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Civil Service Reform: Senate Debates
Students examine the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. They discuss the spoils system, answer discussion questions, read and analyze speeches, complete a worksheet summarizing their findings, and report their findings to the class.
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"you Shall Not Crucify Mankind Upon a Cross of Gold!": The Issue of Bimetallism in the Late Nineteenth-Century
Learners investigate the monetary system during the late 19th-century. They view a video, answer discussion questions, read and discuss text, and write an essay justifying either the pro-silver or pro-gold standard side.
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The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
Students examine the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. They discuss the concepts of value-of-service pricing and cost-of-service pricing, read and discuss text, and debate the reasons for and legitimacy of price differences in service.
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Campaign Songs as Propaganda:Free Trade vs. Protectionism - In Whose Interest?
Students analyze campaign messages about tariffs in a 19th-century campaign song. They read and discuss the lyrics, complete an analysis worksheet, and identify the intended audience of the song's message.
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Women in Progressive Era
Learners study the Progressive Era. They identify the important people, places, and evens of the Era and determine how women influenced the progressive movement. In addition, they create an article to address issues related to the movement.
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Political Cartoons
Students analyze cartoons by identifying the symbols, characters and information and its significance in history. They examine the economic and political changes in contemporary America. They determine that political cartoons play an...
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The Free Trade Conundrum: Balancing Worker Wages and Consumer Prices Comparing the 19th and 21st Centuries
Exploring the concepts of free trade and protectionism, students compare and contrast 19th and 21st century arguments for and against the tariff.
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"You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!" The Issue Bimetallism in the Late Nineteenth-Century
Young scholars research the basis of the monetary system suring the 19th century. They complete a worksheet and justify the pro-silver or the pro-gold argument.
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"Death to King Alcohol!" Temperance in the 19th Century
Eleventh graders utilize 19th century songs, drawings, and lecture materials to explore the temperance movement in the US during the 19th century. They form a classroom Washington Temperance Society and work in groups to analyze...
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A Literature of Democracy
Eleventh graders analyze how American literature shows a lot of different genres. In groups, 11th graders create a short report about the passage they have chosen.
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The WCTU and the Lynching Controversy
Students analyze writings of famous authors and record their positions on lynching and segregation. They research arguments to explore the attitudes of people in the South and the North during the 19th century.
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"Death To King Alcohol!" Temperance in the 19th Century
Students analyze songs, drawings and stories from the 19th century temperance movement. They work together in groups to form a temperance society within their classroom and analyze strategies of campaigns during the movement.
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Civil Service Reform: Campaign Contributions
Students investigate the campaign contribution scandal in Illinois during the 1990s. They listen to a teacher-led discussion, answer discussion questions, compare/contrast two reform acts, and write their own civil service law.
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19th Century Immigration.
Eleventh graders analyze primary source cartoons depicting discrimination against immigrants. They study the historical relationship Dominican Republic has had with the United States. They assess how this relationship is linked to...
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New Sights and Sounds: Inventions That Changed A Century
Students analyze the role and impact of technological innovation in the late 19th and early 20th century. They evaluate manuscripts, sound recordings, and motion pictures to construct historical meaning. Students observe the connections...
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Progressive Era - Muckraking
Students discuss muckraking and societal changes. In this progressive era lesson, students review photographs and read excerpts from The Jungle. Students select a task of their choice, sorting events into categories, writing a letter,...
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Songs of Protest/Songs of Unity: 1865 to the Present
Learners study song-poems from 1865 to the present. They explore the works of Woody Guthrie and the Almanac Singers (including Pete Seeger).
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Work And Resistance In America
Students investigate the history and events that surround the industrial revolution. They conduct research using secondary sources. They look reflectively at the history in order to build an idea of how the arts could have influenced the...
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Is there such a thing as too much profit?
Eleventh graders discuss the concepts of value-of-service pricing and cost-of service pricing. They debate the reasons for and legitimacy of price differences in service. # students predict the effectiveness of the 1887 Interstate...
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Civil Service Reform: Senate Debates
Eleventh graders outline civil service reform proposals made by Senators during debates on Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. They interpret 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act to see if it incorporated Senators' proposals or...
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Civil Service Reform: Campaign Contributions
Eleventh graders discuss the 19th-century spoils system. They discuss the 1990s licenses for bribes campaign contribution scandal that occurred under George Ryan's (Illinois's then-Secretary of State) tenure. .
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Dress Reform in the 19th Century
Eleventh graders utilize the writings of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Timothy Shay Arthur, Elizabeth Smith Miller, Frances Hard and others to explore the dress reform movements of the mid to late 19th century.
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Edison National Historic Site
Students use maps, readings and photos to research and describe how Thomas Edison created the first modern laboratory complex. They simulate the process of invention and consider how technological advances have affected their own...
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Dress Reform in the 19th Century
Students read and discuss the writings of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Timothy Shay Arthur and others to explore mid to late 19th century dress reform. They use their findings to write a letter to an editor from a 19th century viewpoint.