Muckraker Magazine
Name: Jennifer HunterGrade Level: 9-12
School: Graves County High School
Lesson Essential Question:(A question that lies at the heart of a subject or a curriculum, and promotes inquiry)
How are muckrakers able to point out the “ills” of society, while still having a positive impact on reforms that affect their readers?
Academic Expectation and Core Content for Assessment Standard:
2.16 Students observe, analyze, and interpret human behaviors, social groupings, and institutions to
better understand people and the relationships among individuals and among groups.
2.20 Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to
develop historical perspective.
SS-HS-2.1.1 Students will explain how belief systems, knowledge, technology and behavior patterns define cultures and help to explain historical perspectives and events in the modern world (1500 A.D. to present) and United States (Reconstruction to present).
SS-HS-3.4.1 Students will analyze the changing relationships among business, labor and government (e.g., unions, anti-trust laws, tariff policy, price controls, subsidies, tax incentives) and how each has affected production, distribution and consumption in the United States or the world.
SS-HS-5.1.1 Students will use a variety of tools (e.g., primary and secondary sources, data, artifacts) to analyze perceptions and perspectives (e.g., gender, race, region, ethnic group, nationality, age, economic status, religion, politics, geographic factors) of people and historical events in the modern world (1500 A.D. to present) and United States History (Reconstruction to present).
SS-HS-5.1.2 Students will analyze how history is a series of connected events shaped by multiple cause and effect relationships, tying past to present.
SS-HS-5.2.4 Students will explain and evaluate the impact of significant social, political and economic changes during the Progressive Movement (e.g., industrial capitalism, urbanization, political corruption, initiation of reforms), World War I (e.g., imperialism to isolationism, nationalism) and the Twenties (e.g., economic prosperity, consumerism, women’s suffrage).
Learning Targets:What students will know: / What students will be able to do:
How the Progressive era lead to a modern America
How the Progressive era attempted to solve the problems of the Gilded Age / Use notes, textbooks, internet resources, and primary and secondary sources to research information for articles
Explain how the Progressive era targeted reforms in government, society, and labor
Instructional Set/Bell Ringer: (Opening Activity, hooks the student into the lesson)
"Now, it is very necessary that we should not flinch from seeing what is vile and debasing. There is filth on the floor, and it must be scraped up with the muck rake; and there are times and places where this service is the most needed of all the services that can be performed. But the man who never does anything else, who never thinks or speaks or writes, save of his feats with the muck rake, speedily becomes, not a help but one of the most potent forces for evil.... The effort to make financial or political profit out of the destruction of character can only result in calamity."
– Theodore Roosevelt, "The Man with the Muck Rake" speech, 14 April 1906
Have students read the quote above and explain how Roosevelt’s quote is a prime example representing the Muckrakers of the Progressive era.
Transition Activity: (Activity ties the bell ringer to the Learning Experience)
Review what Muckrakers are and what their role in the Progressive era was. Show examples of Muckraker articles and cartoons from the Progressive era and show examples of present day Muckraker articles and cartoons. Divide students into groups of 2 or 3 and ask them to compare and contrast either in a “T-chart” or Venn diagram the examples from then and now.
Learning Experience: (The main activity in the lesson)
Students, in groups of 3 or 4 members, will create a muckraker magazine comprised of articles they research and write about topics that effected government, society, or labor during the Progressive era. Students will need access to textbooks, notes, encyclopedias, or internet in order to conduct their research for each topic. Students will also need access to Microsoft Office Publisher in order to compile their magazine.
Muckraker Magazine Project for the Progressive Era
Each magazine must include the following and should be done in Microsoft Office Publisher. When turning in your magazine, please place it, hole-punched, in either a binder, presentation folder, or folder and plastic sleeves.
1)Cover and name with the editors (ones who put it together) listed on the front, must include a table of contents (pages and stories included).
2)Each story must include a picture/cartoon or graph to solidify or support the article.
3)Each story must take a position on the topic. Support/defend it or disagree/denounce it. Answer the question with facts. Imagine that your reader is getting all their information from your article.
4)Each magazine must include all the topics below.
5)Each person must also include one advertisement for something that would be appropriate for the time period up to 1919. Cars, radios, trips, movies, supplies, clothes, etc.
6)Label each article/story you write. All articles/stories need to be written in the muckraking fashion, exaggerated and elaborate.
Things to include:
- Name of Magazine
- Name of Editors
- All of the articles/stories below
- One advertisement from each group member
- Pictures, graphs, cartoons
- Take a position on your article/story
Article Topics
Women’s suffrage—what difference will women’s votes make?
Plessey v. Ferguson—should segregation be legal?
Trust-busting—Is it fair in a democracy?
Income tax vs. tariff—which collection is the fairest way for the government to make money?
Government reform—direct primaries/recall/initiative/referendums—how did they fairly reform elections
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair—book review, Meat packing or Socialism?
WEB duBois vs. Booker T. Washington—Who is Right regarding integration?
Prohibition—Whose job is it to force morality?
Russia—What are they doing leaving the war?
Teddy Roosevelt vs. Woodrow Wilson—who is the best leadership choice?
Panama Canal—Should the US build and maintain it?
Imperialism—World Power or Isolationist—which works for us?
How the Other Half Lives, Jacob Riis—book review, How do we improve the slums?
Unions—Worker reforms, anarchist or ?
WWI—Should the US get involved?
Lesson Wrap Up: (The closing activity, reiterates what student were to know and be able to do)
This lesson will take about 2-3 fifty minute periods or 1-2 ninety minute blocks. Have each student within the group present their “best” article and advertisement to the class.
Lesson Assessment: (How the teacher will gauge the student learning throughout the lesson)
Grading the magazine with the attached rubric will serve as the assessment for this 150 point assignment.
Rubric for Muckraker Magazine Project
Individual Grades
- Individual grades will be based on student research on their assigned topic.
- Individual grades will also be based on factual information presented in their article, as well as the presentation of the information.
Group Grades
Group grades will be assessed according to the following rubric (Scores: 4=150 pts.; 3=149-130; 2=129-117; and 1=116-105):
Accuracy: Each article must contain completely accurate information from a reliable source regarding the topic with a citation where appropriate. Students need to imagine that a reader would be getting all their information about the topic from the article. Articles need to include vocabulary terms, important people, background information, and cause/effect (if appropriate).
Layout: Each magazine must include all articles in the finished product. Each article must be written in a way that the writer either supports/disagrees or defends/denounces the question/topic being presented. Each writer is also responsible for a time appropriate advertisement.
3 / Design: Groups design a cover and create a name that somewhat corresponds with the time period and includes the names of the editors. In addition, they include a table of contents. A majority of the articles must include a supporting graphic.
Accuracy: Articles contain somewhat accurate information with citations occasionally cited. Not all websites are reliable sources. There is some detail paid to vocabulary, important peoples, and background information. Some connection is made to the time period.
Layout: There are a couple of articles left out of the magazine. Not all articles take a stance on the question/topic being presented. Not all writers contribute a time appropriate advertisement or the advertisement does not fit into the time period.
2 / Design: Cover and magazine title have little to nothing to do with the Progressive Era and names of the editors are left off. There is an incomplete table of contents and only some articles include an supporting graphic.
Accuracy: Very little accurate information is used, writers simply use their own personal knowledge to write the article. A few websites are consulted, but not accurately cited, if used at all. Work might be copied and pasted. Very little vocabulary or background information is used and no connection is made to the time period.
Layout: Several articles are left out of the magazine. Articles are just written with information and the writer takes no stance whatsoever on the question/topic being presented. Only a few inappropriate advertisements are included.
1 / Design: There is no cover, title of magazine, or table of contents include. Students just quickly put their work together. There are no graphics included.
Accuracy: There is no accurate information used. No websites are consulted. No vocabulary or background information is used.
Layout: A majority of the articles are left out. There is no stance taken on the question/topic presented. Only a few inappropriate advertisements are included.
0 / No attempt made at all.
Resources and materials needed: (list of all the items the teacher will need to implement the lesson)
1)Students will need access to textbooks, their notes, encyclopedias, or the internet in order to conduct their research on their specific topic.
2)Access to Microsoft Office Publisher and/or Microsoft Word to produce the layout for the magazine articles and advertisements.
3)If possible, access to the Social Studies School Services Women’s Suffrage CD of resources.
4)Examples of muckrakers articles from the Progressive era and now.