Session Four Blog (MAiT 402-3)

Looking at the United States History curriculum one of the key areas of focus in the development of the United States and the making of our modern era is the Progressive Era. This era in American History will change the United States for the better, but with much resistance from the upper echelon of society, such as the Rockefellers and J.P. Morgan’s of the rime period. The Progressive Era will see many people individually and collectively fight for a better society, many of these reformers were journalist and in their effort of uncovering the filth of society they would be labeled as “muckrakers.” Some of the more famous muckrakers are Uption Sinclair, Jacob Riis, and Ida Tarbell.

With so many contributors to the Progressive Era it really allows me as a teacher to use a variety of resources from different academic areas to utilize interdisciplinary teaching and learning. From Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle, Jacob Riis’ photography and book How the Other Half Lives, the creation of the FDA (Food & Drug Administration), the creation of the U.S. Forest Service, etc., all these people and organizations made huge contributions to the modern America that we now live in and we can use excerpts and make the connections to other subject areas. For literature the use of The Jungle excerpts help students make that connection to literature/English, visual aids with Jacob Riis’ photos help with the artistic view, and a look at health and science with the creation of the FDA. The FDA aspect is always interesting, because it gives me a chance to talk about health in class and relate it to fast food chains such as Taco Bell or McDonalds, allowing for the students to make real world connections with the Progressive Era.

This era allows for much interdisciplinary teaching and will allow students to grasp the content in many different learning modalities, enriching their understanding of the Progressive Era. I feel that with Social Studies that we get a lot of opportunities to incorporate other areas of study with our teaching and this really helps bring our stories to life for the students and we can reach a larger audience for engagement. Where if we just used the textbook and lectured right out of the book all day these students would be missing out on the depth and passion of history.

Resources:

Jacob Riis photos – google images “how the other half lives”  

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle excerpt – http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/jwb/ap/Progressives/JungleEx.htm

FDA’s origin & function – www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/WhatWeDo/History/Origin/ucm054819.htm


Commented on Troy Bristol's Blog -  fatheadtroysmc.blogspot.com