Day 1 - Just What Are You Eating

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all About It! Author: Sara Chavarria Editor: Stephanie Nardei

Time: 4 class periods Preparation Photocopy all handouts Time: Materials: Handout 1-The Jungle text Handout 2-Bitter Cry of Children text Handout 3-The Jungle character list Handout 4- Matrix

Abstract This Explain lesson takes the information learned from the previous lesson and in a more in-depth manner investigates the regulatory reforms that began taking place during the Progressive Era due to muckraker literature. In the final product students will be responsible for a list of regulatory reforms with dates and descriptions of how they changed the workplace.

Objectives Students will be able to: 1. Synthesize information on increasing regulatory reforms during the Progressive Era through individual research and presentation of material.

National Council for History in the Schools: Historical Thinking Standards  Standard 2G: Draw upon visual data, literary, and musical sources.  Standard 4A: Formulate historical questions.  Standard 5A: Identify issues and problems in the past.

United States History Standards  Era 6 Standard1: How the rise of corporations, heavy industry, and mechanized farming transformed the American people.  Era 6 Standard3: The rise of the American labor movement and how political issues reflected social and economic changes.  Era 7 Standard 1: How Progressives and others addressed problems of industrial capitalism, urbanization, and political corruption.

Teacher Background The reformers of the Progressive Era advocated the Efficiency Movement. Progressives assumed that anything old was encrusted with inefficient and useless practices. A scientific study of the problem would enable experts to discover the "one best solution." Progressives strongly opposed waste and corruption, and tended to assume that opponents were motivated by ignorance or corruption. They sought change in all policies at all levels of society, economy and government. Initially the movement was successful at local level, and then it progressed to state and gradually national. The reformers (and their opponents) were predominantly members of the middle class. Most were well educated, white, Protestants who lived in the cities. Catholics, Jews and African Americans had their own versions of the Progressive Movement. Women came to the fore in the Progressive era and proved their value as social workers. The Progressives pushed for social justice, general equality and public safety, but there were contradictions within the movement, especially regarding race. The Catholics had their own version of the movement which they applied to their schools, colleges, and hospitals.

Related and Resource Websites The Jungle list of characters: http://www.bookrags.com/notes/jun/CHR.htm John Spargo text: http://www.trinity.edu/departments/history/faculty/Miller/Progressive%20Era %20Readings/progressive_era_readings.htm American Journalists: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAjournalists.htm Progressive Era Readings: http://www.trinity.edu/departments/history/faculty/Miller/Progressive%20Era %20Readings/progressive_era_readings.htm Progressive Era on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Era America’s Library: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/progress Progressive Era History Resources: http://www.snowcrest.net/jmike/progressive.html Women in the Progressive Era: http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/pwwmh/prog.htm Digital History: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/progressivism/index.cfm Lesson Plan on Progressive Era: http://home.earthlink.net/~gfeldmeth/lec.prog.html Upton Sinclair: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/sinclair.htm The Bitter Cry of Our Children http://web.mala.bc.ca/davies/H321GildedAge/Spargo.BitterCryofChildren.1906.htm John Spargo on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spargo Immigrants in the Meatpacking Industry http://www.hsl.creighton.edu/hsl/guides/Ethics-meatpacking.html

Activity Days 1 & 2 1. At the end of the last lesson, the class identified that wage, hours, over crowdedness and unsanitary conditions were workplace factors that threatened a workers health. Using the information gleaned from the last lessons research activity, offer questions that this information helps to raise:

2. On an overhead start to write down student questions. (Below are some of the topics they might cover.)

Possible questions to be raised that students might offer:

. Should there be a limit on the number of hours a person works each week? . Why or why not? . What is a fair wage? . How is a minimum wage calculated? . Should every citizen of the US have access to an education? . Should this include working children? . Should workers have the right to be protected in the work place? . Should workers be compensated when injured? . How can these rights, if adopted, be regulated? . Are unions good for the worker?

3. Give students the following information: During the 1st 15 years of the 20th century (The Progressive Era) these questions were being raised as well. They were being raised by Progressive activists and muckrakers that urged for regulation at the workplace. 4. Take time with students to define the two words in notes:

a. Progressive: ask for student input. Problems! Have them use their books. b. Muckrakers: ask for student input. (use textbooks for help)

(Note that the progressives and muckrakers also addressed other topics of political and social reform.)

5. Ponder questions: . Is there a correlation between writings by Progressive activists and muckrakers and Regulation Reform?

Students will investigate when regulatory reforms effectively begin to take place at the work place?

6. Put students in groups of three. Give each group a copy of Handout 1 (2 parts) and Handout 2. Handout 1 introduces some of the text from Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle. It has been divided into two parts that tell the story of a different person at different jobs. Handout 2 introduces students to some of John Spargo’s text from The Bitter Cry of the Children. Have them divide the material equally. They might want to exchange at some point to read at least two of the texts. Give students time to read the material in class. If they do not finish, continue the following day (or assign as homework if enough copies are made). As they read they are to add any additional questions to their list that may be triggered by these descriptions. Handout 3 is to be available for reference so that the students understand who the characters in Sinclair’s novel are.

7. When done have them share their additional questions with the class. Teacher will add new questions to the list on the overhead.

Days 3 8. Having read what sort of information muckrakers exposed, have students conduct 1 day of research into how worker related regulation took effect in the 20th century, including labor union information. They must identify regulatory reforms with dates to have taken place locally, statewide, and finally at the national level for the industry they had researched in the previous lesson. With each regulatory reform they identify – they must have a brief description of what it regulated and how. All materials will go into their notes.

Day 4 9. When done, they will share the information with the class through oral presentations (no more than 5 minutes). The class as a whole will fill out Handout 4 and construct a list of regulations with dates and descriptions.

Closure

10. End with the following questions:

Look at your list of questions.

. What questions seem to have been addressed with the Regulatory reforms of the Progressive Eras? . Which have not been addressed? Put a check mark next to any that have been addressed by reforms. Take note of any that are left over.

Embedded Assessment

Oral presentations and matrix.

Homework

If applicable