Making+Things+Better

=Unit 6: Making Things Better=
 * Describe the changing workplace of the late 1800s and its problems
 * Explain the role of a free press in a democracy and give examples of its power through the muckrakers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
 * Summarize the challenges immigrants of the late nineteenth century faced in the U.S. Cities
 * identify individuals and groups who worked toward reform in conservation, city life, factories, and child labor and the resistance they faced
 * Differentiate between population density and population distribution
 * Analyze immigration trends of the late 1800s
 * Recognize differing views on government regulation and the use of land and natural resources int he late 1800s
 * Distinguish between the goals of socialists and those who support regulation of capitalism

Links
A Year in Fashion Photographs Of US 1880-1920

Key Words

 * anarchism:** the rejection of all forms of government based on the belief that government restricts individual freedom; someone who supports anarchism is called an anarchist
 * socialism:** a system in which the government or the whole community owns the major means of production (such as factories)
 * union:** an organization of workers who use their collective strength to bargain for pay and better working conditions
 * sweatshop:** a workplace where workers are forced to work long hours for low pay in hot, cramped, dirty rooms, with no provision for safety, comfort, or refreshment
 * collective bargaining:** negotiations between organized workers and their employers
 * muckraker:** an investigative journalist who exposes corruption and injustice
 * fourth estate:** the public press -- the media is sometimes viewed as an unofficial fourth branch of the government
 * expose:** a publication that exposes wrongdoing to the public
 * investigative journalism:** reporting by a journalist investigating wrongdoing that affects the public

Lesson 1: Changes at Work
As American businesses grew, owners and managers often looked on workers as just another resource to be exploited. Workers, trying to improve conditions for themselves, organized into unions. The new unions faced stiff opposition from business leaders, the government, and much of the public. Haymarket Square Labor vs. Management
 * 1) Read Chapter 16 in //A History of US: An Age of Extremes// by Joy Hakim
 * 2) Understand the meaning of the words anarchism; socialism; union
 * 3) What was life like for an American Laborer in the late 1800s? Be prepared to discuss typical salary and working conditions.

Lesson 2: Samuel Gompers
By focusing on improving conditions for workers rather than on transforming American society, immigrant cigar maker Samuel Gompers provided leadership that helped the labor union movement grow. media type="custom" key="19197966" media type="youtube" key="UdNYqBP_5q4" height="315" width="560" What is a Shirtwaist? AFL-CIO Website American Federation of Labor Audio Biography of Samuel Gompers
 * 1) Read Chapter 17 in //A History of US: An Age of Extremes// by Joy Hakim
 * 2) Read //Workers unite! : the American labor movement// by Kevin Hillstrom
 * 3) Be prepared to discuss the role of unions during this time period
 * 4) Read Chapter 20 in //A History of US: An Age of Extremes// by Joy Hakim

Lesson 3: Mother Jones
People like Mother Jones and the muckrakers struggled endlessly to make the public aware of problems and change American society. media type="youtube" key="84vSVvaGsE4" height="315" width="420" Mother Jones Museum Child Labor Photographs Telling It Like It Is
 * 1) Read //The story of Mother Jones// by Rachel A. Koestler-Grack
 * 2) Write a profile of Mother Jones to add to your Profiles in American History section
 * 3) Define muckraker
 * 4) Review the photographs from the link above - how old do you think these children are? What do you think their life was like?
 * 5) Read Chapter 22 in //A History of US: An Age of Extremes// by Joy Hakim

Lesson 4: The Power of the Press
For a democracy to work well, the people need to know what is happening. It is the job of the press to keep people informed. Spreading news and other information is so important in our society that the press has been called the "fourth estate"; or the unofficial fourth branch of the government. In the late nineteenth century, journalists began to expose wrongdoings in U.S. society and government, and investigative journalism--or muckraking--developed. The Fourth Estate
 * 1) What is the role of a free press in a democratic society? Do you think a democracy (government by the people) can exist without a free press? What about free speech?
 * 2) Identify things at home that have warnings, government inspection seals, or useful consumer information.
 * 3) Read Chapter 23 and 24 in //A History of US: An Age of Extremes// by Joy Hakim

Lesson 5: Raking Muck and Tackling Trusts
The muckrakers developed investigative journalism to expose wrongdoings in U.S. society and government. S.S. McClure paid good writers enough to earn a living. Ida Tarbell led the way when the muckrakers used their pens to curb the uncontrolled power of the trusts. Audio Biography of Ida Tarbell Raking Muck Muckrakers
 * 1) Read //Ida Tarbell : pioneer investigative reporter// by Barbara A. Somerville
 * 2) Listen to the audio biography from link above
 * 3) The Standard Oil Monopoly Visit this site and defend your position>
 * 4) Identify at least two muckrakers near the turn of the twentieth century
 * 5) Complete the Muckrakers, Exposes, and Reforms Sheet

Lesson 6: Citizen of the Earth
Naturalist John Muir used his scientists eye and poetic tongue to help save America's wilderness. He exposed abuses that threatened to destroy the beauty of the natural landscape, and founded the Sierra Club to continue the work after his death.

media type="youtube" key="-CDzhIvugw8" height="315" width="560" John Muir Exhibit Sierra Club National Park Service WebRangers
 * 1) Read //The camping trip that changed America : Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our national parks// by Barb Rosenstock
 * 2) Read Chapter 25 in //A History of US: An Age of Extremes// by Joy Hakim
 * 3) What is the purpose of the National Park Service today? What was the first National Park and when was it dedicated?
 * 4) In 1906, Congress passed the Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities. It authorized the president to set aside what kids of lands owned or controlled by the United States?
 * 5) [[file:John Muir.pdf]]
 * 6) [[file:John Muir Worksheets.pdf]]

Lesson 7: Women of Peace
Jane Addams tackled the problem of urban poverty by going into the slums of Chicago to establish a community living and learning center. Her activism resulted in child-labor protections, public playgrounds, a juvenile court system, and garbage inspections. These efforts eventually led to a Nobel Peace Prize. media type="youtube" key="Tw4GZeABlNI" height="315" width="560" Jane Addams - Nobel Peace Prize History of the Nobel Peace Prize
 * 1) Read //Jane Addams : social reformer and Nobel Prize winner// by Pam Rosenberg
 * 2) Read Chapter 32 in //A History of US: An Age of Extremes// by Joy Hakim
 * 3) Write a page about Jane Addams for your Profiles in American History section; include what things she did to improve the life of Chicago's poor.

Lesson 8: How Close Are We?
Modern urban America started taking shape in the late 1800s. changes in society and an increasing population, including the influx of millions of immigrants, led to tremendous urban growth. By 1914, as many Americans lied in cities as in rural areas. Population-density maps can help illustrate the urbanization of the United States. US Population Stats from 1900