Question/Problem 1: What were the political, economic, and social reforms that shaped America?

Objectives

Description of lesson/activity

Resources

1. describe the reforms of this time period and the conditions they sought to improve. Reforms worked to:

   · expose corruption
   · reform political institutions
   · regulate industry
   · regulate interstate commerce
   · provide for the needy
   · promote civil rights
   · extend women's suffrage
   · protect natural resources
   · promote temperance
   

2. evaluate reform movements through an examination of the following criteria:

   · reforms which benefitted the largest number of people
   · reforms which were of greatest value to society
   · reforms which did away with the greatest evil
   · reforms which had the longest lasting impact
   

Description of lesson/activity:

1. The teacher should share with students excerpts from the accompanying "Populist Party Platform" worksheet. This may work best as a whole class activity, since the excerpt is difficult to read and understand.

2. After a discussion of conditions in the United States as evidenced in Unit VII and the above mentioned worksheet, the teacher should explain to the students that they are going to take a closer look at the political, economic, and social reforms attempted during this time period.

3. Students should be assigned to one of nine groups. Each group should be assigned one of the accompanying worksheets. Each of these worksheets directs research on one of the following topics: political reform, interstate commerce, temperance, regulation of industry, conservation, women's suffrage, civil rights, helping the needy, and exposing corruption. When the group receives the worksheet they should follow the instructions on the sheet. The teacher may want to stress to students that the excerpt at the top of the page truly sets the stage for the research that their group will be asked to do.

   Each group, using textbooks and available library/media materials, should research important information about each of the four people or actions on the bottom of group worksheet.

4. After the research is completed, the group should prepare a poster to share with the rest of the class. As class "experts" on their assigned topic, each group should create a poster which describes their topic and explains how the people and actions on their worksheet brought about reform. (See "Data Recording" worksheet for specific directions.)

5. When each group has completed their poster, the teacher should display them all in the room. Using copies of the accompanying "Data Recording" worksheet, individuals should gather information from all posters.

6. Students will then use the gathered information to write a persuasive essay. Directions for that essay are found on the accompanying "Essay Assignment Sheet." Students should also receive the accompanying "Criteria for Essay: Three Most Significant Reforms" assessment sheet at the same time.

1. Student textbook

2. "Populist Party Platform" worksheet

3. Nine worksheets on areas (topics) of reform:

   Political Reform

   Interstate Commerce

   Temperance

   Regulation of Industry

   Conservation

   Woman's Suffrage

   Civil Rights

   Helping the Needy

   Exposing Corruption

4. "Data Recording" worksheet

   Data Recording Worksheet

   Data Recording Worksheet

5. "Essay Assignment Sheet" handout

6. "Criteria for Essay: Three Most Significant Reforms" handout