This weekend, please consider the ways that the conflicts of the progressive era have continued into the modern day.  Today’s edition of the Seattle Times has many examples of where these issues are permeating modern life and influencing today’s lawmakers and government officials.  Consider issues like these (and find your own examples):

  • income inequality news story – taxes in Portland
  • Trump and organized labor on a collision course – Editorial
  • Millennial disruption to the finance industry – article
  • workers slam Amazon’s newest store – article

Your job is to consider multiple perspectives on modern sources of tension that are a continuation of the conflicts during the progressive era.  These include:

  • the factors disrupting work and working conditions
  • the role of unions and big business
  • the distribution of wealth
  • the role of government regulation

A simple starting place is to look carefully for articles describing the potential nominees for the President-Elect’s cabinet.

Once you find an article, write a brief paragraph comparing the issues raised in the article with the historical issues and historical figures from the progressive era. Your paragraph and article are due on Monday.

IN CLASS Monday, we worked to do the following:

  1. We gathered in groups with similar topics and shared out
  2. We took notes on what others said
  3. We worked to create a strong thesis statement that was topic-specific
    • the factors disrupting work and working conditions
    • the role of unions and big business
    • the distribution of wealth
    • the role of government regulation

    The template – What should the standard be for… ____________?

  4.  We began to plan out our comparative paragraph.  WRITE THIS PARAGRAPH TONIGHT.  IT IS DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON 12/13. The task is to compare modern-day workplace or economic issues to the progressive era.  The finished product should include:
    1. Specific comparisons of the issues of then and now.  Do more than topically compare (there were strikes then; there are strikes now).  Quoted, if possible, examples from the article and from the assigned reading (textbook/articles)
    2. Citations for the work that is referenced
    3. Students’ personal views placed within the context of what others think