create an event line documenting women’s reform and political achievements

Emulate a Progressive Person and Participate in a Progressive Party

Research has shown that the least effective strategy for teaching vocabulary is having students look up words and write the definitions.  For quality, research-based strategies for teaching content vocabulary, see the Teach 21 Strategy Bank at http://wvde.state.wv.us/strategybank/vocabulary.html.

Introduction

To begin an exploration into the Progressive Movement, students will search for clues about the US using the Library of Congress’s Port of Entry: Immigration virtual tour and questions. Students will visit the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, market places, and streets while gaining insight to the conditions of the US at the turn of the 20^th century. From this exploration, teachers may jumpstart an active discussion about the conditions of urbanized cities and the plight of those immigrants and US citizens who experienced the industrialized age firsthand. The site for the Port of Entry tour is

http://rs6.loc.gov:8081/learn/features/port/start.html

After the students view the pictures and read the stories, ask them to create a list of social, economic, political, or societal problems that existed as a result of mass immigration and urbanization. A class list may be recorded on the board, smart board, or overhead projector. You may want to have students keep a copy of this list in their notebooks, so additions can be added later.

A general list of problems is provided, but additions and details may be required for use in your classroom. Problems Faced by Americans

Phase One 
Students were exposed to primary documents about immigration and life in the cities with the introductory activity. (If more detail about immigration or city life is needed for clarification, please see Module 1) Also, they should have created an exhausted list of Problems Faced by Americans at the turn of the 20^th century. This list will guide the search into the reform measures taken by Progressives to tackle the ills of society. The first groupings of problems we will discuss are poor housing, overcrowding in the cities, and poor sanitation. A great way to launch this lesson is to read the students a first-hand account of life in the cities from a 60-year old man in New York. If the teacher chooses to read the story aloud, they should have the students illustrate some aspect of the story. The teacher may need to read the story more than once so the students can design their illustrations. After the students have completed their drawings, ask students to share their creations and discuss with their classmates why that particular aspect of the story drew their attention. First hand account can be obtained at the following web address;

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snpim2.htm

Once students have an idea of poor housing, overcrowding, and poor sanitation, pose the following question: How could you eliminate or reduce the severity of these problems? The students will next research the dumbbell tenement (Alternative housing assignment found in Module 1 may be a great extension activity where students can design their own apartment complex), sanitation movement, and progressive reforms aimed at cutting down the clutter and disease of cities.

Phase Two 
Conditions faced by immigrants, African Americans, and other poor Americans after the Industrial Revolution were abhorrent. Men and women alike fought to quail these working injustices and provide better conditions, hours, and pay for American workers everywhere. In order to open the discussion on working conditions, ask students if they have jobs and what kinds of hours do they work. As a class, discuss the steps they had to take to get these jobs and why many students probably do not have jobs. Then pass out to students or display with the projector child labor pictures from the late 19^th and early 20^th century. After the students have analyzed these photographs, discuss with them the conditions and lifestyles of children during that time. Students may complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting child labor then and now. See Child Labor Venn Diagram.

We will turn our attention of poor working conditions to the factories of New England. A description of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire can be found at the following web address;

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snpim3.htm            

Teacher may read this aloud to their students or assign as a homework reading in preparation for the next class. In order to gain additional knowledge about life in the factories, students may complete the lesson plan entitled “The Industrial Revolution.” The lesson plan offers suggestions on a few cumulative activities students can do to show knowledge of information; journal entry, newspaper of the time, etc.

Phase Three 
Phase 3 will identify for students the legislation and people who attempted to right the wrongs of the time. First, the students will learn about Jane Addams. Jane Addams was a social worker and woman and children advocate of her time. Jane Addams is quite famous for her Hull House. Students can visit Hull House’s interactive site to take a virtual tour back in time to the settlement house. Next, the students will learn about the muckrakers of the Progressive Movement. Muckraker was a negative term coined by Theodore Roosevelt based on a literary character that was so busy cleaning and raking up the muck and dirt that he didn?t see the good things that were above his head.

The students can then research the individual muckrakers listed below and create their first Progressive cards. Teachers can use the card template provided to make copies and distribute to students for use in making Progressive Cards. These can be like baseball cards or playing cards they create, but the purpose will be to establish information on Progressives by compiling pictures and personal information in one place. The students typically like making the cards and they can even display creativity with their designs. On the front of the cards – Picture and name of the person On the back of the cards – name again, dates lived and died, what were the major accomplishments of this person, how did this person relate to the Progressive movement – villain or hero. Any additional information felt important by the teacher may also be included on the back of the card. 

Muckrakers – Lincoln Steffens, Jacob Riis, Thomas Nast, Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair (Teachers may also want to include cards about Boss Tweed, and JD Rockefeller in these cards because they were two of the major targets of muckrakers).

The phase next moves to investigation of labor reforms for men, women, and children. The students will create a classroom timeline of important legislation and laws that helped to curb child labor, improve working conditions, reduce working hours, and increase pay. The teacher may want to project the timeline on the board or assign students particular laws or topics. Some websites are listed in the electronic resources below that provide excellent sources of reforms and laws.

Phase Four 
Phase four will examine the political machines and trusts that existed during the Progressive Era. Students may read the information presented at the link;

http://projects.vassar.edu/1896/trusts.html

Students may also analyze political cartoons about trusts and monopolies. After the students have analyzed samples of political cartoons, have them brainstorm a list of companies that have a monopoly on the market today. Students should then be instructed to create their own political cartoon about a current monopoly. (Under monopolies individuals such as JP Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford may be added as Progressive cards)

In order for students to gain knowledge of political machines, the lesson plan found at the following link may be useful;

http://www1.cuny.edu/portal_ur/content/voting_curriculum/11th_pdfs/11th%20Lesson%204_Voting%20(38-58).pdf

To conclude this phase, students may explore the role of three US Presidents and their personal roles in trust busting and the Progressive era.

President Theodore Roosevelt  Lesson Plan - http://www.gilderlehrman.org/historynow/09_2008/lp1.php

The Presidential Election of 1912  Lesson Plan - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/wilson/tguide/t_lesson_03.html

(President Roosevelt, President Taft, and President Wilson may be added as Progressive Cards)

Phase Five 
Phase Five of Module 2 will delve into African American reformers and efforts to improve the plight of other African Americans after the Industrial Revolution and during the Progressive era. The first African Americans reform we will look at are Booker T. Washington and WEB Dubois. Students will do a comparison/contrast matrix to show the similarities and differences between the methods and ideals of the two men. A Venn diagram may be substituted for the matrix also. Students will next turn their attention to Ms. Ida B. Wells. Students may complete the lesson plan about her leadership and philanthropy found at the following link;

http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit17/lesson4.html

Students should complete Progressive cards on Booker T. Washington, WEB DuBois, and Ida B. Wells.

Phase Six 
This phase of the module will look into the reforms and patriots of the Women’s Rights Movement. Students will visit a variety of websites to document achievements towards political and social equality and women’s reforms. Depending on the group of students, event line may be assigned as an individual project, partner activity, small group activity, or class project. Event line should run from the Seneca Falls Convention to the passage of the 19^th Amendment. (In this phase, make sure students note the 18^th Amendment- Prohibition will be discussed in Module 4) Progressive cards may be made of Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Margaret Sanger, and Florence Kelley.

Phase Seven 
In the final phase of the Progressive module, the students will take their Progressive cards and choose a character from the era to emulate at a Progressive Party. Students may sign up to imitate one person at the party. In order to prepare for the party, students must research their character further and determine how he/she would have responded to other Progressive characters who will attend the party. While at the party, the students must act in character just as their person would have acted during a Progressive era party. (Ex. Ida Tarbell and JD Rockefeller would not have gotten along and probably would have had much to say to one another). Students must stay in character throughout the duration of the Progressive Party simulation. A rubric may be created for student grading.

What impact did the Progressive era have on the 20^th and 21^st centuries?