"There are two types of education. One should teach us how to make a living, and the other how to live..."

--John Adams

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Week of March 18-22, 2k24



  1. Who was Ida Tarbell and what is a muckraker?
  2. What did the progressives focus on from 1900-1920. Put this into your own words.
  3. What did Carnegie and Rockefeller argue to the public about their corporations? Do you agree with them? Is business truly about “survival of the fittest?”
  4. What was Rockefeller’s argument in the italicized quote on page four.
  5. What group of people were the first to push for reforms and why?
  6. What did the new Populist Party argue they wanted?
  7. How did Rockefeller and Carnegie rehabilitate their images during the Progressive Era?
  8. Who were the Progressive Presidents?
  9. What did Jacob Riis do in 1890? How do you think this led to changes in the cities?
  10. What book did Upton Sinclair publish and what industry did he expose in this book? What were some results of Sinclair’s book? Do you think other big businesses saw this story and made changes to the way they managed their companies?
  11. In the early 1900s, how many children worked in mines or factories? Why did children work in mines & factories?
  12. By 1900, what percent of all labor in the United States were children under 16 years old? What was the name of the law that modified child labor?
  13. How did the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire shock the nation and what were some new reforms that came out of this horrible incident?
  14. What is conservation and what law did TR sign into law in 1906? What did the law do? Why is conservation an important reform for both back then and today?
  15. What is the NAACP and what were their goals?
  16. What amendments were added to the Constitution during the Progressive Era?
  17. How are our lives affected/impacted by the Progressive Era? Provide three examples!

How the Other Half Lives...

The Jungle...

The Photos That Ended Child Labor...

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire...

TR and The Environmentalists!

The NAACP

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Saturday, March 9, 2024

Week of March 11-13, 2024


  1. Who was Ida Tarbell and what is a muckraker?
  2. What did the progressives focus on from 1900-1920.  Put this into your own words.
  3. What did Carnegie and Rockefeller argue to the public about their corporations?  Do you agree with them?  Is business truly about “survival of the fittest?”
  4. What was Rockefeller’s argument in the italicized quote on page four.
  5. What group of people were the first to push for reforms and why?
  6. What did the new Populist Party argue they wanted?
  7. How did Rockefeller and Carnegie rehabilitate their images during the Progressive Era?
  8. Who were the Progressive Presidents?
  9. What did Jacob Riis do in 1890? How do you think this led to changes in the cities?
  10. What book did Upton Sinclair publish and what industry did he expose in this book? What were some results of Sinclair’s book?  Do you think other big businesses saw this story and made changes to the way they managed their companies?
  11. In the early 1900s, how many children worked in mines or factories?  Why did children work in mines & factories?
  12. By 1900, what percent of all labor in the United States were children under 16 years old? What was the name of the law that modified child labor?
  13. How did the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire shock the nation and what were some new reforms that came out of this horrible incident?
  14. What is conservation and what law did TR sign into law in 1906? What did the law do?  Why is conservation an important reform for both back then and today?
  15. What is the NAACP and what were their goals?
  16. What amendments were added to the Constitution during the Progressive Era?
  17. How are our lives affected/impacted by the Progressive Era? Provide three examples!

How the Other Half Lives...

The Jungle...

The Photos That Ended Child Labor...

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire...

TR and The Environmentalists!

The NAACP

Saturday, March 2, 2024



“The whites were always trying to make the Indians give up their life and live like white men -- go to  farming, work hard, and they did not want to anyway...If the Indians had tried to make the whites live like them, the whites would have resisted, and it was the same way with many Indians…”
-Wamditanka (Big Eagle) of Santee Sioux


1.  What does the above quote mean?   Do you agree with this quote?

2. After the Civil War, what do you think were  two struggles Native Americans might have faced? (opinion)

3. Explain how the Sand Creek Massacre was an actual  “massacre.”  Do  you think this news made headlines in newspapers back east in the big cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, etc.?  Why/why not?

4. What do you think was the purpose of recording these events if no future generations were able to “read?”

5. Explain one reason for why the Fetterman Massacre was good and bad.  Do you think the outcome was more beneficial for one side? Why?

6. The Fort Laramie Treaty was a tremendous success for the Americans for a number of reasons.  Based on the above reading, what do you think is one of those reasons?

7.  Why do you think Blacks wanted to move to Kansas?  What struggles do you think these “Exodusters” faced when they arrived in Kansas? (opinionated)

8. What is Chief Joseph’s father saying to his son, Hin Mah Too Yah-lat-kekt? 

9. On the wall are a series of quotes by Native Americans and Americans.  Pick THREE quotes, (Write down the Number) and summarize who they are directed toward and the message sent.

10. The Central Pacific had between 15,000-20,000 Chinese immigrants working on the railroad.  Why did Americans feel the Chinese were such great workers? What were the difficulties the Chinese immigrants faced working on the railroad?  Most Chinese workers remained in America after building the railroad.  Why do you think they wanted to stay?  (This is a hard one to answer -- This is an opinionated Q)

11. Explain why you think the Transcontinental RR was one of the nation’s most incredible industrial achievements.  Provide six effects (either positive or negative) of the Transcontinental RR.  How do you think the Natives responded (both physically and emotionally) to seeing these massive iron horses built through their lands?  PROVIDE A LOT OF THOUGHTS & DETAILS…

12. Using the map below, list five states  WEST of IOWA that had Indian Reservations? 

13.  Why do you think the American government wanted Native Americans on reservations? Provide three thoughts you think Native Americans had about being forced onto reservations and given ration tickets to collect food, clothing, and supplies?  

14. Look at the ration tickets.  What are some things written on these ration tickets that each Native American family received?  What rations do you think the Natives received from the government?  
15. What concerns do you think the Natives had about living on reservations?

16. Why do you think the Native Americans resisted these ration tickets and the rations from the United States government?

17 – Briefly explain what Chief Joseph meant when he made the above comments to the American man.  

18. After watching the video, hearing the tone of Chief Joseph’s voice to General Howard, what do his words really mean and what kind of message was he saying to both the Americans and his people? (This is hard!)  How do you think Americans back east felt when they heard the Nez Perce had surrendered to the United States Army?

19. What did the law do and how do you think Dawes felt this law would help the Native Americans?

20. How did this new law help white settlers in the west?

21. Notice the acre prices on the list.  Why do you think there are different prices for different territories/states?  Opinionated & this is hard!)

22. After the Battle at the Little Bighorn, if you were a member of the Sioux you probably felt…

23. The Battle of the Little Bighorn happened just one week before America’s 100th birthday.  After the Battle of the Little Bighorn, if you were a citizen of the United States and you heard of this battle you probably felt…

24. Where was the Battle at the Little Bighorn &  how was the Battle of the Little Bighorn both a tremendous victory and defeat for the Sioux? (Gotta think…)

25. Mr. Barry took the above photographs when he visited a Native American museum in South Dakota.  What are some scenes you see in these drawn pictures by the Sioux?

26. Provide five  uses of the buffalo to the Native Americans.

27. Approximately how many buffalo roamed the Plains before the 1800s and how many buffalo did each Native American family kill per year?

28. Why do you think the number of buffalo drastically decreased in the 1800s? (opinionated based on reading)

29. The above photo was taken by Mr. Barry in Wyoming at the Center of the West Museum. What is one thing you notice/see about this tepee that stands out to you?
30.  Think about the above reading about the Carlisle Indian Schools.  How did the US try to change the Native American children and how do you think this would impact future generations of Native Americans?

31. If you are an American citizen living at that time, what is your reaction to hearing about both Crazy Horse & Sitting Bull’s surrender?

32. How do you think the US government responded to the news of their surrender? Why do you think this was the case?

33. Read the quote below by Wovoka and put it into your own words what he is saying to the people.  
“And you should not grieve for yourselves, because here is what the white robe did not tell you.  The white man, my children, will soon be no more…You should not hate the white man, for this will only delay his end.  If you do the dance I will teach you, all the ancestors will return.  The buffalo will be renewed, and you shall all live forever in the freedom that we as Indian people once knew...”
-Wovoka 
34. Why do you think the Sioux adopted these Ghost Dances?  Do you think the Sioux actually believed the Ghost Dance shirts could protect them from the bullets shot by white men?

35. What do you think were the reactions by white soldiers and settlers to these dances? 

36. In December 1890, Sitting Bull was dead.  How do you think the federal agents, military personnel, and other whites living in the territory responded to the news of Sitting Bull’s death?

37. How do you think the Lakota responded to the news of Sitting Bull’s death & what do you think Sitting Bull’s death meant to the Sioux?

38. What thoughts cross your mind after reading the passage above about Wounded Knee and seeing these images of the dead at Wounded Knee? (images below and on next page)

39. What are some struggles that Native Americans might face today?  How do you think Native Americans view “American history” classes when they go to school?  What do you think they might want to teach about their people and their history in schools?

Friday, February 23, 2024

Week of Feb. 26 - March 1, 2k24

Ahhh!  Mr. Barry made a mistake!  Technically, Day 2 of the week is Feb. 28/29!


Gilded Age Q's STILL due - Mon. Feb 26 even though y'all go to Tellus!

Gilded Ages Test - Day 2 - Feb. 28/29
---------------------------------

Native America 1865-1900


“The whites were always trying to make the Indians give up their life and live like white men -- go to  farming, work hard, and they did not want to anyway...If the Indians had tried to make the whites live like them, the whites would have resisted, and it was the same way with many Indians…”
-Wamditanka (Big Eagle) of Santee Sioux


1.  What does the above quote mean?   Do you agree with this quote?

2. After the Civil War, what do you think were  two struggles Native Americans might have faced? (opinion)

3. Explain how the Sand Creek Massacre was an actual  “massacre.”  Do  you think this news made headlines in newspapers back east in the big cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, etc.?  Why/why not?

4. What do you think was the purpose of recording these events if no future generations were able to “read?”

5. Explain one reason for why the Fetterman Massacre was good and bad.  Do you think the outcome was more beneficial for one side? Why?

6. The Fort Laramie Treaty was a tremendous success for the Americans for a number of reasons.  Based on the above reading, what do you think is one of those reasons?

7.  Why do you think Blacks wanted to move to Kansas?  What struggles do you think these “Exodusters” faced when they arrived in Kansas? (opinionated)

8. What is Chief Joseph’s father saying to his son, Hin Mah Too Yah-lat-kekt? 

9. On the wall are a series of quotes by Native Americans and Americans.  Pick THREE quotes, (Write down the Number) and summarize who they are directed toward and the message sent.

10. The Central Pacific had between 15,000-20,000 Chinese immigrants working on the railroad.  Why did Americans feel the Chinese were such great workers? What were the difficulties the Chinese immigrants faced working on the railroad?  Most Chinese workers remained in America after building the railroad.  Why do you think they wanted to stay?  (This is a hard one to answer -- This is an opinionated Q)

11. Explain why you think the Transcontinental RR was one of the nation’s most incredible industrial achievements.  Provide six effects (either positive or negative) of the Transcontinental RR.  How do you think the Natives responded (both physically and emotionally) to seeing these massive iron horses built through their lands?  PROVIDE A LOT OF THOUGHTS & DETAILS…

12. Using the map below, list five states  WEST of IOWA that had Indian Reservations? 

13.  Why do you think the American government wanted Native Americans on reservations? Provide three thoughts you think Native Americans had about being forced onto reservations and given ration tickets to collect food, clothing, and supplies?  

14. Look at the ration tickets.  What are some things written on these ration tickets that each Native American family received?  What rations do you think the Natives received from the government?  
15. What concerns do you think the Natives had about living on reservations?

16. Why do you think the Native Americans resisted these ration tickets and the rations from the United States government?

17 – Briefly explain what Chief Joseph meant when he made the above comments to the American man.  

18. After watching the video, hearing the tone of Chief Joseph’s voice to General Howard, what do his words really mean and what kind of message was he saying to both the Americans and his people? (This is hard!)  How do you think Americans back east felt when they heard the Nez Perce had surrendered to the United States Army?

19. What did the law do and how do you think Dawes felt this law would help the Native Americans?

20. How did this new law help white settlers in the west?

21. Notice the acre prices on the list.  Why do you think there are different prices for different territories/states?  Opinionated & this is hard!)

22. After the Battle at the Little Bighorn, if you were a member of the Sioux you probably felt…

23. The Battle of the Little Bighorn happened just one week before America’s 100th birthday.  After the Battle of the Little Bighorn, if you were a citizen of the United States and you heard of this battle you probably felt…

24. Where was the Battle at the Little Bighorn &  how was the Battle of the Little Bighorn both a tremendous victory and defeat for the Sioux? (Gotta think…)

25. Mr. Barry took the above photographs when he visited a Native American museum in South Dakota.  What are some scenes you see in these drawn pictures by the Sioux?

26. Provide five  uses of the buffalo to the Native Americans.

27. Approximately how many buffalo roamed the Plains before the 1800s and how many buffalo did each Native American family kill per year?

28. Why do you think the number of buffalo drastically decreased in the 1800s? (opinionated based on reading)

29. The above photo was taken by Mr. Barry in Wyoming at the Center of the West Museum. What is one thing you notice/see about this tepee that stands out to you?
30.  Think about the above reading about the Carlisle Indian Schools.  How did the US try to change the Native American children and how do you think this would impact future generations of Native Americans?

31. If you are an American citizen living at that time, what is your reaction to hearing about both Crazy Horse & Sitting Bull’s surrender?

32. How do you think the US government responded to the news of their surrender? Why do you think this was the case?

33. Read the quote below by Wovoka and put it into your own words what he is saying to the people.  
“And you should not grieve for yourselves, because here is what the white robe did not tell you.  The white man, my children, will soon be no more…You should not hate the white man, for this will only delay his end.  If you do the dance I will teach you, all the ancestors will return.  The buffalo will be renewed, and you shall all live forever in the freedom that we as Indian people once knew...”
-Wovoka 
34. Why do you think the Sioux adopted these Ghost Dances?  Do you think the Sioux actually believed the Ghost Dance shirts could protect them from the bullets shot by white men?

35. What do you think were the reactions by white soldiers and settlers to these dances? 

36. In December 1890, Sitting Bull was dead.  How do you think the federal agents, military personnel, and other whites living in the territory responded to the news of Sitting Bull’s death?

37. How do you think the Lakota responded to the news of Sitting Bull’s death & what do you think Sitting Bull’s death meant to the Sioux?

38. What thoughts cross your mind after reading the passage above about Wounded Knee and seeing these images of the dead at Wounded Knee? (images below and on next page)

39. What are some struggles that Native Americans might face today?  How do you think Native Americans view “American history” classes when they go to school?  What do you think they might want to teach about their people and their history in schools?