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Lesson Plan
Teacher:

Myers

Class: U.S History

Dates: Nov 18-20

Lesson Topic: The Gilded Age

Lesson objectives:
The purpose is to show how labor conditions were bad and the workers were severely
underpaid. To show how inequality caused tensions that got many people killed in and outside
the factories. The last point will be the creation of labor movements and unions.
Main skill / system objective:

To be able to relate the past to the present. Not only

through primary sources, but through experience

Secondary skill / system objective:

To be able to read primary sources and to better

understand the past

Textbook pages / Worksheets / etc.

Materials / Resources / Supplies /

Flashcards / etc.

Songs / Listenings / etc.

I would use the chapters on the gilded age and progressive

era. I would create only one worksheet and that would be
one were the students would summarize what they learned
and what they would do if they live during that time.
Paper to make paper airplanes. I would need some sort of
rewards for the students who become wealthy. Some sort
of object that would work as cash (more than likely play
money)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLFoXCdKqWY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yzNo0Lhzmg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCZtNE3g_sQ
( I will only use bits and pieces of these videos)

Board Plans:

My board will have the list of names of people who became a part of the labor unions during
the project and the capital the rich have and how much it is increasing per 15 minutes.

Overall plan:
The project would be a simulation of the gilded age. I would have the students broken into
the three social classes the lower, middle, and upper classes. I will have the lower class be
laborers and the upper class be their wealthy capitalistic bosses. The middle class would be
trying to keep reaching the upper class, but couldnt. I would have the lower class working
on building paper airplanes and then giving it to the upper class making all the profit and
only give a small portion to the lower class as their wages. The lower class would then have
to find a way to pay their bills and buy food for their families. The middle class would be the
people the lower class buys the stuff from and their money would then go to the upper class
for rent and suck.

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Lesson Plan
Day

DAY 1
Everyone will
start out as
the lower
class and
students will
randomly be
chosen to be
moved to the
upper
classes.

DAY 2
Today I will
have given 5
students
notices that
due to poor
working
conditions
and no money
trickling down
they will have
lost their job
and be
expected to
survive
another way
(These
students will
start the labor
unions)
DAY 3
We will wrap
everything up

Procedure

Products

Time

Each student
should make one
airplane per
minute
Each student
should now
produce lets say
3 per minute

5mins

The three students will still be in charge and

now have the power to not only regulate
product but fire the people as well.

Whatever the
students choose

20 mins

The people who have been fired will be in

charge of creating a labor union to help
themselves and others. The will then be
expected to act as they think the labor unions
would have. (I want them to stop the factory
work and make the workers unionize)

To show students
how working
together can help
the common
good.

25mins

What we have
learned and what
they would have
done

10 mins

Everyone will start out making paper

airplanes and then I will chose 3 students to
move up.
The students who moved up will now become
in charge of how much is to be produced and
how the workers are treated (I will monitor
this closely to make sure students are not
being isolated.)

10 mins

I would continue to let the students make the

regulations until 5 minutes left in class in
which we would use to clean up

Homework will be to reflect on what they

learned and be ready to write about in class.

There will be a class discussion

Watch portion of the videos and then discuss
more

30-40
mins

Homework would be to write 1-2 pages on

what they learned and how they think living
during that time would have been.

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Lesson Plan

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REFLECTION FOR THE PROJECT

How could this project be further improved?
I believe once I see this working in the classroom I will be better equipped to make
changes. From what I have written here the first improvement I would make the videos the
first day, instead of the last. The more I think about it I feel like it would be the best way to
help students understand what was going on and how bad these conditions really were. I
would also make the homework more of a formal writing and make them take the side of
either the worker or the capitalistic business man and defend why or why not regulation was
necessary. Maybe make it a 3 page paper in Chicago style writing to help them learn
Chicago style and footnotes. I also think I could work on a better idea for the labor union, I
feel like I would have to see how it worked first to better make an improvement. Also I feel
like I would have to find a system that could work for both small and large classes. I believe I
could also use this as an extra credit opportunity. If a student or a group of students wanted
some extra points I could give them an opportunity to make a video of the Gilded Age and or
the Labor Union Movements.

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Lesson Plan

References
Anderson, J. (2015, August 12). The Gilded Age Gangsta Rap [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLFoXCdKqWY
ESL Certificates, Lesson Plan Templates, Attendance Sheets. (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.eslkidstuff.com/esl-teachers-resources.htm#.VmSRFvmrTIU
Just the Facts: The Emergence of Modern America- The Gilded Age [Video file]. (2013, October 21).
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCZtNE3g_sQ
Progressive Movement / Child Labor [Video file]. (2013, April 29). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yzNo0Lhzmg

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Lesson Plan

Rubric for Scoring Independent Technology

Project
Criterion
TECHNOLOGY
7.5

NOVICE
5-6 POINTS
Technology
chosen is one
with which the
student has
significant
experience
Technology is
not an
effective
choice for the
topic
Completed
project shows
minimal
proficiency
with the
technology

SUBJECT
KNOWLEDGE/ACC
URACY

10

Subject

knowledge is
weak or not
evident

Information is
confusing and
or incorrect
Topic is not
developed
beyond a few
facts; project is

ACCEPTABLE
7-8 POINTS
Students many
not have chosen
a new
technology, but
the project
advances
mastery of the
technology
chosen
Selected
technology as an
acceptable
medium for the
task at hand
Completed
project shows a
high level of
efficiency in the
use of the
program
Basic subject
knowledge is
evident
Most information
is clear,
appropriate and
accurate, but
some
information may
be confusing or
incorrect

EXPERT
9-10 POINTS
Technology
chosen
challenges
student to
master a new
technology
Selected
technology is an
excellent
vehicle for the
task at hand
Completed
project shows
mastery of the
chosen
technology

Thorough
subject
knowledge is
evident
All information
presented is
clear,
appropriate and
accurate
Topic is covered
completely and
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Lesson Plan

DESIGN AND
ORIGINALITY

MECHANICS

10

WORKS CITED
AND
DOCUMENTATION
8.5

more of an
outline than a
thorough
presentation

Topic includes
essential
information

Information
presented is
not in logical
sequence
Design
detracts from
the project
Images,
layout, font
and
background
are disjointed
and distracting
Project is a
collection of
other peoples
ideas and
images; little
evidence of
new thought or
originality
Errors in
spelling,
grammar and
syntax exist
throughout

Most elements
are presented in
logical sequence
Design enhances
and accentuates
the project
Most of the
images, layout,
fonts and
background are
consistent and
pleasing.
Evidence of
original thought
even though
project may be
largely a
collection of
other peoples
ideas and
images.
Presentation has
a few spelling or
grammatical
mistakes. A few
sentences or
ideas may not
be presented
clearly

Sources of
information
not credited
Works Cited is
missing or
incomplete
Most
information
comes from 1
or 2 sources
Reflection
lacking in
specific details
or not included
with the

Credit is given
for most sources
Works Citied is
complete but
may have errors
in MLA
formatting
More than three
sources of
information were
used for this
project
Reflection
included that
addresses a few

in depth

Information is
presented in
logical
sequence
Design
compliments
the project
Images, layout,
fonts,
background are
consistent,
pleasing, and
add to the
project
The majority of
content and
ideas presented
are new,
inventive and
interesting
Presentation has
no spelling
errors and/or
grammatical
mistakes.
Syntax creates
clear
communication
of ideas.
Appropriate
credit is given
to all sources of
information
Works Cited is
complete in APA
format
A variety of
sources have
been used for
this project
Detailed project
reflection is
included
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Lesson Plan
project

key points of the

project

TOTAL POINTS
41

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