The Muckraking Times: Magazine Assignment
Class: United States History & Government
Unit: The Progressive Era
Essential Question: How did Progressive Reformers use writing as a catalyst for social change near the turn of the century (late 1800’s – early 1900’s)?
Introduction
In the early 1900's, America was plagued by a multitude of societal ills and injustices. From the abuses of the working class and their poor working and living conditions, to the excesses of the wealthy, to the denial of women and minority rights, many people demanded reform. During this time Americans began working to fight corruption in local government, reduce the power of big business and improve society. To bring about change, reformers first had to ignite public outrage. A newer and more investigative journalistic style known as “muckraking” emerged and exposed for the public many of our nation's problems. These “muckrakers” used the press as a weapon to change public opinion. They visited slums and described the horrible conditions that existed there. They also photographed shocking images of slum life. Ultimately, these investigative journalists aided the reform movement greatly by educating Americans to the nation's social and political problems.
Task: Congratulations!!! You have just been hired as an investigative journalist for a major metropolitan newspaper known as The Muckraking Times during the tumultuous years following the turn of the century (late 1800’s to early 1900’s). Your assignment is to research and expose the negative aspects of industrial life such as the growth of monopolies, political corruption, poor inner city living conditions, poor working conditions, and hazardous consumer products. Your newspaper editors will assign you an issue/problem and it will be your task to report on that issue and write a persuasive article that calls the American people to action in order to resolve it!
Topics
· Corporations/ Growth of Monopolies
· Political Corruption
· Inner City Living Conditions
· Factory Conditions/ Consumer Protection
Project Steps:
1. Investigation: Use the suggested website links as well as your own research skills to complete the graphic organizer and gather information about your assigned issue.
2. Using the information gathered from your investigation, write a persuasive news article that exposes the particular issue you’ve been assigned and calls the American people to action.
3. Use the template provided to in order to put your information together and present it in the form of a newspaper article.
General Requirements:
· 11 Point font, Times New Roman
· A catchy headline that grabs the reader’s attention
· At least one visual image that is related to the issue you’re writing about
· At least one political cartoon (with a caption) that you have found or created and is related to the issue you’re writing about.
Writing Requirements
Introduction paragraph
· Introduces the topic by defining the Industrial Revolution and Progressive Movement and explaining how they are connected.
· A specific thesis that outlines the problem you are going to expose in your article and a general plan to address that problem.
Body Paragraph #1
· An explanation of how this problem was a result of the Industrial Revolution as well as any other background information that can provide the reader with the context around the issue.
· At least two statistics that support your thesis and prove there is a problem.
· An explanation of how the statistics you have presented prove that there is a problem and that action needs to be taken.
Body Paragraph #2
· An example of a Progressive Era writer that has written about the same issue you are writing about (for example: Jacob Riis & inner city living conditions) and an explanation of how this author’s work relates to and supports yours.
· A call to action in which you suggest a plan or set of ideas that can address and ultimately solve the issue.
Conclusion Paragraph
· A summary of the problem you are writing about and how it was caused
· A summary of the solution to the problem
· Your final statement that will convince the readers to take action and demand change.
Issue: The Growth of Monopolies
Research Questions / Student Notes (in bulleted form)Define the following terms:
Progressive Era, Monopoly, Pool, Trust, Laissez-Faire Capitalism, Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
How has the Industrial Revolution contributed to this issue?
Why is this a problem for American society? What are the negative results of this issue?
Provide at least two statistics that are related to this issue
Who was Ida Tarbell and what did she write about in the book The History of the Standard Oil Company?
Identify at least one action taken by local or federal government in order to address this issue (for example an act passed by congress).
Research: Suggested Websites
http://www.mrlocke.com/US_History/book_files/6.3.pdf
http://www.shmoop.com/gilded-age/economy.html
http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/ushisgov/themes/economic/ind.cfm
http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/ushisgov/themes/reform/industrial.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/rockefellers-tarbell/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web10/segment5_p.html
Extra Graphic Organizer (for students who need extra room to write!!)
Research Questions / Student Notes (in bulleted form)Define the following terms:
Progressive Era, Monopoly, Pool, Trust, Laissez-Faire Capitalism, Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
How has the Industrial Revolution contributed to this issue?
Why is this a problem for American society? What are the negative results of this issue?
Provide at least two statistics that are related to this issue
Who was Ida Tarbell and what did she write about in the book The History of the Standard Oil Company?
Identify at least one action taken by local or federal government in order to address this issue (for example an act passed by congress).
Issue: Political Corruption
Research Questions / Student Notes (in bulleted form)Define the following terms:
Political Machines/ Machine-Politics, Graft/ Grafting, Boss Tweed, Pendleton Civil Service Act, Recall, Referendum, 17th Amendment
How has the Industrial Revolution contributed to this issue?
Why is this a problem for American society? What are the negative results of this issue?
Provide at least two statistics that are related to this issue
Who was Lincoln Steffens and what did he write about in the book The Shame of Cities?
Identify at least one action taken by local or federal government in order to address this issue (for example an act passed by congress).
Extra Graphic Organizer (for students who need extra room to write!!)
Research Questions / Student Notes (in bulleted form)Define the following terms:
Political Machines/ Machine-Politics, Graft/ Grafting, Boss Tweed, Pendleton Civil Service Act, Recall, Referendum, 17th Amendment
How has the Industrial Revolution contributed to this issue?
Why is this a problem for American society? What are the negative results of this issue?
Provide at least two statistics that are related to this issue
Who was Lincoln Steffens and what did he write about in the book The Shame of Cities?
Identify at least one action taken by local or federal government in order to address this issue (for example an act passed by congress).
Research: Suggested Websites
http://www.mrlocke.com/US_History/book_files/7.3.pdf
http://www.shmoop.com/muckrakers-reformers/politics.html
http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Politics-in-the-Gilded-Age-1865-1900-COMPLETE2.html
http://www.apstudynotes.org/us-history/topics/gilded-age-scandal-and-corruption/
http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/2010-11/Journalism/index5534.html?page_id=6
Issue: Poor Inner City Living Conditions
Research Questions / Student Notes (in bulleted form)Define the following terms: Progressive Era, Urbanization, tenement housing, settlement houses, Jane Adams & The Hull House.
How has the Industrial Revolution contributed to this issue?
Why is this a problem for American society? What are the negative results of this issue?
Provide at least two statistics that are related to this issue
Who was Jacob Riis and what did he write about in the book How the Other Half Lives?
Identify at least one action taken by local or federal government in order to address this issue (for example an act passed by congress).
Extra Graphic Organizer (for students who need extra room to write!!)
Research Questions / Student Notes (in bulleted form)Define the following terms: Progressive Era, Urbanization, tenement housing, settlement houses, Jane Adams & The Hull House.
How has the Industrial Revolution contributed to this issue?
Why is this a problem for American society? What are the negative results of this issue?
Provide at least two statistics that are related to this issue
Who was Jacob Riis and what did he write about in the book How the Other Half Lives?
Identify at least one action taken by local or federal government in order to address this issue (for example an act passed by congress).
Research Suggested Websites
http://www.mrlocke.com/US_History/book_files/7.2.pdf
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/gildedage/section4.rhtml
http://www.ushistory.org/us/38b.asp
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/1900/peopleevents/pande11.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91981589
Issue: Poor Factory Conditions/ Unsafe Consumer Products
Research Questions / Student Notes (in bulleted form)Define the following terms: Progressive Era, Meat Inspection Act, Pure Food & Drug Act,
How has the Industrial Revolution contributed to this issue?
Why is this a problem for American society? What are the negative results of this issue?
Provide at least two statistics that are related to this issue
Who was Upton Sinclair and what did he write about in the book The Jungle?
Identify at least one action taken by local or federal government in order to address this issue (for example an act passed by congress).
Extra Graphic Organizer (for students who need extra room to write!!)
Research Questions / Student Notes (in bulleted form)Define the following terms: Progressive Era, Meat Inspection Act, Pure Food & Drug Act,
How has the Industrial Revolution contributed to this issue?
Why is this a problem for American society? What are the negative results of this issue?
Provide at least two statistics that are related to this issue
Who was Upton Sinclair and what did he write about in the book The Jungle?
Identify at least one action taken by local or federal government in order to address this issue (for example an act passed by congress).
Research Suggested Websites
http://www.mrlocke.com/US_History/book_files/9.3.pdf
http://www.shmoop.com/the-jungle/
http://chnm.gmu.edu/7tah/unitdocs/unit7/lesson3/workingconditions.pdf
http://www.shmoop.com/progressive-era-politics/labor.html
Newspaper Article Template
The Muckraking times
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