The Progressive Era

This unit on the Progressive Era consists of seven teaching activities, which build upon each other and culminate in an optional service learning project exploring modern day progressivism. Each part of the unit can be downloaded as an individual PDF, or the entirety can be downloaded at once. Overall, the complete package is age-appropriate, while also challenging students to develop historical thinking skills.

Activities 3, 4, and 5 utilize primary source documents and photographs, and ask students to analyze documents and draw conclusions from them. Activity 3, for instance, prompts students to examine child labor and its impact by looking at two collections of photographs—Kids at Work and Kids on Strike. It then asks students to consider questions such as “How did the people that wrote these books put their stories together?” and “What sources did they use to be successful history detectives?”

While each part of this lesson builds on the last, teachers can pick and choose among the seven activities. For teachers looking for more direction, the lesson includes a narrative script that can be used to frame each activity. It also includes a vocabulary list, a student learning chart/grading rubric, and a collection of links to selected websites.

Notes

Teachinghistory.org Lesson Plan Rubric

Field	Criteria	Comments
Historical Content	Is historically accurate?	Yes
Historical Content	Includes historical background?	Yes. Brief overview included for each activity.
Historical Content	Requires students to read and write?	Yes. Read primary documents; opportunities for original writing.
Analytic Thinking	Requires analysis/construction of interpretations using evidence?	Yes
Analytic Thinking	Requires close reading and attention to source information?	Yes. Close analysis of text and photographic primary sources.
Scaffolding	Appropriate for stated audience?	Yes. Scaffolding is well-done with student-friendly language.
Scaffolding	Includes scaffolding materials and strategies?	Yes. Process for each activity is clear.
Lesson Structure	Includes assessment criteria focused on historical understanding?	Yes. Rubric included for content and process goals.
Lesson Structure	Defines clear learning goals and progresses logically?	Yes. Open to teacher adaptation.
Lesson Structure	Includes clear directions; realistic for classrooms?	Yes. Rubrics divided into content and process goals.