Compelling Question: What is the price of "progress"?

Supporting Questions: Do the benefits of innovation outweigh the costs? What were some of the political social and economic conditions driving industrial growth from 1870-1900 in the United States? What were the positive aspects of industrialization in the Gilded Age? What were the negative aspects of industrialization in the Gilded Age? How do people affect change in their society? How do challenges force people to change? Did the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few industrialists threaten the American ideals of equality, opportunity and liberty? Is there one American experience?

Enduring Understandings: Thinking Like a Historian: Historical analysis requires a rich variety of historical documents and artifacts that present alternative voices, accounts, and interpretations or perspectives on the past. Thinking and reading like a historian requires developing reading strategies to analyze texts and other information. Historical events are relevant in modern times.

Industrialization & Urbanization: The United States was transformed from an agrarian to an increasingly industrial and urbanized society. Although this transformation created new economic opportunities, it also created societal problems that were addressed by a variety of reform efforts.

Themes: Reform Movements, Equality, Economic Systems

Performance Task: Optional Project Based Learning Experience