The Progressive Era: Muckraker Magazine Project
Your Task: Your team will create a Muckraker Magazine from the Progressive Era.
Introduction:
America is in a state of turmoil. The changes brought by industrialization have corrupted American politics, overcrowded American cities, and led to Big Business controlling the country. The conditions worsen with each day, and the public needs to know about these atrocities. Your group has been asked to assemble a news team of muckrakers to expose these issues to society.
Role:
You are a journalist. You have been asked to investigate corruption in one of the following areas: working conditions, child labor, urban living conditions, political corruption, and conservation.
Situation:
The context you find yourself in is the Progressive Era where the problems of the industrial era have created a variety of challenges that need to be addressed. Like the muckrakers of the era, you are interested in getting this information out to the public. Your magazine needs to have appeal and attract readers. You believe that by educating the public on this issue you can make a change in society.
Team Roles: (no more than 4 team members)
Feature Writers (2)
Individuals with strong leadership skills are sought. Experience with organizing and arranging large amounts of data, a talent for recognizing high quality work, excellent editing and grammatical skills, tact, an ability to communicate with a features team and the ability to motivate others is a must. Feature writers must proofread other group members’ articles.
Graphic Artist/ Layout Specialist
Talented individuals with strong spatial abilities, creative, and artistic ideas are needed to design and arrange articles, cartoons, and editorials on a magazine page. Ability to meet deadlines is a must. Graphic artist is responsible for checking the magazines layout for creativity and should sign off on the layout when finished.
Cartoon Editor
Artistic individuals with the ability to show an issue from several points of view. Experience with drawing, computer applications, scanners, is a plus. Knowledge and insight into Progressive Era history, political and social scandals is a must. The cartoonist is responsible for checking all cartoons, and sign off on the cartoons when they are finished.
Your Final Product:
Using Microsoft Publisher and/or Microsoft Word, your team will create a Muckraker Magazine. Your magazine will have one page per team member (4 page minimum). It will also include a magazine cover page, two articles with illustrations, and two political cartoons with analysis.
Step by Step Directions:
There are the steps for you to follow for this project. Use the PROJECT CHECKLIST. Check off each step as you have completed it. This are the minimum requirements and you may add special features, but make them historically accurate for the period 1890-1920.
Step 1
a. Participate in fact gathering about the many issues brought about by industrialization.
b. Choose from the following topics: child labor, working conditions, conservation, political corruption, and urban living conditions.
c. Write an article that “digs up the dirt” and exposes the bad things related to the topic you choose. Find a picture from the era that relates to your article. Be sure to cite your sources for your article.
d. For your second article, write a fact based article on one of the items listed below that relate to your topic. Be sure to cite the sources you used to gather this information. You must have a picture from the era for this article too.
Topics |
Items For Second Article |
Working Conditions |
Samuel Gompers, American Federation of Labor, Homestead Strike, Upton Sinclair, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire |
Child Labor |
Lewis Hines, Mother Jones, Owens Keating Act, March of the Mill Children, Florence Kelley |
Urban Living Conditions |
Jacob Riis, Jane Addams. Lillian Wald, Hull House, Tenement House |
Political Corruption |
Robert Lafollette, Civil Service Commission, 17th Amendment, Lincoln Steffens, Boss Tweed, Political Machines (Tammany Hall), |
Conservation |
Gifford Pinchot, Teddy Roosevelt, 1906 Antiquities Act, National Parks System |
Step 2
Each cartoon must show the problem and who was being hurt by it. It may or may not include the solution. In addition, your cartoon should be analyzed by answering the following questions:
a. what is the issue?
b. what are the symbols? the Labels? what does the caption say (if any)? the caricature (who are the characters)?
c. what is the opinion of the author?
Step 3
After completion of your two articles, design a magazine cover for your muckraking magazine. This cover should include a title, a period photograph, and two lead-ins that highlight the two articles that you have written for the magazine.
Include a date and a price accurate to the Progressive Era on the magazine cover.
Assemble the magazine to include the cover, the two articles, two political cartoons, and a page listing citations for your research.
Project Checklist
1. Have I included a title of the magazine?
2. Have I included a date and a price for the magazine?
3. Have I included a cover picture from the era?
4. Have I referenced my two articles with lead-ins on the magazine cover?
5. Have I written a 2-3 paragraph article with an illustration that exposes the problem?
6. Have I written a 2-3 paragraph fact based article with an illustration on one of the items for my topic?
6. Have I included and analyzed two political cartoons?
7. Have I cited the websites where I located my pictures and information?
8. Have I made my work neat and creative? Would my magazine appeal to readers?
Evaluation: Muckraker Magazine Rubric
Your Magazine page will be evaluated on the criteria in the rubric box below.
Grade |
Historical Content and Presentation of Content |
Magazine Requirements |
Creativity and Overall Presentation |
| A |
Content of articles are historically accurate with extensive details. Content of expose article strongly convinces reader of a need for reform. Content of fact based article clearly explains role in reform
|
Magazine includes all requirements listed below: Magazine cover with title. Period photograph on cover. Date and price Two lead ins on cover One expose article One fact based article period pictures for each article, and two political cartoons with analysis
|
Magazine shows strong evidence of effort and creativity. Overall look of the magazine and its contents would definitely attract readers. There is only 1 or 2 spelling or mechanical errors evident. Magazine is creative, unique and innovative in its presentation.
|
| B |
Content of articles are historically accurate with details. Content of expose article convinces reader of a need for reform. Content of fact based article explains the role in reform.
|
Magazine includes all but one or two of the requirements listed below: Magazine cover with title. Period photograph on cover. Date and price Two lead ins on cover One expose article One fact based article Period pictures for each article, and two political cartoons with analysis
|
Magazine shows evidence of effort and creativity. Overall look of the magazine and its contents would probably attract readers. There are few spelling or mechanical errors evident. Magazine is neat and creative in its presentation. Magazine is creative in its presentation.
|
| C |
Content of articles are historically accurate but lack detail. Content of expose article explains need for reform with minimal evidence. Content of fact based article does not clearly explain the role in reform.
|
Magazine includes most of the requirements listed below: Magazine cover with title. Period photograph on cover. Date and price Two lead ins on cover One expose article One fact based article Period pictures for each article, and two political cartoons with analysis
|
Magazine shows some evidence of effort and creativity. Overall look of the magazine and its contents might attract readers. There are several spelling or mechanical errors evident. Magazine has limited creativity in its presentation.
|
| D |
Content of articles contains few historically accurate facts and lacks details. Content of expose article does not convince reader of reform. Content of fact based article does not explain the role in reform.
|
Magazine includes some of the requirements listed below: Magazine cover with title. Period photograph on cover. Date and price Two lead ins on cover One expose article One fact based article Period pictures for each article, and two political cartoons with analysis
|
Magazine shows little evidence of effort and creativity. Overall look of the magazine and its contents would probably not attract readers. There are numerous spelling or mechanical errors evident. Magazine shows little creativity in its presentation.
|
| Inc |
Content of articles are inaccurate or missing. Content of expose article is not convincing or is missing. Content of fact based article is missing.
|
Magazine includes little or none of requirements listed below. Magazine cover with title. Period photograph on cover. Date and price Two lead ins on cover One expose article One fact based article Period pictures for each article, and two political cartoons with analysis
|
Magazine shows no evidence of effort and creativity. Overall look of the magazine and its contents would not attract readers. There are extensive spelling or mechanical errors evident. Magazine reflects a lack of creativity in its presentation.
|
| Points | 50 | 25 | 25 |
Research Links:
The Progressive Era: Resources
Child Labor in America (The History Place)
Websites for the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
Gilded Age and Progressive Era Resources
Immigration and the Progressive Era
Submission:
While working on your presentation you may save it to your student folder or a pen drive (I would recommend saving to both locations just to be safe). When the magazine is complete you will submit it to the teacher for a grade
