Discrimination During the Progressive Era

Pure Food in the Progressive Era

by Patrick Starke

Whitesboro Middle School

pstark@wboro.org

“I aimed at the public’s heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.” Upton Sinclair, on his novel, “The Jungle” (1906)

Introduction

During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, our nation went through a tremendous period of change know as the Progressive Era. This period was characterized by many reforms and a rapid growth in government regulating businesses. New laws and four amendments to our Constitution happened during this time period.

As muckrakers (journalists, photographers and political cartoonists) exposed problems in society, people began to protest and this pushed the government to take action. One famous muckraker, Upton Sinclair, wrote the book The Jungle, published in 1906. This novel, which exposed the horrible conditions in the nation’s meatpacking plants, helped lead to passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in the same year. Other muckrakers exposed the problems with our nation’s medicines. This helped lead to laws and regulations that would give birth the to the Food and Drug Administration, the government agency that continues to regulate our food and medicines.

You are going to demand that Congress take action to protect our nation’s food and medicine. After researching about how horrible the food that our nation consumes and the things they put into the so called medicines they are selling to people in 1906, you will write your Congressman to urge them to take action to protect our nations food and medicine.

Tasks

After learning about the Progressive Era and the Pure Food and Drug Act, you will be researching the impacts of the Pure Food and Drug Act and complete organizer sheets with a partner. Students will then be working independently to complete a typed paper that will be a written recommendation to Congress urging them to take action on the laws designed to protect our food and medicine. Your TYPED paper must include the following:

A description of the problem.

Evidence and examples of the problem.

A summary of how this legislation will make improvements.

An analysis to determine whether the laws are “practical.”

Use MLA form for citations of three (3) different sources

Process –

1) Students will work with a partner to complete research on the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

1) Students will work with a partner and use the AHPPA steps below as they gather information to be used in their paper. Each form for the 5 steps must be completed. If you use the “word” format you can type the responses. These sheets can be used as your “organizers” to help you complete the writing assignment. Make sure you get two copies, one for you and one for your partner.

· AHPPA Step 1: Identify the Problem

· AHPPA Step 2: Gather the Evidence

· AHPPA Step 3: Determine Causes

· AHPPA Step 4: Evaluate the Policy

· AHPPA Costs, Benefits and Comparative Analysis

2) Students will write their paper.

Resources

Muckraker Upton Sinclair

Evaluation –

Letter to Congress Rubric

	4	3	2	1
Introduction	Attention Grabbing! Uses strategies modeled in class.	Makes an appropriate attempt at generating interest, but lacks originality and/or voice.	Shows an understanding of the topic, but fails to generate immediate interest.	Does not display an understanding of the topic.
Evidence and Development	Ideas are fully developed. Implements proper persuasive essay structure and elements.	Ideas are developed, but could use more supporting evidence. Implements proper persuasive essay structure and elements.	Ideas are present, but not well developed. May lack pertinent persuasive essay elements.	Does not display an understanding of the topic.
Conclusion	Fully developed, utilizes strategies modeled in class.	Present, but not fully developed.	Present, but does not correlate with essay or is vague.	Does not display an understanding of the topic.
Mechanics	No errors in grammar or mechanics. Shows evidence of revision.	Few errors in grammar or spelling. Shows evidence of revision.	Many errors in grammar or spelling. Shows little evidence of revision.	Many errors in grammar or spelling. Shows no evidence of revision. Errors significantly impact the readability of the piece.

Conclusion

SWBAT evaluate and excerpt from the muckraking book, The Jungle.

SWBAT research the Pure Food and Drug Act (how/why it passed and what it did)

SWBAT use organizers to analyze the topic

SWBAT develop a persuasive letter to Congress , using specific facts, to lobby on behalf of passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act

SWBAT use proper citations when writing their persuasive paper to Congress.

Standards

Common Core Standards

WHST 1

Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

a. Introduce claims about a topic or issue and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

b. Support claims with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text using credible sources.

WHST 4.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

NYStandards

Standard 1

History of the United States and New York

use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.