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Make your Progressive Era muckraker lesson more engaging with this creative, student-friendly one-pager activity!
Students will analyze a Progressive Era muckraker, identify their impact, and then connect their historical work to a modern issue through a creative “Modern Muckraker” response.
This activity is designed to move students beyond simply researching a historical figure and encourage them to analyze, connect, and create.
WHAT STUDENTS WILL ANALYZE
Students investigate their assigned muckraker through four key categories:
THE PROBLEM
What problem or injustice did the muckraker expose?
THE METHOD
How did the muckraker expose the problem?
THE REFORM
What changes did their work help inspire?
HISTORICAL EVIDENCE
What evidence supports their analysis?
THEN & NOW: CREATE A MODERN MUCKRAKER RESPONSE
Students imagine that their muckraker discovered a similar problem in today's society.
What would they create to expose the problem and make a difference?
Students can choose a modern format such as:
Social media campaign
Podcast
Documentary
News article
Photo essay
Investigative report
Community organization
Other creative media
⭐ INCLUDES A COMPLETED EXEMPLAR
Not sure how to show students what a strong finished product should look like?
This resource includes a completed Jane Addams exemplar that teachers can project, display, or use to model the assignment before students begin.
The exemplar demonstrates how students can:
✔️ Identify the historical problem
✔️ Explain the muckraker/reformer's method
✔️ Identify reforms and impact
✔️ Support ideas with historical evidence
✔️ Connect the Progressive Era to a modern issue
✔️ Develop a creative modern response
The Jane Addams exemplar also models the “Then & Now” portion by imagining how Addams might respond to challenges facing immigrant families today through a community center modeled after the community-support work of Hull House.
WHY USE THIS ACTIVITY?
✔️ Creative alternative to a traditional research paper
✔️ Encourages historical analysis and evidence-based thinking
✔️ Connects the Progressive Era to modern society
✔️ Includes a completed exemplar for modeling
✔️ Gives students opportunities for creativity and choice
✔️ Can be completed independently or with a partner
✔️ Makes a great hallway/display project
✔️ Works well as a culminating Progressive Era activity
GREAT FOR
U.S. History • American History • Progressive Era • Muckrakers • Industrialization • Gilded Age • Journalism • Social Reform • Historical Thinking • Research
POSSIBLE USES
Use this activity as:
• A Progressive Era research project
• A culminating activity
• An independent assignment
• A partner activity
• A station activity
• A review before an assessment
• A creative alternative to a biography report
• A classroom or hallway display
Students will analyze the past, connect it to the present, and create a modern response.
ANALYZE. CONNECT. CREATE.
Progressive Era | Muckrakers | Historical Thinking | Creative Application
Make your Progressive Era muckraker lesson more engaging with this creative, student-friendly one-pager activity!
Students will analyze a Progressive Era muckraker, identify their impact, and then connect their historical work to a modern issue through a creative “Modern Muckraker” response.
This activity is designed to move students beyond simply researching a historical figure and encourage them to analyze, connect, and create.
WHAT STUDENTS WILL ANALYZE
Students investigate their assigned muckraker through four key categories:
THE PROBLEM
What problem or injustice did the muckraker expose?
THE METHOD
How did the muckraker expose the problem?
THE REFORM
What changes did their work help inspire?
HISTORICAL EVIDENCE
What evidence supports their analysis?
THEN & NOW: CREATE A MODERN MUCKRAKER RESPONSE
Students imagine that their muckraker discovered a similar problem in today's society.
What would they create to expose the problem and make a difference?
Students can choose a modern format such as:
Social media campaign
Podcast
Documentary
News article
Photo essay
Investigative report
Community organization
Other creative media
⭐ INCLUDES A COMPLETED EXEMPLAR
Not sure how to show students what a strong finished product should look like?
This resource includes a completed Jane Addams exemplar that teachers can project, display, or use to model the assignment before students begin.
The exemplar demonstrates how students can:
✔️ Identify the historical problem
✔️ Explain the muckraker/reformer's method
✔️ Identify reforms and impact
✔️ Support ideas with historical evidence
✔️ Connect the Progressive Era to a modern issue
✔️ Develop a creative modern response
The Jane Addams exemplar also models the “Then & Now” portion by imagining how Addams might respond to challenges facing immigrant families today through a community center modeled after the community-support work of Hull House.
WHY USE THIS ACTIVITY?
✔️ Creative alternative to a traditional research paper
✔️ Encourages historical analysis and evidence-based thinking
✔️ Connects the Progressive Era to modern society
✔️ Includes a completed exemplar for modeling
✔️ Gives students opportunities for creativity and choice
✔️ Can be completed independently or with a partner
✔️ Makes a great hallway/display project
✔️ Works well as a culminating Progressive Era activity
GREAT FOR
U.S. History • American History • Progressive Era • Muckrakers • Industrialization • Gilded Age • Journalism • Social Reform • Historical Thinking • Research
POSSIBLE USES
Use this activity as:
• A Progressive Era research project
• A culminating activity
• An independent assignment
• A partner activity
• A station activity
• A review before an assessment
• A creative alternative to a biography report
• A classroom or hallway display
Students will analyze the past, connect it to the present, and create a modern response.
ANALYZE. CONNECT. CREATE.
Progressive Era | Muckrakers | Historical Thinking | Creative Application
