HOW GILDED WAS THE GILDED AGE?
(1890 – 1900 ) Grades 7 – High School: 2 Hours. Students will conduct a historical investigation to uncover the realities of a time when immigrants believed that the streets were paved with gold. For them it was often hard work, sickness and misery. For the middle and upper classes, the Gilded Age offered a lifestyle that is often portrayed in the media as glamorous but in reality it wasn’t quite as Gilded as we think. Objects, photographs and primary source documents will tell stories of the notorious Robber Barron Jay Gould and his family. Students will uncover evidence of the constrictions and problems faced in this time period. At the conclusion of this tour, students will be able to discern how changes in social structure altered the American scene. Concepts: Change, Culture, Empathy, Identity Curriculum Connections: Child Labor; Immigration; The effects of industrialization on everyday life; Problems faced with the manufacturing of goods; Representative entrepreneurs; Women, fami
