The Turn of the Century
Invention, experimentation, industry and innovation were the hallmarks of the turn of the century. In this lesson, students learn about how these innovations and breakthroughs, along with the personalities of the people who created them, transformed America into the diverse melting pot that it has become.

Geographic Diffusion of Disease: The Flu Pandemic of 1918-19
This lesson from National Geographic will focus on the spatial diffusion of the influenza (flu) pandemic of 1918-19. Spatial diffusion is the geographic spread of ideas, innovations, or phenomena (such as disease).

Who Really Built America?
In this activity, students are immersed in primary source materials that relate to child labor in America from 1880-1920.  One purpose is  to gain a personal perspective of how work affected the American child within a rapidly growing industrial society.

The Strike for Three Loaves
This lesson teaches about the plight of European immigrants in the U.S. in the early 1900s and the part they played in the labor movement.

United We Stand
In this lesson, students, identify the issues involved with the migration of a community or family into the state of Nebraska. By examining the traditional picture of immigration, students then turn the microscope onto their own families to have a better idea of their own history and their own voices.

Our Changing Voices
This unit leads students to recognize cultural elements through the analysis of photographs from American Memory. Using thematic galleries of photographs, students develop questions about the photos for further research into the region's history and culture.

This American Memory
In this lesson, provided by the Library of Congress, students work with primary source documents to study the working conditions of U.S. laborers at the turn of the century. Student then answer the question, "Was there a need for organized labor unions?"

Child Labor in America
To gain a true understanding of child labor, both as an historical and social issue, students should examine the worlds of real working children. This unit asks students to critically examine, respond to and report on photographs as historical evidence.

Voices for Votes -- Suffrage Strategies
Students examine a variety of primary source documents related to the women's suffrage movement. They identify different methods people used to influence and change attitudes and beliefs about suffrage for women. Students then create original documents encouraging citizens to vote in current elections.

Music and Our Reform History
By exploring sheet music, students analyze issues related to industrialization and reform to answer the essential question, "How does society respond to change?" Students will have the opportunity to create original lyrics and song covers that reflect the Progressive Era.

Then and Now: Public Health From 1900 to Today
Throughout the 20th Century, the world has become a healthier place, for example, life expectancy has increased by almost 30 years. These changes can be attributed to improvements in public health, disease control, sanitation, immunization, better maternal and child health, and healthier lifestyles. This lesson plan will examine the public health issues and diseases doctors faced during the 1900's.

The Progressive Movement: Document Based Essay
This Prentice Hall DBQ is designed to test your ability to work with historical documents and is based on the accompanying documents (1–6).

Interpreting Primary Sources
Digital History provides brief excerpts from primary sources and statistics and questions to think about: Urban Political Machines, Immigration, Problems of Youth, Progressive Reform and the Trusts.

Digital History Resource Guides
The Digital Resource Guides provides links to American history web sites by period and provide historical overviews, readings (online textbook chapter, Reader's Companion) primary source documents (documents, maps, cartoons), teaching resources (chronologies, maps, quizzes), audio-visual resources, and additional resources. It is an excellent and comprehensive teaching resource.

World's Transportation Commission Photograph Collection
This site contains nearly nine hundred images by American photographer William Henry Jackson.

The four (4) lessons below are from the Library of Congress lesson plan collection. The unit is entitled Thank You, Mr. Edison: Electricity, Innovation, and Social Change. All or some of the lessons below may be incorporated into this standard:

Lesson 1: The Impact of Electricity On People's Lives
In this mini-lesson, students assess the impact of electricity on the lives of people.

Lesson 2: Edison's Role in the Electrification of America
In this mini-lesson, students analyze the role of Thomas Edison in the electrification of America and demonstrate an understanding of electrification as both a technological and social process.

Lesson 3: Merchandising and Advertising
In this mini-lesson, students analyze advertising and assess its significance as it relates to electrification and consumption. They also develop an understanding of the emergence of the mass-consumer economy.

Lesson 4: Women and the Mass Consumer Society
In this mini-lesson, students assess the impact of electricity on the lives of people, considering such factors as class and gender.

Who Really Built America?
In this activity, students are immersed in primary source materials that relate to child labor in America from 1880-1920.  One purpose is  to gain a personal perspective of how work affected the American child within a rapidly growing industrial society.

Child Labor in America
To gain a true understanding of child labor, both as an historical and social issue, students should examine the worlds of real working children. This unit asks students to critically examine, respond to and report on photographs as historical evidence.

Women, Their Rights and Nothing Less: The Suffrage Movement from 1840-1920
In this lesson, students are introduced to how the modern woman's suffrage movement began and major events in the movement. 

From Jim Crow To Linda Brown: A Retrospective of the African-American Experience from 1897 to 1953
In addition to other objectives in this lesson, students will evaluate primary sources and create a presentation reflective of the African American experience.

Voices for Votes -- Suffrage Strategies
Students examine a variety of primary source documents related to the women's suffrage movement. They identify different methods people used to influence and change attitudes and beliefs about suffrage for women. Students then create original documents encouraging citizens to vote in current elections.

African-American Soldiers After World War I: Had Race Relations Changed?
This lesson by the National Endowment for the Humanities explores how patriotism of African American soldiers was not recognized or rewarded by white military commanders -- or other American citizens -- as they deserved.

Lynching in Duluth: 1920
By reading and analyzing a compelling book, The Lynchings in Duluth, and by researching related topics, students will learn about the historical context of the incident and its impact on Minnesota and the nation. Finally, they will investigate their own roles in resisting racism. The lesson plan includes the links to be used, but not the book that this is based on.

Geographic Diffusion of Disease
The Flu Pandemic of 1918-19: This lesson from National Geographic will focus on the spatial diffusion of the influenza (flu) pandemic of 1918-19. Spatial diffusion is the geographic spread of ideas, innovations, or phenomena (such as disease).

Learning About Immigration Through Oral History
In this lesson from the Library of Congress, students demonstrate the techniques of recording oral history and discern how point of view influences and effects historical understanding. Also, students learn about the experiences of some modern immigrants in East Central Illinois, as well as evaluate selected experiences of modern and early immigrant experiences.

Doing the Decades: Group Investigations in Twentieth Century U. S. History
In this lesson, students demonstrate understanding of patterns of change and continuity in the history of the United States and  identify unique qualities of different types of primary sources. In addition, students interpret, analyze, and evaluate primary and secondary sources related to core historical themes and topics.

Chicago's Black Metropolis: Understanding History Through a Historic Place
Examine the history of this "city-within-a-city," a self-supporting African-American community that prospered from the late 19th century until the 1930s.
 
Roadside Attractions
In this lesson, students will examine five examples of roadside architecture built in the 1920s and 1930s and designed to catch the eye of passing motorists.

Course Models: Harlem Renaissance
This site is part of the California History-Social Science content standards and annotated course and included: background information, focus questions, pupil activities and handouts, assessment, and references to books, articles, web sites, literature, audio-video programs, and historic site.

The New Era, 1921-1933: Multiple Choice Quiz, Fill-in-the-Blank, Flashcards, American History Glossary, American History Appendix
The Student Resources section of The American Nation companion web site features introductions to chapters, interactive quizzes, flashcards, web links, an American History Glossary, and an American History Appendix.

Jazz Talk
In this Discovery lesson plan students will analyze work songs, spirituals, blues, and gospel songs in order to develop an appreciation for the origins of jazz music. They will also examine works of poetry from African American artists and create their own poems. After completing this activity, students should be able to describe the impact of African American songs and writings on American culture.

Streamline and Breadlines
In this lesson, students will learn about the growth and development of cities in America from 1920 through 1940. Immigration, the migration of African-Americans from the South to the urban centers of the North, industrialization, and the Great Depression all affected cities during this period. This lesson will culminate in a student essay that compares two contrasting images from this time period.

Postwar Society and Culture:Multiple Choice Quiz, Fill-in-the-Blank, Flashcards, American History Glossary, American History Appendix
The Student Resources section of The American Nation companion web site features introductions to chapters, interactive quizzes, flashcards, web links, an American History Glossary, and an American History Appendix.

Interpreting Primary Sources: Controversies of the 1920s
Digital History provides brief excerpts from primary sources and statistics and questions to think about.

"Between the Wars" Webpage
This site offers numerous links to the 1920s and 1930s.

Lindbergh (PBS)
A companion to the American Experience video series, this site has special features on the Spirit of St. Louis, the kidnapping of Lindbergh's son, a discussion of Lindbergh's hero status, a time line, maps, and a teacher's guide.

Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy 1921-1929
This Library of Congress site features materials from the 1920s that illustrate the prosperity of the Coolidge era, the nation's transition to a mass consumer economy, and the role of government in this transition.

Jazz Age Culture
This link will take you to the "Jazz Age Culture" site which offers many well-organized links on the following topics: Langston Hughes and other Harlem Renaissance writers, artists, musicians, and notables; F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and other modernist writers; Picasso, Dali, de Lempicka, Kandinsky, and other artists; resources on Prohibition, flappers, racial violence, sports, automobiles, aviators, art deco, movie stars, the Crash of '29, the scandals/trials of the decade, the new technologies; World War I Poetry.

American Culture History: 1920-1929
Produced by Kingwood College Library, this site is a bibliographic essay with a huge set of links related to the 20s. It is meant to provide a broad introduction to the era. Topics include: Art & Architecture, Books & Literature, Fashion & Fads, Events & People, and Music Theater, Film, & Radio.

Scopes Trial Home Page - UMKC School of Law
Featured "famous trial" in American history. In a Dayton, Tennessee courtroom in the summer of 1925 a jury was to decide the fate of John Scopes, a high school biology teacher charged with illegally teaching the theory of evolution. The meaning of the trial emerged through its interpretation as a conflict of social and intellectual values between "traditionalists" and "modernists."

Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro
This link will provide a hypertext article from the Survey Graphic. It was the monthly illustrated number of Survey magazine, the premier journal of social work in America in the 1920s. In November of 1924, the Survey's chief editor devoted a special issue devoted to the African American "Renaissance" underway in Harlem.

Children At Work 1908-1912
The Photography of Lewis Hine from "Eyewitness to History."

General Resources on the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
You may find the following Internet sites of use for materials on Gilded Age and Progressive Era America.

America 1900 (PBS)
Key features of this site include an interactive map that provides you with a list of events in the region of the world you select, a search function for locating people and events of the early part of the century, a genealogical "tree building" program to trace your family's roots and a teacher's guide.

Feature Presentation on Immigration in America (Library of Congress)
The feature provides an introduction to the study of immigration to the United States. It is far from the complete story, and focuses only on the immigrant groups that arrived in greatest numbers during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The presentation was shaped by the primary sources available in the Library's online collections and these questions.

TR: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt
A companion to the American Experience video series, this site features real audio interviews, biographies, a timeline, a teacher's guide and a discussion of TR's legacy.

Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film (Library of Congress)
This presentation features 104 films which record events in Roosevelt's life from the Spanish-American War in 1898 to his death in 1919

The Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920 (Library of Congress)
This site documents the development of the conservation movement and offers a collection of books, pamphlets, federal statutes and resolutions, prints and photographs, a motion picture and more.

Immigration in America (Library of Congress). Part of the American Memory collection
This site provides a general overview of American immigration and immigrants. There are student activities, educator guides, photos and links to useful resources.

Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1775-2000
This website is a project of the Center for the Historical Study of Women and Gender at the State University of New York at Binghamton and includes roughly 900 documents, 400 images, and 350 links to other websites. There are twenty comprehensive lesson plans with over a hundred lesson ideas mounted in the Teacher's Corner.

The Triangle Factory Fire
This website provides a detailed account of the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City on 25th March, 1911 that claimed the lives of 146 young immigrant workers and highlighted inhumane working conditions.

The Wright Stuff
This site focuses on the story of the famous vacation brothers. There is a QuickTime movie that features a replica of Kitty hawk in flight as well as audio interviews and a bibliography.

Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
This PBS companion site to the Ken Burns documentary film features an interactive, virtual trip through the women's suffrage movement. It also provides biographical and primary source information about Stanton and Anthony, classroom resources and more.

Half the People: 1917-1996
Part of PBS's People's Century television series, this site focuses of women's fight for equal rights. There are interviews, a timeline, and a teacher's guide.

Living the Legacy : Women's Rights Movement, 1848-1998
Sponsored by the National Women's History Project, the site provides a history of the movement and a detailed timeline.

Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1775-2000
This website is a project of the Center for the Historical Study of Women and Gender at the State University of New York at Binghamton and includes roughly 900 documents, 400 images, and 350 links to other websites. There are twenty comprehensive lesson plans with over a hundred lesson ideas mounted in the Teacher's Corner.

Agents of Social Change (Smith College)
Smith College offers an on-line exhibit and several lesson plans drawn from its collections The lesson plans are directed at middle and high school students and make use of both the text-based documents and visual images that can be found at the curriculum portion of the Web site. They highlight women's part in struggles for social change in the 20th century including labor, socialism, civil liberties, peace, racial justice, urban reform, welfare rights, and women's rights.

Inside A Factory: Westinghouse Works, 1904
This site has 21 films of the Westinghouse companies that were intended to showcase the company's operations. There is background information on the factories, a timeline, index, search function and recommended sources.

Life of Henry Ford
Details Henry Ford's Life and his Ford Motor Company.

Museum of Women's History
Political Culture and Imagery of American Women Suffrage. Provides a succinct overview of the suffrage movement in words and pictures.

American Leader's Speak (Library of Congress)
Here you can listen to fifty-nine sound excerpts from speeches by American leaders during the Progressive era.

Titanic
In 1998 National Geographic headquarters hosted screenings of a short, 3-D film shot at the wreck of the Titanic. See selected pictures from the filming, and more.

Theodore Roosevelt
This site contains biographical information on the 26th President of the United States.

Inside an American Factory: Films of the Westinghouse Works, 1904
The Westinghouse Works Collection contains 21 actuality films showing various views of Westinghouse companies. Most prominently featured are the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, and the Westinghouse Machine Company. The films were intended to showcase the company's operations. Exterior and interior shots of the factories are shown along with scenes of male and female workers performing their duties at the plants.

Immigration
A Living Mosaic of People, Culture, and Hope.

A-Z  Inventions and Inventors
This is an informative, "find it at your fingertips" webpage on inventions.

American Memory
A gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. The site offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections.

Digital History Resource Guides
The Digital Resource Guides provides links to American history web sites by period and provide historical overviews, readings (online textbook chapter, Reader's Companion) primary source documents (documents, maps, cartoons), teaching resources (chronologies, maps, quizzes), audio-visual resources, and additional resources. It is an excellent and comprehensive teaching resource.

Migration and Immigration in the United States: Three Case Studies
This collection of activities helps students to compare and contrast the early migration and immigration experiences of three different cultural groups: Native Americans, African Americans, and the British colonists

Tulsa Race Riots (1921)
 This link provides eight (8) related links exploring the event.

Greatest Trials of All Time: Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti
This site includes interviews, letters, and video clips.

African-Americans in the Military
This article documents the challenges and obstacles that black military personnel faced in the early 1900s.

Red Scare
This image database relies entirely on the contemporary visual record of the first quarter of the 20th Century in the United States.  It provides visual aides illustrating the upheaval of the time involving race riots, hyper-inflation, mass round-ups and deportations of foreign born citizens, espionage laws, sedition laws and, of course, the advent of Prohibition and women's suffrage.

Born in Slavery
This first-person, primary account of former slaves was compiled from 1936-38. It is part of the Library of Congress' American Memory Collection.

An account of the "American Negro in the Great War"
This site notes the  contributions made by Negro soldiers, sailors, and civilians toward the winning of the great World War.

Library of Congress: "America's library"
This site contains an extensive collection of primary source material pertaining to United States history on the Internet. In addition, the site offers viewers the opportunity to explore world cultures, view online galleries and exhibitions, and features live webcasts. 

American Memory
This virtual United States history archive is from the Library of Congress and provides of over 7 million digitally produced images from over 100 historical collections.

Digital History
This site provides links to American history web sites by period and provide historical overviews, readings, primary source documents, maps, cartoons, teaching resources, and audio-visual resources.

The History of Jim Crow
Access historical background, source material, and lesson plans at this impressive site and learn how Jim Crow laws deprived African Americans of their civil rights.

African-Americans in the Military
This article documents the challenges and obstacles that black military personnel faced in the early 1900s.

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