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Progressive Era: Change!

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Lesson Plan

Progressive Era: Change! Lesson Plan

Students will be able to identify and explain key reforms and figures of the Progressive Era, understanding its impact on American society and government.

Understanding the Progressive Era helps students connect historical reform movements to contemporary issues, showing how citizens can advocate for significant social and political change. It highlights the origins of many modern protections and regulations.

Audience

10th Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Through direct instruction, interactive slides, and a fun game, students will explore the Progressive Era.

Materials

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: What Needs Fixing?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: "If you could change one thing in our society to make it better for everyone, what would it be and why?" (2 minutes)
  • Briefly discuss student responses, connecting them to the idea of societal problems that need solutions. (3 minutes)
  • Teacher Note: Introduce the concept of the Progressive Era as a time when many Americans asked similar questions and sought widespread change.

Step 2

Introduction to the Progressive Era (Slide Deck)

10 minutes

  • Present the Progressive Era Slide Deck.
  • Go through slides covering the definition of the Progressive Era, its main goals (social justice, economic equality, political reform), and key figures/movements (e.g., Muckrakers, Suffrage, Conservation, Trust-busting).
  • Pause for questions and encourage brief class discussion after each major topic introduced on the slides. Ensure students grasp the 'why' behind the reforms.

Step 3

Progressive Ponderings Game

10 minutes

  • Introduce the Progressive Ponderings Game.
  • Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
  • Explain the game rules: Each group will receive cards with Progressive Era topics/figures. They must match the figure/topic to its reform achievement and briefly explain its significance. The first group to correctly match all cards wins.
  • Circulate among groups, providing guidance and answering questions as they play. (8 minutes)
  • Bring the class back together and briefly review the correct answers, clarifying any misconceptions. (2 minutes)

Step 4

Cool-Down: Ripple Effect

5 minutes

  • Ask students: "Which Progressive Era reform do you think has had the most lasting impact on the United States today, and why?" (2 minutes)
  • Have students do a quick 'think-pair-share' or write down their answers. (3 minutes)
  • Teacher Note: Collect written responses as an exit ticket or facilitate a brief whole-class share out to conclude the lesson, reinforcing the idea of the era's enduring legacy.
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Slide Deck

What Needs Fixing?

If you could change one thing in our society to make it better for everyone, what would it be and why?

  • Think individually for a moment.
  • Share your ideas with a partner or the class.
  • How do we tackle big problems?

Welcome students and kick off the lesson by asking about societal improvements. Connect their ideas to the historical context of the Progressive Era.

The Progressive Era: A Time for Change

What was it?

  • A period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States.
  • Roughly from the 1890s to the 1920s.

Why did it happen?

  • Response to industrialization, urbanization, and political corruption.
  • People wanted to 'progress' society, fixing problems caused by rapid change.

Introduce the Progressive Era, emphasizing it was a period of widespread reform to address social and economic problems.

Goals of the Progressives

  1. Social Justice: Improve living conditions and public health.
    • Example: Child labor laws, better housing.
  2. Economic Equality: Regulate big business and protect workers.
    • Example: Anti-trust laws, safer workplaces.
  3. Political Reform: Make government more democratic and less corrupt.
    • Example: Women's suffrage, direct election of senators.
  4. Environmental Conservation: Protect natural resources.
    • Example: National Parks, forest preservation.

Discuss the main goals. Highlight that it wasn't just one goal, but many interconnected issues.

Key Players: Muckrakers

Who were they?

  • Journalists and writers who exposed corruption and social problems.
  • They 'raked up the muck' or dirt of society.

Famous Muckrakers:

  • Upton Sinclair: Wrote The Jungle, exposing unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry.
    • Impact: Led to the Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act.
  • Ida Tarbell: Exposed the monopolistic practices of Standard Oil.
  • Jacob Riis: Documented poverty in NYC slums with How the Other Half Lives.

Introduce Muckrakers as key figures who exposed problems. Mention Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" as a primary example.

The Fight for Suffrage

What was suffrage?

  • The right to vote.

Key Leaders:

  • Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Early pioneers.
  • Alice Paul & Carrie Chapman Catt: Led the final push.

Victory!

  • 19th Amendment (1920): Granted women the right to vote nationwide.
  • A triumph for political equality and women's rights.

Discuss women's suffrage as a major political reform and a long-fought battle.

Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

  • "Trust-buster": Broke up monopolies to promote competition.
  • Conservationist: Created national parks and forests.
  • Consumer Protection: Supported food and drug safety laws.

Other Progressive Presidents

  • William Howard Taft
  • Woodrow Wilson

Briefly mention Theodore Roosevelt's role as a Progressive President.

Lasting Impact

The Progressive Era brought significant changes that still affect us today:

  • Government regulation of food and medicine.
  • Protections for workers and children.
  • The right to vote for all citizens.
  • Conservation of natural resources.

Ready to see what you've learned?

Conclude by reiterating the widespread impact of the era and leading into the game.

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Game

Progressive Ponderings: Match the Reformer!

Objective: To correctly match key Progressive Era figures/concepts with their major achievements or reforms.

Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Divide into small groups (3-4 students).
  2. Lay all "Figure/Concept Cards" face up on the table.
  3. Shuffle the "Achievement Cards" and place them face down in a pile.
  4. Each round, one student draws an "Achievement Card" and reads it aloud.
  5. As a group, discuss and decide which "Figure/Concept Card" best matches the achievement.
  6. Place the "Achievement Card" next to its corresponding "Figure/Concept Card."
  7. The first group to correctly match all cards wins!

Figure/Concept Cards (Cut these out!)

Card 1

Upton Sinclair

Card 2

Ida Tarbell

Card 3

Jacob Riis

Card 4

Theodore Roosevelt

Card 5

Suffrage Movement

Card 6

Progressive Era

Card 7

Conservation

Card 8

Muckrakers

Achievement Cards (Cut these out!)

Card A

Exposed unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry with his novel The Jungle.

Card B

Investigated and exposed the monopolistic business practices of Standard Oil.

Card C

Used photography and writing to document the harsh living conditions in New York City slums, published in How the Other Half Lives.

Card D

A U.S. President known for trust-busting, consumer protection, and establishing national parks.

Card E

Advocated for women's right to vote, leading to the 19th Amendment.

Card F

A period of widespread social and political reform in the United States from the 1890s to the 1920s.

Card G

The protection and preservation of natural resources, including the establishment of national parks and forests.

Card H

Journalists and writers who exposed corruption, scandal, and societal problems to the public.

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Answer Key

Progressive Ponderings: Match the Reformer! - Answer Key

Here are the correct matches for the Progressive Ponderings Game:

  • Upton Sinclair matches A: Exposed unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry with his novel The Jungle.

  • Ida Tarbell matches B: Investigated and exposed the monopolistic business practices of Standard Oil.

  • Jacob Riis matches C: Used photography and writing to document the harsh living conditions in New York City slums, published in How the Other Half Lives.

  • Theodore Roosevelt matches D: A U.S. President known for trust-busting, consumer protection, and establishing national parks.

  • Suffrage Movement matches E: Advocated for women's right to vote, leading to the 19th Amendment.

  • Progressive Era matches F: A period of widespread social and political reform in the United States from the 1890s to the 1920s.

  • Conservation matches G: The protection and preservation of natural resources, including the establishment of national parks and forests.

  • Muckrakers matches H: Journalists and writers who exposed corruption, scandal, and societal problems to the public.

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