The Gilded Age Lesson Plan for 10th Grade Example Students

Topic: The Gilded Age

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to define the Gilded Age and explain the key political, economic and social changes that occurred during this time period.

Materials

• Textbook or other resource materials on the Gilded Age
• Handouts with key information and definitions

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have heard of the Gilded Age before. What do they know about this time period?
• Write the following terms on the board: political changes, economic changes, social changes. Ask students to raise their hands if they know what each of these terms means.

Direct Instruction

• Begin by introducing the concept of the Gilded Age and its time period. Explain that this refers to the period after the Civil War up until around the turn of the century, a time of significant change in the United States.
• Provide a brief overview of the political changes that occurred during the Gilded Age, including the rise of industrialization and the growth of the federal government.
• Discuss the economic changes that occurred during the Gilded Age, including the rise of big business and the growth of the middle class.
• Highlight the social changes that occurred during the Gilded Age, including the rise of consumerism and the growth of urban areas.
• Emphasize the importance of understanding this period of history, as it laid the groundwork for the United States as we know it today.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one of the political, economic, or social changes discussed in the direct instruction.
• Have each group research their assigned topic and create a visual representation to present to the class. This could take the form of a poster, a presentation, a video, or any other creative format they choose.
• During the presentation, have the group explain their chosen topic and how it relates to the larger historical context of the Gilded Age.
• After the presentations, have the class discuss how the different changes fit together and contribute to a broader understanding of the Gilded Age.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one of the political, economic, or social changes discussed in the direct instruction to research in more detail.
• Have students create a presentation or written report on their chosen topic, including information on its historical context, its impact on the Gilded Age, and any interesting facts they discovered in their research.

Closure

• Review the main political, economic, and social changes that occurred during the Gilded Age.
• Discuss the importance of these changes to the development of the United States, and the implications they have for today's society.

Assessment

• Written test on the political, economic and social changes that occurred during the Gilded Age.
• Project presentation
• Written reflection on the main changes that occurred during the Gilded Age and the importance of these changes to the development of the United States today.