The Progressive Movement—what was its impact?

Lesson 1

Day 1

Title: Introduction to Unit on Progressives: Build on What Students Know

Objectives

Students will:

1. Recall, discuss and build on what they have studied about immigration, the growth of cities and the rise of big business—all problems facing Progressives.
2. Examine a set of photographs of New York City in the early 1900s to begin to describe life at this time using primary sources.
3. Be able to define primary and secondary sources.

Materials (online primary sources, student reading, activity sheets, supplies):

• Flip chart and markers
• Talking points for teacher reference on Immigration, Growth of Cities, and Rise of Big Business
• Photo Collage of New York City in Early 1900s with six photos
• Three-column worksheet for note taking
• Overhead projector and transparencies

Strategies (include opening or hook and closing)

1. Hook: Use the Photo Collage of New York City in Early 1900s. Either use a computer at this website to project pictures on a screen or make photos into transparencies and use overhead projector to show students.
   http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/
   timeline/progress/cities/nycphoto.html
2. Have students answer these questions about the photos:
• What do you see in these photos? Focusing on one photo at a time, have students describe what they actually see.
• Based on what you see in these photos, what can you infer or conclude about life in New York City in the early 1900s?
• What questions do these photos raise in your mind?
3. Write “Progressives” on the center of a flip chart page and ask students to brainstorm their associations with this word. Write their associations as a web around the central word. Save this flip chart web to compare it to the one at the end of this unit.
4. Briefly describe this unit to students noting that they will be creating exhibits at the end. Explain that they will soon hear more details.
5. Ask students to think back to what they have learned about immigration, the growth of cities, and the rise of big business.
• To do this, have students work in pairs and divide the class so that one-third of students will be working one each of the three topics.
• Give students five minutes in their pairs to discuss and write what they recall about their topic without using their textbook or notes.
• Have students report out their findings, and as they do, teacher records basic information on overhead projector transparencies. Correct students as necessary.
• Direct students to create and take notes in three-columns on: Immigration/ Cities/ Big Business.
• At this point, teacher uses Talking Points for Teacher Reference to expand on what students remembered. Tell students that the Talking Points come from reference books and websites that provide background information.
• Explain to students that these conditions served as the context for the Progressive movement.
6. Finish this lesson by explaining the difference between primary and secondary sources
   • A primary source is material that is contemporary to the events being examined. Primary sources can be letters, contemporary newspaper accounts including political cartoons, or photographs. They can also be oral histories, memoirs, or autobiographies, later recollections of the time by someone who was there.
   • Secondary sources are books or articles written about an event or aspects of a past event, using primary sources. Secondary sources interpret original documents and are often historical narratives that give you background information about the topic you want to research.
   Ask students what examples from today’s lesson are primary sources (the photos) and which are secondary sources (the Talking Points sources).
7. Homework: Assign students to find and bring in an example of a primary source.

Differentiation

This lesson accounts for visual learners and those who might have trouble working with challenging documents by beginning with having students examine the photos. It accommodates several learning styles including whole class activities and paired student work.

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