Muckrakers of the Progressive Era


Introduction

           It is the late 1800s, 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 create a new postage stamp to honor the work of the muckrakers of the Progressive Era.


Task

Your job is to design (2) two new postage stamps to honor the work of the muckraking authors of the Progressive Era.

Each stamp will be created using Microsoft Word and include the following:

                1)  A picture of the reformer or a symbol of 
                      the area they were trying to reform

                2)  A slogan describing the nature of their
                      reform

                3)  Major accomplishments or works.

                4)  Color and Neatness (using markers,
                      colored pencils, or crayons)

The Process

1)  Each member of the group is responsible for creating one postage stamp.

2)  Groups will choose two muckrakers from the list below to research:

           a.  Thomas Nast
           b.  Upton Sinclair
           c.  Ida Tarbell
           d.  Jacob Riis
    
3)  After choosing two muckrakers each group will use the links below to research the information for their stamps.

         Examples of Commemorative Stamps

a.  Thomas Nast (cartoonist)

      Biography
      Biography 2
      Nast's Cartoons of William "Boss" Tweed
      Examples of Nast's Cartoons

b.  Upton Sinclair (author)

      Biography
      Biography 2
      Excerpt from "The Jungle"
      Excerpt from "The Jungle" 2
      Impact of "The Jungle"

c.  Ida Tarbell (author)

      Biography
      Biography 2
      Ida Tarbell vs. John D. Rockefeller
      Tarbell's Influence

d.  Jacob Riis (author/photographer)

      Biography
      Biography 2
      "How the Other Half Lives"

Evaluation

  
    Your postage stamps will be graded using the following criteria:

      1)  Includes pictures of muckraker & symbols of the
            area they attempted to reform (40 pts)

      2)  A slogan describing their attempts for reform (20 pts)

      3)  Depictions/Descriptions of major accomplishments (20 pts)

      4)  Includes color and is neat (20 pts)