Teacher's Guide for COBBLESTONE ^® Muckrakers

Turmoil, depression, looming, Populist, fraud, strike, strikebreakers, boycott, mergers, corrupt, "old stock" Americans, discrimination, ragtag, reformers, crusading, expose, seamy, sensationalist, exasperating, syndicate, muckraking, fad, circulation, patent, tenement, social classes, destitute, jargon, revelations, competition, competitors, yellow journalism, reined in, philanthropic, trust, monopoly, tontine, progressive, kickbacks, graft, socialism, consumer, subscription, meager, stockyards, potboilers, wage slavery, gruesome, capitalism, machine, assessor, municipal, indefatigable, gullible, bunco, unregulated, ratification, databases, retribution, whistleblowers, atrocities, injustice, surveillance, undercover

Populist party, electoral fraud, Homestead Strike of 1892, "Jim Crow" laws, Progressives, President Theodore Roosevelt, S.S. McClure, McClure's Magazine, Ida Turbell, Ray Stannard Baker, patent medicines, Walter Augustus Wyckoff, tenement houses, YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association), Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, Richard Outcault and "Hogan's Alley," yellow journalism, Hearst Foundation, Burton J. Hendrick, Charles Edward Russell, Upton Sinclair, (Joseph) Lincoln Steffens, David Graham Philliips, Samuel Hopkins Adams, Arthur Griffith, Sun Yat-sen, Mahatma Gandhi, Bob Woodward, Kate Boo

1. What events led to the formation of the Populist Party? What was their platform? How did it differ from the platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties?
2. Search current newspapers, newsmagazines, or Internet news sites for information about current strikes and boycotts. What are the important issues? What are the opinions of both sides? Discuss the hardships placed on both employees and employers during a strike or boycott.
3. Why did "old stock" Americans think less of new immigrants to the United States?
4. What are the benefits of a merger? What are the drawbacks? Use the library or Internet to research these questions. Lead a classroom discussion about the merger of two fictional companies that make bicycles or other sporting goods, concentrating on the benefits and drawbacks of the plan.
5. Why did President Theodore Roosevelt accuse muckrakers of being the "friends of disorder?"

1. What were the benefits of S.S. McClure's literary syndicate?
2. Using library or Internet resources, find articles from early issues of McClure's Magazine. How did the magazine help American citizens?
3. How did S.S. McClure's efforts encourage social reform?

1. After reading the article, ask students to write a series of fictional letters or diary entries based on Wyckoff's experiences. Share these with the class.
2. Using library or Internet resources, find examples of Wyckoff's writing.

1. Using library or Internet resources, find out more about Pulitzer and Hearst's newspaper war in addition to other 20th and 21st century newspaper 'wars.' Do radio and television stations have their own 'wars' for dominance and popularity? Discuss.
2. Using library or Internet resources, find out more about the Pulitzer Prizes and the philanthropic work of the Hearst Foundation.
3. Why did the Pulitzer-Hearst newspaper war boost circulation? What tactics did both newspapers use to attract readers? Did they use ethical or unethical tactics? Discuss.

1. How did the information in Ida Tarbell's articles lead to the break up of the Standard Oil Company monopoly?
2. Study the cartoons on page 17 and throughout this issue of COBBLESTONE ^®. How did editorial cartoons influence public opinion?
3. Check out the "Cartoon Connection" (inside back cover) for a contemporary editorial cartoon about this issue.
4. Ask students to create editorial cartoons about school or community issues in the news. Display these on a bulletin board, or send a few to the local newspaper for possible publication.

1. What is a tontine system? Are there 21st century tontines? Discuss.
2. Why was Charles Edward Russell labeled the "Chief of the Muckrakers?" Using the library or Internet resources, find more of Russell's articles. What other issues did he write about? How did these articles influence society?
3. How did employers use coercion to influence election results? Discuss.

1. Read short excerpts of Sinclair's work to the class. How did his writing influence 20th century American culture?
2. Are there any examples of 21st century 'wage slavery' in the world? In the U.S.? In your community? Using the library or Internet resources, research this issue and report back to the class.

Divide the class into small groups (up to six players), distribute die, and play this great game!

1. How did investigative journalists help reform American society in the early 1900s? Focus the discussion on the efforts of Lincoln Steffens, David Graham Phillips, and Samuel Hopkins Adams, using library or Internet resources to find out more about their work.
2. Ask students to read current issues of newspapers and news magazines to find articles about 21st century corruption in government or society. Try to find articles delineating both sides of the issues. Construct posters or bulletin board displays, asking students to read the articles and make up their own opinions before writing short statements of support for either side of the issue.
3. Is the American public still gullible? Discuss, using examples of ads and articles from current publications.
4. What does the term "public interest" mean? Who determines the "public interest?" How?

1. What is 'watchdog' or 'public service' journalism? Why is it important in today's society?
2. Did 'watchdog' journalism play a role in any recent local, state, or federal elections? Using library resources, current issues of newspapers and newsmagazines, and Internet resources, find examples of 21st century 'watchdog' or 'public service' journalism at work. Check out the websites listed on page 41 for some great examples of past and present investigative journalism.
3. Does the school newspaper include 'public service' journalism? Consider writing articles about issues of concern in your school or community.

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Updated: 8/30/08 10:56 am
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