Progressive Era Bell Ringer and hand out

Bell Ringer

16 September 2009

Progressive Era

History Level:

• 8^th Grade U.S. History
• 11^th Grade American History

Teaching Objectives: To help the students see the complexities and changes during the turn of the century. Lead-ins: Begin by noting the collapse of reconstruction (1875) the industrialization of American Cities, and waves of immigrants. These complexities have shaped what America is to day and must be tied together. 

State Standards

Idaho: US2 1.1 / 1.2 / 1.4 / 3.2

Utah: US2 2 / 3

Concepts/ Topic to Teach: The Progressive Era, Turn of the Century around 1900 to1914

Materials needed:

• Clips form Ragtime the Musical Prologue
• Work sheets for each group or lead as a class

Objective Concepts Taught:

• Students will be introduced to several themes of the Progressive Era, mainly social status, Immigration, Labor/ industrialization, racism, and the reforms that would eventually come

Questions for discussion:

• What themes are talked about in the Ragtime prologue?
• Why are these important?
• What became of these?

The Ringer: The Teacher plays the Prologue from Ragtime the Musical and then discusses the themes of the clip. The class will then break into small groups and work through the worksheets and discuss as a class.

Resources: Digital History.com http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/progressivism/index.cfm, 15-Sep-09
Ragtime the Musical, prologue COMPOSER, Stephen Flaherty; LYRICIST, Lynn Ahrens LIBRETTIST, Terrence McNally

What do you think? Life in the Early Progressive Era

What do you think? 1. What factors contributed to the growth of cities in the late 19th century? 2. How does life in a very large city differ from that in smaller cities and towns?   Urban Growth
	1860	1900
Number of Cities
100,000-499,999	7	32
500,000 or more	2	6
Percent of Total Population
100,000-499,999	4	8
500,000-or more	4	11

Deaths per 100,000 Boston, New York New Orleans and Philadelphia
	Tuberculosis	Intestinal Disorders	Diphtheria	Typhoid Typhus	Smallpox
1864-1888	365	299	123	66	53
1899-1913	223	196	58	19	25

What do you think?
1. Why were death rates so high in 19th century cities?
2. What factors contributed to a decline in urban death rates?

What do you think? 1. Which groups of Americans were most likely to live in cities? Least likely? 2. What difference might it have made that native born Americans were unlikely to live in large cities?

 

Concentration of Immigrant Groups in Cities 1890
	Percent in Cities of 25,00 or more
Native Born Americans	18
Chinese	40
Germans	48
Irish	56
Poles	57
Russians	58
Italians	59

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us28.cfm , 15 September 2009

                                    

Lyrics to: Ragtime: Prologue (partial)

[THE LITTLE BOY]
In 1902 Father built a house at the crest of the Brodview Avenue hill in New Rochelle, New York, and it seemed for some years thereafter that all the family's days would be warm and fair.
[PEOPLE OF NEW ROCHELLE]
The skies were blue and hazy, Rarely a storm. Barely a chill
[WOMEN]
La la la la...
[PEOPLE OF NEW ROCHELLE]
The afternoons were lazy, Everyone warm. Everything still.
[MEN]
La la la la...
[ALL]
And there was distant music, Simple and somehow sublime, Giving the nation A new syncopation- The people called it Ragtime!
[FATHER]
Father was well-off. Very well-off. his considerable income was derived from the manufacture and sale of fireworks and other accoutrements of patriotism. Father was also something of an amateur explorer.
[MOTHER]
The house on the hill in New Rochelle was Mother's domain. She took pleasure in making it comfortable for the men of her family and often told herself how fortunate she was to be so protected and provided for by her husband.
[YOUNGER BROTHER]
Mother's Younger Brother worked at Father's fireworks factory. He was a genius at explosives. But he was also a young man in search of something to believe in. his sisterwondered when he would find it.
[GRANDFATHER]
Grandfather had been a professor of Greek and Latin. Now retired and living with his daughter and her family, he was thoroughly irritated by everything.
[PEOPLE OF NEW ROCHELLE]
The days were gently tinted Lavender pink, lemon and lime.
[MOTHER]
Ladies with parasols
[YOUNGER BROTHER]
Fellows with tennis balls
[FATHER]
There were gazebos, and... The were no negroes.
[PEOPLE OF HARLEM]
And everything was Ragtime! Listen to the Ragtime!
[COALHOUSE]
In Harlem, men and women of color forgot their troubles and danced and reveled to the music of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. This was a music that was theirs and no one else's.
[SARAH]
One young woman thought Coalhouse played just for her, Her name was Sarah.
[PEOPLE OF HARLEM]
Ooooh...
[BOOKER T. WASHINGTON]
Booker T. Washington was the most famous Negro in the country. He counselled friendship between the  races and spoke of the promise of the future. he had no patience for Negroes who lived less than exemplary lives.
[PEOPLE OF NEW ROCHELLE]
Ladies with parasols, Fellows with tennis balls. There were no Negroes  And there were no immigrants.
[TATEH]
In Latvia, a man dremed of a new life for his little girl. It would be a long journey, a treeible one. He ould not lose her as he had her mother. His name was Tateh. He never spoke of his wife. The Little Girl was all he had now. Together, they wouuld escape.
[LITTLE BOY]
Houdini! Look it's Houdini! (CUT)
[PEOPLE OF NEW ROCHELLE]
And there was distant music Changing the tune, changing the time,
[PEOPLE OF HARLEM]
Giving the nation  A new syncopation:
[ALL]
La, la, la.
[MEN]
La, la, la...
[J.P. MORGAN]
Certain men make a country great.
[HENRY FORD]
They can't help it.
[MORGAN]
At the very apex of the American Pyramid-
[FORD]
-That's the very tip-top!-
[MORGAN]
Like Pharoahs reincarnate, stood J.P. Morgan.
[FORD]
And Henry Ford.
[MORGAN]
All men are born equal.
[FORD]
But the cream rises to the top!
[EMMA GOLDMAN]
Let me at those sosn of bitches! These men are the demons who are sucking your very souls dry! I hate them!
[MORGAN]
Someone should arrest that woman!
[EMMA GOLDMAN]
The radical anarchist Emma Goldman fought against the ravages of American capitalism as she watched her fellow immigrants' hopes turn to despair on the Lower East Side.
[EVELYN NESBIT]
La la la
La la la la
Whee!
[EMMA]
But America was watching another drama. (CUT)
[ALL]
And there was music playing, Catching a nation in its prime... Beggar and millionaire Everyone, everywhere Moving to the Ragtime!
[ALL]
And there was distant music Skipping a beat, singing a dream.
[WOMEN]
La la la la
[ALL]
A strange, insistent music Putting out heat, Picking up steam.
[MEN]
La la la la
[ALL]
The sound of distant thunder Suddenly starting to climb... It was the music Of something beginning, An era exploding, A century spinning In riches and rags, And in rhythm and rhyme. The people called it Ragtime... Ragtime!  Ragtime! Ragitme!

 

Had issues copping form my original copy but all of the parts are there you will need to find the actual music to make it more meaningful