Standard 3: Analyze the transformation of the American economy and the changing social and political conditions in response to the Industrial Revolution.

Test your knowledge of the "Roaring Twenties" with a 9-question multiple choice quiz provided by Khan Academy. Good luck!

Type: Assessment

Test your knowledge of the Progressive era with this 5-question multiple choice quiz!

Type: Assessment

Test your knowledge of the Gilded Age with this 10-question multiple choice quiz!

Type: Assessment

Students will build upon prior knowledge of containment by analysis of primary sources that support and critique how to respond to the spread of communism. They will categorize these sources as ‘for’ or ‘against’ containment and the Truman Doctrine to represent there was disagreements on the best way to handle the USSR. Students will answer reflection questions connecting the view of communism seen in the sources to the Truman Doctrine. Then, students will create two of their own political cartoons, one in support and one against containment. The teacher can choose to extend the activity by doing a gallery walk of the cartoons.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will learn about early events of the Cold War and containment through analysis of primary sources of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan. They will annotate the sources and answer critical thinking questions about why containment was imperative and how certain political ideologies conflict with democracy. This is lesson 2 in a mini unit integrating civics and social studies.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn about the early stages of the Cold War when the United States and Soviet Union navigated how to both be superpowers through a short reading. Then, they will identify and color countries on a map that exemplifies the divide between the East and West. This is lesson 1 of 3 in a mini unit integrating civics and social studies.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson will review the impact of industrialization and urbanization in the early 1900s in the United States. Students will be given a list of significant inventors and asked to create a digital presentation to discuss the significance of their inventor and the impact of their invention on the United States.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will read excerpts and analyze the fireside chats broadcasted during the Great Depression. Broadcasts will highlight President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal focusing on Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage) and child labor laws.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will analyze why communism was proposed as an alternative to capitalism during the Industrial Revolution. They will analyze political cartoons and major primary source texts by Adam Smith and Karl Marx. The final task is a Venn Diagram comparing the theories.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn about the relationship between state and federal courts and why federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have supreme authority under the Constitution. Students then research and learn about the implications of 3 landmark cases that originated in the state of Florida.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review the expansion of industries such as steel, oil, and railroads and the civic engagement that led to reforms in the United States.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review the experiences of different groups of immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will review important individuals and groups during early social movements in 20^th Century American history and analyze how those individuals and groups worked to shape public policy.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will explain the impact of political parties, interest groups, media and individuals on shaping public policy by researching a topic and creating a shareable with the class.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will analyze the impact of civic engagement as a means of preserving or reforming institutions. In particular, students will identify legal methods that citizens can use to promote social and political change. Students will identify historical examples of citizens achieving or preventing political and social change through civic engagement.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students analyze the impact of civic engagement as a means of preserving or reforming institutions. This analysis will take place through identifying means and methods to promote social change using historical examples of citizens achieving or preventing political and social change through civic engagement.

Type: Lesson Plan

L.M. Bryan's "Cigarmakers' Union Dispute" is an example of the short histories and stories written by authors working for the Florida Federal Writers' Project, a branch of the Works Progress Administration (later Work Projects Administration) during the Great Depression. The state WPA office sent field workers into communities around the state to make observations, interview locals, and write up their findings in short passages that could be used for reference purposes. In this lesson students will analyze a primary source document to learn about the Cigarmakers' Union Dispute in Tampa 1938-39.

Type: Lesson Plan

This video is about a simulation created by a teacher to show the hardships of "gambling" in the world of farming, especially in a past, less civilized time. The students were given 2000 and had to put 500 aside for various expenses. They were then given a list of 11 objects (crops and livestock) that they could chose from to purchase with the remaining 1500. The catch is, they only have a certain amount of space to use, and must plan which items will be more efficient in a set area. To simulate the purchasing of the crops and livestock, the teacher cut out squares with each item on it. He then had each group come up to spend their money on what they found fit for their particular group. After each group chose their ratios of crops and livestock, there was then a simulated growing season that had problems with certain crops and benefits of others. They then repeat the process for the following year with a different scenario for the growing season. At the end of the simulation, the teacher acted as if he was the banker that loaned the 2000 in the beginning. This is where it comes full circle to show why farming was so difficult in the past, and how it declined due to poor weather and the lack of the ability to pay off loans given to start farming in the first place.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why were Japanese-Americans interned during World War II? The teacher first distributes a timeline, which the class reviews together. Students then view a government-made newsreel from 1942 explaining the rationale for internment. This is followed by 4 more documents, including the "Munson Report," an excerpt from the Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v Korematsu, and the 1983 report of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. For each, students answer guiding questions and formulate a hypothesis: according to the document, why was internment necessary? A final class discussion has students determine which document(s) best explain what occurred.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents and engage in a Structured Academic Controversy in an effort to answer the central historical question: Was [Haymarket Riot defendant] Albert Parsons a dangerous man? First, the teacher uses a timeline to introduce Haymarket and the 8 men put on trial in its aftermath. Students are then given 6 documents-several by Parsons himself, but also a newspaper account of the trial, trial testimony, and a 2006 secondary source-and answer guiding questions. Students then divide into groups of 4 and into pairs within each group. Each pair presents the argument to the other that Parson was/was not "dangerous"; only at the end can students abandon their previous positions, reach consensus in writing as a group, and defend that view in a final class discussion.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: What factors contributed to the Chinese Exclusion Act? After a mini-lecture on the Transcontinental Railroad, students read a timeline and formulate hypotheses as to why Chinese were legally excluded from mainstream society in 1882. They then answer guiding questions on 4 documents: 1) an anti-Chinese play, 2) a Thomas Nast cartoon, 3) an anti-Chinese speech, and 4) the autobiography of a Chinese immigrant. For homework, students write a 1-page answer to the central question using evidence from the documents.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Homestead Strike turn violent? The teacher first recaps labor/industry relations of the era and introduces the Homestead Strike with a timeline. The teacher then models sourcing and close reading techniques with a document: Emma Goldman's 1931 autobiography. Students then do the same with an 1892 newspaper interview of Henry Frick, followed by corroboration guiding questions that pit the 2 authors against each other. In a final class discussion, students evaluate the validity of the sources and debate whether the historical "truth" about the strike is knowable.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: What was life like in American cities during the Industrial Era? The teacher introduces progressive photojournalist Jacob Riis and projects 2 of his photos; discussion questions ask students if the pictures are trustworthy (posed) and what they might tell us about Riis's audience. Students then read excerpts from Riis's book How the Other Half Lives: ugly stereotypes of ethnic Italians, Chinese, and Jews. Students answer guiding questions on the documents, and a final class discussion explores what Riis's work really tells about American urban life at this time.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did Teddy Roosevelt oppose the segregation of San Francisco's public schools? The teacher first informs students of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the resultant attempted segregation of Japanese students. Students then read 4 source documents-letters and public speeches-in which President Roosevelt discusses his reasons for opposing the law, as well as a political cartoon addressing the issue. For each, students answer questions on a graphic organizer: Why do you think TR opposed the issue? What can you infer about the U.S. in 1906? Finally, the class goes over a timeline of relevant events, enabling the teacher to show how reading contextually lets students learn historical context from documents. Students then respond in writing, using all evidence to reach a conclusion of their own.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Were political bosses corrupt? The teacher begins by explaining progressives' complaints about political machines and graft and then shows a political cartoon criticizing Tammany Hall. Students then read and analyze 2 documents: 1) a book excerpt by muckraker Lincoln Steffens, and 2) a "talk" by political boss George Plunkitt. For each, they answer guiding questions on a graphic organizer (the teacher models this extensively with the first document in the lesson). For HW, students write a dialogue between the 2 writers in which Steffens tries to convince Plunkitt to practice honest government.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary sources in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Populist Party attract millions of supporters? The teacher begins with a PowerPoint which reviews the struggles of farmers and the emergence of political populism. Students then read a speech by populist speaker Mary Elizabeth Lease and annotate it. They then answer guiding questions about William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech (excerpt). A final class discussion attempts to explain populism's appeal-then and now.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary sources and engage in a Structured Academic Controversy in an effort to answer the central historical question: What were the attitudes of Progressive social reformers toward immigrants? Students first read their textbook's passage on the Social Gospel and Settlement Houses. The teacher reviews the material, emphasizing main points, and then streams a brief film clip (link included) about women in the Progressive era. Students then divide into groups of 4 and into pairs within each group. Each pair presents the argument to the other that social reformers were either (Pair A) generous and helpful or (Pair B) condescending and judgmental. Only at the end can students abandon their previous positions, reach consensus in writing as a group, and defend that view in a final class discussion: how did social attitudes then differ from those of today?

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: How did Chicago newspapers cover the Pullman strike? The teacher begins by placing the Pullman strike in the context of other labor strikes and using a PowerPoint to convey basic information. Students are then divided into 4 groups, and each is given a different set of articles-1 each from the Chicago Times and Chicago Tribune-and told to use close reading strategies to figure out which paper was biased against the strikers and which favored them. Finally, each group chooses a representative to present to the entire class how that group arrived at its conclusion.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students analyze primary source documents in an effort to answer the central historical question: Why did the Democrats defeat the Fusion ticket in the 1898 North Carolina election? The teacher first recaps Southern politics and Populism, and then goes over a timeline. Students, in groups, analyze 3 documents-an account of a speech by Senator Ben Tillman, a proclamation by Governor Daniel Russell, and a race-baiting political cartoon-and answer guiding questions. A final class discussion attempts to explain why Democrats won in 1898.

Type: Lesson Plan

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the Progressive Era and two presidents who advanced progressive policies: William H. Taft and Woodrow Wilson.  You'll also learn about the 1912 Election!  

CLICK HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the Progressive Era and two presidents who advanced progressive policies: William H. Taft and Woodrow Wilson. You'll also learn about the 1912 Election!

CLICK HERE to open Part 2. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn about the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.  "TR," as he was known, pursued a bold, progressive agenda that transformed America and the presidency.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, learn in detail about the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.  "TR," as he was known, pursued a bold, progressive agenda that transformed America and the presidency.  

CLICK HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, you'll analyze the Pullman Strike of 1894, a dramatic event in the American labor movement.  In Part 1, you'll focus on the history of the strike.  In Part 2, you'll practice your literary skills while learning more about the same event.  

Click HERE to open Part 1. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In Parts 1 and 2 of this interactive tutorial series, you'll analyze the Pullman Strike of 1894, a dramatic event in the American labor movement.  In Part 1, you'll focus on the history of the strike.  In Part 2, you'll practice your literacy skills while learning more about the same event.

Click HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, you'll identify some of the key inventors of the Industrial Revolution, describe their inventions, and explain their significance. Most of the inventors you’ll learn about come from the Second Industrial Revolution--often known as the “Technological Revolution,” a time when American inventors created a host of new devices across a range of industries that increased efficiency and production, enhanced safety, furthered communication, and made the day-to-day lives of Americans a little easier.

Check out the related tutorial: Captains of Industry: The Second Industrial Revolution. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, learn about the era of mass immigration from 1865 to 1914, when as many as 25 million immigrants entered the United States, many of them through Ellis Island. You'll learn where immigrants came from, why they emigrated, how they adjusted to life in the U.S., and you'll compare the experiences of European and Asian immigrants.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, learn some of the differences between the First and Second Industrial Revolutions, as well as key developments that drove the Second Industrial Revolution. You'll also learn about some of the leaders of industry during this era, including John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan, and examine how their development of major industries and business practices affected America’s economy during the Second Industrial Revolution.

Check out this related tutorial: The Power of Innovation: Inventors of the Industrial Revolution.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this interactive tutorial, discover the Populist movement of the 1890s, which channeled the frustrations of American farmers into a new political party: The People's Party. You'll also learn about the gold vs. silver debate that angered so many Populists, and you'll learn about the legacy of Populism in U.S. History.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this lesson, students view and discuss a PowerPoint presentation in an effort to answer the central historical questions: Why did people oppose women's suffrage? Did anti-suffragists think men were superior to women? As a starter, the teacher displays a photo of a WWI-era suffragette and asks students when they think the picture was taken. Then, using the PowerPoint, students review the history of the suffrage movement, starting with the Seneca Falls convention (the class pauses to read and discuss Mott and Stanton's "Declaration of Sentiments") and finishing with Alice Paul's acts of civil disobedience and the passage of the 19th Amendment. Discussion questions are included throughout.

Type: Presentation/Slideshow

Learn more about the 1905 landmark Supreme Court decision Swift and Co. v. U.S. In this case, the Court considered issues of trusts, business practices, regulations, monopolies, and capitalism in the Gilded Age.

Type: Text Resource

Learn more about the 1895 landmark Supreme Court decision U.S. v. E.C. Knight. In this case, the Court considered issues of trusts, business practices, regulations, monopolies, and capitalism in the Gilded Age.

Type: Text Resource

Learn more about the 1906 landmark Supreme Court decision Lochner v. New York. In this case, the Supreme Court established an important precedent that would last for decades when it struck down a labor law setting maximum working hours.

Type: Text Resource

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the Social Studies content area. It is most appropriate for 9th-10th grade students enrolled in a U.S. History class.

This article relates the infamous incident of UAW leaders beaten savagely by Ford "security" forces in 1937. Although Ford spokesmen tried to blame union members for the violence, photos taken at the scene proved otherwise, leading to Ford's eventual capitulation to the UAW.

Type: Text Resource

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the Social Studies content area. It is most appropriate for 9th-10th grade students enrolled in a U.S. History class.

This essay is a reevaluation of the life and reputation of Helen Keller, especially as it is commonly (mis)represented in textbooks and biographies for young readers. The author argues that Keller should be remembered for far more than being courageous, as she was also a "defiant rebel" and a radical.

Type: Text Resource

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the Social Studies content area. It is most appropriate for 11th-12th grade students enrolled in a U.S. History class. The author, in an excerpt from his book Last Call, profiles Wayne Wheeler, once the leading "dry" activist in the struggle for the prohibition of alcohol in the U.S.

Type: Text Resource

Learn about key events in American history from the Reconstruction Era to the start of the Great Depression in this tutorial video provided by Khan Academy. The video touches on the Reconstruction Amendments, Jim Crow laws, the Coinage Act and the Panic of 1873, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and the 18th and 19th Amendments.

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video brought to you by Khan Academy, you'll learn about the economic system called communism. This video explores the origins and history of communism and explains its connections to authoritarian forms of government.

Type: Tutorial

Learn about the Second Industrial Revolution and the expansion of railroads across America, new inventions like the elevator and telephone, and the rise of captains of industry like Andrew Carnegie in a short video by Khan Academy. Helpful graphics illustrate the content. Enjoy this journey back to the Gilded Age!

Type: Tutorial

Receive an introduction to the Gilded Age in this short video provided by Khan Academy. The Gilded Age, which fell between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the Progressive era, was a time of intense industrialization that saw the rise of captains of industry like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. Enjoy this quick trip through American history!

Type: Tutorial

Learn the historical context for a landmark Supreme Court decision, Hammer v. Dagenhart, in this short interactive tutorial. This case dealt with child labor in the early 20th century. You'll have a chance to evaluate the case on your terms before seeing how the justices actually ruled. Enjoy!

Type: Tutorial

In this short video, learn about how President Theodore Roosevelt mediated a labor dispute, the Coal Strike of 1902, and how critics charged him with violating the Constitution.

Type: Tutorial

Learn about President Theodore Roosevelt, a progressive who believed in using the power of the government to restore economic opportunities and correct injustices in American society. This short video explores Roosevelt's groundbreaking work as a trust-buster.

Type: Tutorial

View a brief, funny video about the 27th President, William Howard Taft, a progressive who had the difficult task of following in the footsteps of his mentor, Theodore Roosevelt!

Type: Tutorial

View this brief, funny video about the 28th President, Woodrow Wilson, commander-in-chief during World War I and its aftermath!

Type: Tutorial

Learn about America's history in this interactive tutorial. This webisode from PBS's History: A Freedom of Us provides detailed informational texts, primary source documents that include photographs, and online quizzes to help you explore aspects of this complex time in American history. You'll learn about the 1862 Homestead Act, the rise of immigration, different aspects of the immigrant experience, the expansion of the American West, and the violent conflicts that resulted in the deaths of Native Americans and the removal and relocation of different tribes onto reservations.

Type: Tutorial

View a brief, funny video about our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, the progressive, trustbuster, and canal builder!

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through the Progressive Era. You'll specifically look at the domestic and foreign policies of 3 presidents: Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, all of whom had progressive ideas about how government should be operated. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. History!

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video, you will take a whirlwind tour of America during the Industrial Revolution. After the Civil War, many changes in technology and ideas gave rise to a new industrialism. You'll learn about industry leaders of the time, such as Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Morgan. Enjoy this "crash course" review about trusts, combinations, and how the government responded to these new business practices!

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video, you will take a whirlwind journey through the period of Westward Expansion when white settlers moved west - often at the expense of the Native Americans who lived there. Many Americans who traveled westward at this time were in search of economic stability and property. Enjoy this "crash course" review of U.S. history!

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video, you will take a whirlwind journey through the migration patterns and influx of immigrants to our nation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, along with the resultant growth of cities. These trends impacted the labor movement, workforce, and politics of this era. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. history!

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video, you will take a whirlwind journey through the Gilded Age, a period in American history where "politics were marked by a number of phenomenons, most of them having to do with corruption." These events led to populism and eventually to new legislation that regulated government and political corruption. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. history!

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial video, you'll take a whirlwind journey through the Progressive Era in American history. During this time, people were attempting to solve governmental and societal issues, all while trying to better implement equality for all. Enjoy this "crash course" in U.S. history!

Type: Tutorial