Social Studies: 6th Grade
Unit One: Changes in Society Lead to Need for Reform
Week of September 28
ALCOS Objectives to be covered:
Students will:
6.1. Explain the impact of industrialization, urbanization, communication, and cultural changes on life in the United
States from the late nineteenth century to World War I.
6.2. Describe reform movements and changing social conditions during the Progressive Era in the United States.
B. Identifying workplace reforms, including the eight-hour workday, child labor laws, and workers’ compensation laws
6.4. Identify cultural and economic developments in the United States from 1900 through the 1930s.
B. Identifying contributions of turn-of-the century inventors
Essential Questions: Why do people move? How do new ideas change the way people live?
Monday
Troubles in the Cities
GUIDING QUESTION What problems faced the people who lived in urban areas?
Reviewing Lead students in creating a list of the problems that faced growing cities. (disease, crime,
crowding, and so forth) Point out that groups and individuals tried to address these problems.
IMAGE Analyzing Ask students for ideas about how people might address some of these urban problems.
(Suggestions will vary.) Display the interactive image of Hull House. Ask a volunteer to read the caption.
Explain that Hull House offered a variety of health, social, and educational opportunities for the working class
people in the neighborhood. It became a model that other settlement houses followed. Ask: How did
settlement houses help to solve the problems of the cities? (by providing classes and services that
addressed the needs of the urban poor) AL
VIDEO Making Connections Show the Learn360 video about Clara Barton. Have students identify her role
in the creation of the American Red Cross and explain how the Red Cross assisted people. Encourage
students to research more about the history and mission of the American Red Cross and the ways that this
organization helps Americans today. BL
The Changing City
GUIDING QUESTION What actions addressed the problems of cities?
LECTURE SLIDE Discussing Discuss with students ways people tried to make cities more livable. Use the
lecture slide to highlight the methods used to improve city life for the people who were living there. Have
volunteers describe their favorite building, bridge or park to the class. Encourage students to research when
Social Studies: 6th Grade
Unit One: Changes in Society Lead to Need for Reform
Week of September 28
that particular building, bridge, or park was created and who commissioned its creation.
IMAGE Describing Use the interactive image of the Woolworth Building to describe how skyscrapers
changed the look of cities. Ask: How did crowding in cities affect the kinds of buildings architects
designed and built? (They began to design and build skyscrapers because it was necessary to build up
instead of to spread out.) Who is Louis Sullivan? (He was one of the architects who helped to create the
skyscraper.) What kinds of technology made skyscrapers possible? (iron supports for buildings, the
elevator)
Identifying Write the following dates on the board: 1852, 1884, and 1913. Have students find in the textbook
the accomplishment each date stands for. (1852—elevator; 1884—first skyscraper; 1913—Woolworth
Building completed) AL ELL
Ask: Which technological accomplishment made the other two possible? (the invention of the elevator in
1852) BL
Discussing Discuss with students the "City Beautiful" movement. What was the purpose of the "City
Beautiful"movement? (to reshape the urban landscape to allow city dwellers to have the ability to enjoy
nature) Explain to students that Frederick Law Olmsted was the founder of this movement, and that he
designed Central Park, and the grounds for the World's Fair in Chicago in 1892.
Listing Work with students to list the benefits of modern forms of transportation to the growth of cities. Ask:
What problems were solved by the use of streetcars, horse cars, cable cars, and subways? (moving
people around quickly and efficiently in the crowded city) Discuss the freedoms that these new forms of
transportation provided to the people who lived in the city and outside of it as well.
IMAGE Recalling Have students recall the information about the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge from
The Story Matters . . . at the beginning of the chapter. Then, use the interactive image and text about
suspension bridges to discuss how suspension bridges are constructed and why they were an important
advance in engineering.
Research and bring in a map of New York City and have students locate the Brooklyn Bridge on the map.
Then have them work together to identify the other bridges that connect Manhattan to other mainland areas.
AL Ask: How would these bridges help connect the city? (Since Manhattan is an island, and the
neighborhoods of New York are separated from Manhattan by water, the bridges would allow people to travel
to and from Manhattan with much more ease, bringing the city together.)
Discussing Ask students if they have a favorite bridge and to describe it to the class, including what areas it
connects, what it crosses (river, railroad tracks, highway, and so forth), and who needs to use it (people
commuting to work, trucks going to and from factories, and so forth). Ask: What problems were solved by
the construction of these bridges? (Answers will vary depending on the bridge each student has in mind.)
Social Studies: 6th Grade
Tuesday

Unit One: Changes in Society Lead to Need for Reform
Week of September 28
Expanding Education
GUIDING QUESTION What changes expanded opportunities for education?
Comparing and Contrasting Create a two-column chart with students that compares the conditions of the
1860s with that of the early 1900s. Include education for women, African Americans, Native Americans, high
school, and college in the chart.
Discussing Explore with students the role of education in a person's advancement. Ask: How can
education help all people in a nation to move forward? (People would have more skills and more
awareness of culture and "big ideas" and everyone would have a better chance to participate in the changing
economy.) BL
LECTURE SLIDE Evaluating Show students the lecture slide about the progressive education model and
discuss the five steps to educational change with them. Tell students that progressive educators believed that
students should actively take part in their learning, and not just memorize facts or numbers. Ask: Why might
it be important for schools to teach students how to be good citizens? (Students, immigrants and nonimmigrants, needed to learn how to respect other people and be good members of society.) What do you
think of this model for learning? What are its good points? What are its bad points? (Record students'
answers on the board. Students' opinions will vary; make sure opinions are well-supported with reasons.)
Could you apply this model to learning about how the United States became an urban society? How
would you do that? (Help students apply the five steps in the progressive education model to studying and
learning about how the United States became an urban society, using information from the chapter so far.) BL
Defining Discuss with students the establishment of the 1862 Morrill Act and that this act gave states land
they could sell to raise money. Discuss with students that states used these funds to create land-grant
colleges. Encourage students to research the number of land-grant colleges in their state and discuss the
reason each school was founded. BL
IMAGE Discussing Display the interactive image of the Tuskegee Institute. Discuss with students the
importance of education for all people. Explain to students that the Tuskegee Institute was founded by Lewis
Adams, who insisted on having an African American principal at the school. Ask: How could a college or
university education help African Americans? (It would allow them to take advantage of new opportunities
in education and in the workforce.)
PRIMARY SOURCE Analyzing Display the interactive primary source excerpt from Booker T. Washington to
discuss his background. Explain to students that experience can shape your way of thinking. Ask: How did
this understanding affect Washington's attitude about Tuskegee Institute? (Washington was making the
most of his opportunities to make up for some of the disadvantages he had in his youth.)
IMAGE Discussing Use the interactive image of the Booker T. Washington monument on the Tuskegee
Institute campus to discuss the impact that this institute and Washington had on the lives of African
Social Studies: 6th Grade
Unit One: Changes in Society Lead to Need for Reform
Week of September 28
Americans. Ask students what they think or feel when they look at the image and they read the inscription on
the statue. Have a volunteer explain why monuments are created.
Wednesday
A Nation of Readers
GUIDING QUESTION How did the literature of this time period reflect the values of American society?
Discussing Discuss the new authors in America, from where they drew their inspiration, and how they
inspired a nation of readers. Ask: What were the two new approaches to writing in this time period?
(realism and regionalism) What is the difference between a "realism" approach and a "regional"
approach? (Realism is based on the lives of ordinary, or "real," people. Regionalism focuses on the people
and characteristics of a particular region of the country.) How could realism and regionalism be related?
(Some authors would focus on the lives of ordinary people who lived in a particular region of the country.)
PRIMARY SOURCE Identifying Display the interactive primary source slides about the work of Edith
Wharton and Paul Laurence Dunbar. Have volunteers read the excerpts of their work from the slides. Clarify
any unfamiliar terms or concepts. AL ELL Have students identify elements in their writing that reflect realism
and regionalism. (Possible answsers: Wharton presents realistic images of upper-class Americans; Dunbar
writes about African American life in the region of the American South.)
LECTURE SLIDE Summarizing In the late 1800s and early 1900s, as education became more available to
everyone, reading for pleasure became popular. Show students the lecture slide that identifies popular
authors of the late 1800s and early 1900s. AL ELL Ask: Who were some of the popular authors of the
period? Were these authors realists, regionalists, or both? Why? BL
Synthesizing Ask students if they have a favorite book or author. Have volunteers summarize their favorite
book. Ask: Based on your favorite book, do you like realism or regionalism? Why, or why not?
(Students' answers will vary, but should be well supported opinions.)
IMAGE Making Connections Show the interactive image of a Winslow Homer painting to explain that
realism and regionalism were also movements in the visual arts of that time period. Have a volunteer read the
information on the slide. Ask: What events in his life might have made Homer choose to paint in a realist
way? (Possible answers: He worked as an illustrator before photography was common; as a correspondent,
he saw and sketched the events of the Civil War firsthand.)
Explaining Remind students that newspapers were enjoying a surge in popularity at this time. Ask: What
caused this increase in the publication and reading of newspapers? (New inventions in printing,
papermaking, and communications made newspapers easier to create, print, and distribute in large quantities;
Social Studies: 6th Grade
Unit One: Changes in Society Lead to Need for Reform
Week of September 28
growing populations of cities increased demand.)
Identifying On the board, write the names Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Have students
identify each man, one or more newspapers they published, and any contributions they made to the world of
newspaper publishing.
Discuss with students how the dramatic style of yellow journalism pulled in more readers. Explain to students
that many specialized newspapers also published at this time.
CHART Analyzing Visuals Use the interactive bar graphs about magazine circulation to discuss the growth
of newspapers and magazines due to new inventions and a larger readership. Ask students what they know
about the magazines listed in the charts. Have students name and describe a favorite magazine or newspaper
that they like to read. AL ELL
Discussing Ask students to describe how they use libraries and get their news today. Discuss how they can
take advantage of both print and online sources for different reasons.
Leisure and the Arts
GUIDING QUESTION Why did new forms of recreation develop?
Making Connections Ask students to describe the most recent movie or sporting event they have seen or
been to. Explain to students that the time people spend at the movies, watching television or sports, and
playing video games is called leisure time. AL ELL Ask: Do you think leisure time has a constructive
purpose? How can you make the best use of your leisure time? (Possible answer: Yes, it has a
constructive purpose because it allows people to pursue a hobby, enjoy their families, engage in physical
activity, or relax.)
Categorizing Have students create a three-column chart, using these column headings: Sports, Art and
Music, Performance. Draw a model of the chart on the board, including the column headings. Have students
work in pairs to fill in the chart with information they learn as they move through the lesson. Then, have
volunteers fill in the columns on the board. (Sports: basketball, football, tennis, bicycling; Art and Music:
painting, marching music, ragtime, jazz, symphony, opera; Performance: drama, vaudeville, circus,
nickelodeon, movies)
Discussing Discuss with students the development of spectator sports and how this type of sport grew as the
leisure time for Americans increased. Explain to students that baseball was the most popular spectator sport
and discuss that even in the early years of the sport, the teams were divided into leagues—the National and
American leagues. Have a volunteer briefly describe how baseball is played. Ask: Why do you think this
sport is called "America's pastime"? (Answers may vary, but students should point out that baseball, as
America's first spectator sport, has a long history of being enjoyed by the American people and the American
family.)
Social Studies: 6th Grade
Unit One: Changes in Society Lead to Need for Reform
Week of September 28
Explaining Explain to students that the origins of American football come from the English sport of rugby.
Have students research rugby and compare the aspects of rugby to the aspects of American football. Discuss
with students that football originally began as a college sport and then grew into a professional sport. Ask
students if they have a favorite football team.
PRIMARY SOURCE Analyzing Primary Sources Use the primary source excerpt about the rules of
basketball to discuss some of the new sports that were being developed because of more leisure time. Have
students identify differences between how basketball was played in the 1890s and how it is played today.
Making Connections Explain to students that more sports developed as more Americans had more leisure
time. Some sports that Americans began playing are tennis, golf, and bicycling. Ask students if they play a
sport, or if they enjoy a particular sport. Encourage students to research the development of the new sports
that are popular in America, including soccer, automobile racing, and extreme sports such as BMX racing,
snowboarding, and skiing.
IMAGE Discussing Display the interactive image of vaudeville and the description of how vaudeville got its
name. Discuss this form of entertainment. Ask: Why was vaudeville popular? (The tickets were inexpensive
and the performances were sometimes funny.) Why did vaudeville eventually lose popularity? (Movies
were invented.) Discuss the creation of the motion picture and its impact on vaudeville and on how Americans
spent their leisure time. Research and provide images of movie stars from this era to show students.
SLIDE SHOW Describing Show the interactive slide show about the Marx Brothers. Point out that their
parents were immigrants and they grew up on New York's Lower East Side. Tell students that the curly-haired
character in the second slide who is making a face performed only in pantomime and never spoke on-screen.
Explain that these vaudeville entertainers made the switch to film later in their careers. Have students
describe the images using their own words. Ask: Why do you think the Marx Brothers were popular?
(From the images, students may suggest they are funny.) Why would this appeal to audiences? (Most
people go to the theater to have fun.)
PRIMARY SOURCE Analyzing Primary Sources Display the interactive primary source of "Dream Boogie"
by Langston Hughes and read it aloud. Discuss the role of jazz in the changing culture and the role of poets
like Langston Hughes and musicians like Charlie Parker and Louis Armstrong in the development of this
popular music. Ask: What kinds of music were popular then? (ragtime, jazz, marching bands, symphony
orchestras, opera)
Making Connections Research and find a sampling of John Philip Sousa, ragtime, blues, swing, and jazz
music for students to listen to. Discuss the different types of music and the artist who is performing in the
piece. Have students describe how they feel when they hear the music.
INTERACTIVE WORKSHEET
Social Studies: 6th Grade
Unit One: Changes in Society Lead to Need for Reform
Week of September 28
Primary Source Activity
Making Connections Point out that novelists of the time addressed real concerns of immigrants and the
working poor in cities. Assign the Primary Source Activity worksheet on cleaning up the meatpacking industry
as homework to show how realist writing tackled social issues and how those novels might still be relevant
decades later. BL
Thursday
Friday
Review for TEST TOMORROW!!!!!!!! Immigrants TEST tomorrow!!
TEST Today!! Immigration & Immigrants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!