Can your students fix one of the worst housing crises in American history? This primary source analysis activity puts students in charge — examining real evidence, choosing a problem, and building a historically grounded reform proposal.
 
Working with six documents including Jacob Riis photographs, firsthand accounts, the Tenement House Act of 1901, and a fictionalized landlord's letter opposing reform, students analyze conditions in New York City's tenement housing before designing their own Progressive Era reform.

Perfect for units on the Progressive Era, Gilded Age urbanization, immigration, and the reform movement. Fully aligned with Common Core literacy standards for history and social studies.
 
What's Included
7 primary source documents with analysis questions
3 part Reform proposal worksheet with CER focus.
Teacher guide with warm-up and rubric included
 
Key Topics: Progressive Era · Jacob Riis · Tenement Housing · Urban Reform · Immigration · Gilded Age · Primary Source Analysis · DBQ
 
Grades 8–12
2 class periods
DOK 2–4
Printable Group Activity