The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age

Developed by Laura Younkin, mailto:laura.younkin@jefferson.kyschools.us

	Description: This WebQuest will help students explore aspects the Gilded Age (1876-1900) in American history and show teenagers that the issues dealt with then still come up today.
	Content area(s): Social Studies
	· Core Content : SS-H-5.2.2 ; SS-H5.2.3 · Appropriate grades: High School · Information Literacy Standard & Indicator: 1.4; 3.1; 7.1; 9.1
	Special resources: In addition to suggested Web sites, the library media center (LMC) will set aside a closed collection of print material to assist with research.

History repeats itself. Or does it? Your job is to investigate an aspect of the Gilded Age in America (1876-1900) and then compare that topic to what is going on in America today. Are we still dealing with some of the same issues? Or did our forefathers (and foremothers!) tie everything into a neat, tidy package by the end of the Gilded Age? Let's find out….

Your teacher will assign you and one or two partner(s) one of the following topics related to the Gilded Age:

The spoils system/political corruption
Railroads
Labor unions
Andrew Carnegie
John D. Rockefeller
Population changes/growth of cities
Growth of industry
Baseball
Entertainment
Mark Twain
Women's suffrage
Immigration
Inventors

Step 1: You must find out and list at least 10 facts about your topic from Web sites and books.

Step 2: You must use the ProQuest database to find a current event article that relates to the topic you investigated. The librarians will show you how to use ProQuest if you haven't used it before. Print out the article.

Step 3: Compare what you learned about the Gilded Age to what is going on in the news now. How you do the comparison is your choice. You can do a Venn diagram (see http://www.graphic.org/venbas.html), a comparison chart, and a call-and-response song. Do whatever you think will work best to convey the ideas when you present them to your classmates.

Step 4: Remember to explain ten key aspects of the Gilded Age. However, you do not have to find all ten counterpoints in modern times.

Step 5: Present your ideas to the class so they, too, will know what you know about the Gilded Age. (For example, see Step 3 above)

Step 6: Fill out a reflection form and then relax. (See librarian or teacher for reflection form.)

The part that may make some of you struggle is comparing the past with the present. How about a few examples?

Does the treatment of Chinese immigrants and the work they had to do remind you of the treatment of Hispanics in America ?

Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were known as baron robbers because of their tremendous wealth, although they tried to balance that with humanitarian acts. Does that sound like a computer mogul we all know?

Mark Twain was known for being a satirist and poking fun at politics and life in America during his day. Are there any satirists currently making fun of American life?

We think you get the picture.

The ten facts you gather show that you understand what life was like during the Gilded Age. Comparing it with modern times shows that you understand the past still relates to our times.

Both books and Web sites will be available to help you with your research. Here's a listing that may help.

· General Sources about the Gilded Age

www.historycooperative.org/journals/jga/1.1/miller.html

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi (click on the search button then enter your topic)

www.loc.gov (the America Memories site has many pictures)

America 's gilded age : an eyewitness history / Judith Freeman Clark (973.8 Cla)

· Spoils system/political corruption

http://dig.lib.niu.edu/gildedage/politics.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/gildedage.html

http://www.albany.edu/~dkw42/tweed.html

http://www.loyno.edu/~seduffy/gildedage.html

· Railroads

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/trnshome.html

http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-95-96/corporate-monopolies/development_rr.html

American railroads / John F. Stover (385.0973 Sto)

Building the transcontinental railroad / by James Barter (385.09 Bar)

Empire express : building the first transcontinental railroad / David Haward Bain (385 Bai)

The railroaders (385.09 Rai)

· Labor unions

http://www.slu.edu/the_arts/cupples/gilded.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/peopleevents/pande04.html

http://www.loyno.edu/~seduffy/gildedage.html

· Andrew Carnegie

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/peopleevents/pande01.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/sfeature/p_carvrock.html

http://www.biography.com

· John D. Rockefeller

http://www.biography.com

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/sfeature/p_carvrock.html

· Population changes/Growth of cities

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/gildedage.html

http://www.pbs.org/fmc/timeline/ecities.htm

http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/maps_1790to2000.html

· Growth of industry

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1304/features/climate/climateindustrial.htm

http://www.loyno.edu/~seduffy/gildedage.html

· Baseball

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/baseball/

· Mark Twain

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/index2.html

· Entertainment

http://www.pbs.org/jazz/exchange/exchange_minstrel.htm

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/vshtml/

· Women's suffrage

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/naw/

http://www.pbs.org/stantonanthony/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lincolns/wworld/es_antebellum.html

· Immigration

http://www.oah.org/pubs/magazine/gilded/daniels.html

http://www.loyno.edu/~seduffy/gildedage.html

· Inventors - (e.g. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell)

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bledison.htm

http://edison.rutgers.edu/biogrphy.htm

http://edison.rutgers.edu/

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bltelephone2.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/telephone/peopleevents/mabell.html

· Library Databases

Proquest -- database of current newspaper and magazine articles

http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/ce (see a librarian for passwords)

http://search.epnet.com (choose Student Resource Center)

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=uid (choose EbscoHost and ask librarian for passwords)

Evaluation

You will be graded on the following:

Distinguished: Listed 10 facts, had article print-out and explained comparison to current event in clear, concise manner.

Proficient: Listed 8-9 facts, had article print-out and explained comparison to current event in a mostly understandable manner.

Apprentice: Listed 6-7 facts, had article print-out and didn't clearly explain comparison to current event.

Novice: Listed 5 or fewer facts, didn't have print-out, didn't address current event.

Conclusion

Please take a moment to respond to this assignment. Just a few quick questions…

My group worked well together and work was divided evenly. Y or N

I understood my classmates' reports. Y or N

I liked doing an assignment with an Internet component. Y or N

This assignment would have been better if ______________________

________________________________________________________.

Thank you for doing the Gilded Age WebQuest and hopefully you’ll see that Americans often deal with the same topics throughout the centuries as we constantly learn what it means to be American.

©2005 Library Media Services – Jefferson County Public Schools ( Louisville , KY )
Permission to reproduce the lesson or link must be obtained from Jefferson County (copyright@jefferson.k12.ky.us) as well as the individual sites.