The Life and Times of Emma Goldman: a Curriculum for Middle and High School Students
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 466 975 SO 033 996 AUTHOR Falk, Candace; Reese, Lyn; Dougherty, Mary Agnes TITLE The Life and Times of Emma Goldman: A Curriculum for Middle and High School Students. INSTITUTION California Univ., Berkeley. Emma Goldman Papers Project. SPONS AGENCY National Historical Publications and Records Commission, Washington, DC.; Los Angeles Educational Partnership, CA. PUB DATE 2001-00-00 NOTE 168p. AVAILABLE FROM Emma Goldman Papers, University of California, Berkeley, 2372 Ellsworth Street, Berkeley, CA 94720 ($13). E-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http:/ /sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Curricula/index.html. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Learner (051) Guides Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Curriculum Enrichment; Feminism; Freedom of Speech; High Schools; Immigration; Middle Schools; *Primary Sources; *Social Change; Social Studies; *United States History; *Womens History IDENTIFIERS *Goldman (Emma); Labor History; Radicalism ABSTRACT Emma Goldman (1869-1940) is a major figure in the history of radicalism and feminism in the United States. In a period when the expression of controversial ideas was dangerous, Goldman insisted on her right to challenge convention. She was among the most prominent advocates of labor's right to organize, reproductive rights, sexual freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of the individual. Goldman left an intriguing body of personal papers, including correspondence and writings; and her activities generated extensive newspaper coverage, government surveillance reports, and legal papers. The documents in this teaching unit are drawn from a massive archive collected by the Emma Goldman Papers Project at the University of California (Berkeley). They are organized into five themes or topics: (1) "Immigration"; (2) "Freedom of Expression"; (3) "Women's Rights"; (4) "Anti-militarism"; and (5) "Art and Literature of Social Change." The topics can be taught in any sequence. Each of the five themes includes suggested activities that students may use to explore the broader significance of the documents and their context. A brief introduction to Emma Goldman and a timeline are provided for students. A glossary of terms appearing in the documents is included along with a selected resources section of annotations on books, media, and literature. (BT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EMMA GOLDMAN 0 cmiumTeir Mfiddle znd Hfi.Ella Schee_ StE,Rdellat 2001 Emma Goldman Papers University of California, Berkeley 2372 Ellsworth Street, Berkeley, CA 94720 C:31 e-mail: emnia(&,uclink.berkelev.edu. C.31i Cr) Cr)http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Curricula/index.html O (/) The Emma Goldman Papers' primary sponsor is the National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives in Washington; other federal and private funding supports our continued research. The Project director is Goldman biographer Dr. Candace Falk. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEST COPY AVAILABLE CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY jgr This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. LA& Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 1 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EMMA GOLDMAN A Curriculum for Middle and High School Students Credits 6 et, /6 '11, f!,ti ti t I 4 eX eJ ** ,, b ** .4 e e) e, el el t .4 .4 Principal Writers Candace Falk, Ph.D. Lyn Reese and Mary Agnes Dougherty Editors and Production Staff Managing Editors: Sally Thomas and Stephen Cole, Ph.D. Susan Wengraf Research Assistants Tamara Falicov Allyson Roessler Amy Scharf Los Angeles Educational Partnership Advisors Neil Anstead James Bechtel Alexa Maxwell Chris Miller Eric Schoenbaum Patrick Scott Howard Wilf Consultants June Brumer Sarah Crome Elise Trumbull Estrin Susan Groves Sheila Weintraub Beth Wilson This publication was made possible by a grant from the Los Angeles Educational Partnership. New Directions Curriculum Developers specializes in creating educational materials for schools, museums, videos, and special projects. For more information, contact: Lyn Reese and Mary Agnes Dougherty 1030Spruce Street Berkeley, CA94707 510-524-0304 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EMMA GOLDMAN A Curriculum for Middle and High School Students it,it! t ** ,, ,,** ttttittttttIttttt ** ** *** ** tt tldttt t t t TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface: Linking Emma Goldman to Standard Curriculum Themes Using the Documents Student Materials Brief Introduction to Emma Goldman Timeline Topics Topic 1: Immigration Topic 2: Freedom of Expression Topic 3: Women's Rights Topic 4: Anti-Militarism Topic 5: Art and Literature of Social Change Biographical Essay on Emma Goldman Glossary Selected Resources Recommended Films and Videos Selected Bibliography 24 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EMMA GOLDMAN A Curriculum for Middle and High School Students Preface: Linking Emma Goldman to Standard Curriculum Themes S. 4: 45 45 45 45 ..1 45 45 45 4.) 4, lb 4k, 4U 14 Al qr 45 45 45 45 45 415 15 15 45 41, 01, 0, it, II, 5 5 It /5 Emma Goldman (1869-1940) is a major figure in the history of American radicalism and feminism. In a period when the expression of controversial ideas was itself dangerous, Goldman insisted on her right to challenge convention. Goldman devoted her life to asserting the individual's potential for freedom that otherwise was obscured by a system of social and economic constraints. She was among America's most prominent advocates of labor's right to organize, reproductive rights, sexual freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of the individual. As passionate in her personal life as in her political life, Goldman left an intriguing body of personal papers, including correspondence and writings; and her activities generated extensive newspaper coverage, government surveillance reports, and legal papers. The documents in this curriculum unit are drawn from a massive archive collected by the Emma Goldman Papers Project. They are linked to the following standard social studies and humanities curriculum themes: Art and literature--Social change reflected through creative expression First Amendment rights--Legislative restraints against individual expression and privacy, free speech campaigns, free speech organizations, vigilante violence, legal challenges defining the right to dissent, analysis of federal vs. state and local authorities' jurisdiction over First Amendment rights Labor--Factory conditions, labor unrest, violence against strikers, the Industrial Workers of the World, syndicalism, organizing for the eight-hour work day Progressive Politics--Definition and appeal of anarchism, McKinley assassination, similarities and differences between reformers, socialists, anarchists, communists, and liberal progressives Red Scare--Government investigation of radicals and raids of their offices and organizations, arrests and deportation, particular vulnerability of aliens to political repression Rise of industrialism--Conditions of industrial workers, workers in conflict with industrial capitalists, impact of women entering the labor force, industrial unionism 3 Immigration--Motives for immigration; immigrants' aspirations and expectations; the realities of working life for immigrants Women's Rights -- Critique of suffrage, women's liberation, birth control movement, motherhood and rearing of children, free love, sexuality, domestic inequality, discrimination in the workplace World War I--Resistance to President Wilson's "preparedness" program, anti- conscription, conscientious objectors, economic analysis of the war effort, repression of dissent Yellow Journalism--News coverage, political cartoons, identifying bias, popular fears of anarchism and women Goldman was part of a blossoming culture of dissent. Her anarchism was one of many political philosophies of her time, including socialism, communism, utopianism, populism, and progressivism, that challenged and influenced the evolution of the dominant social and political culture. As an anarchist, Goldman maintained that social justice and individual freedom could not be legislated by the state. Instead, she argued that a complete transformation of social values and economic relations was needed. In nationwide lecture tours, Goldman took her message to the people and in the process tested a democratic society's tolerance for dissent. Goldman believed that "the most violent element in society is ignorance." The government and most newspaper reporters responded fearfully to Goldman's iconoclastic ideas as well as to her confrontational style. She was shadowed by police and vigilantes determined to suppress her talks and was arrested frequently. In 1919, after spending a year and a half in prison for her open opposition to conscription and to U.S. entry into World War I, Goldman was deported. Standard school texts often ignore Goldman and other challenging voices, or only briefly mention them. This absence of an historical record of controversy in the curriculum not only denies students access to a full range of ideas but also ultimately limits their ability to understand and analyze the past. Recent educational reforms encourage classroom use of primary sources as the