Urbanization Project

Congratulations student historians!  You have been choosen to be part of the pilot of a new program here at our charter high school.  Urbanization is a major problem domestically in America.  Urbanization becomes a problem when too many people are living in one city and there is not enough water or some other necessary resource for life.  These people often live in sub-standard housing called slums or tenements.

Mayors of major cities and other city officials are always looking for input from their constituents.  In this case, we are going to work together in groups to prepare research for mayors, city officials, state officials, and federal officials talking about the problems of urbanization in our world.  There are about five to six people in each group and you have each been given a topic.  You are going to research that topic, give a presentation to the class, and write a letter to major leaders in the United States giving your advice on the subject.  You may even get a response back from these leaders and other members of the community.  Click on your group’s topic below, and see the Frequently asked Questions page if you have questions.

Group One: Urbanization’s effect on Social and Working Conditions

Group Two: New Technology and Urbanization

Group Three: Immigrants, Americanization, and Urbanization

Group Four: The Social Gospel

Group Five: Political Machines

Group Six: Social Darwinism

Group Seven: Big Business

 

Group One: Social and Working Conditions during Urbanization

Your group is looking at the way a city that was affected by urbanization in the early twentieth century, and tracing how urbanization affected this city in each decade after 1900.  Here is your group’s checklist.  Make sure you are following this:

1.  Choose a city you wish to research. The city must qualify as an urban city.  Urban cities are large cities with large populations and are usually well known throughout the United States as “big cities.”
Students will provide five of the most important “snapshots” of this city from 1900 to present to the class and focus the end of their presentation on why this is still a problem today.

2. Split the years from 1900 to present, by giving each person in the group an ‘era’ to research. Each person needs to find five articles that deal with urbanization during their time period and within their city. Some things you might want to search for: How did overcrowding affect your city during your time period? What were the demographics of your city during your time period? How did those demographics affect your city? What was the crime rate in your city during your time period? How did these things effect social conditions and working conditions?

3. Summarize your five articles answering some of the questions above and other information that you think is relevant to understanding urbanization. Make sure you print out your articles and write down the URL.

4. Take your five articles and write up your analysis of how your time period within your city was affected by urbanization.  You should answer the following question: According to my articles, what problems arose as a result of urbanization? How did political leaders address these problems? Were these solutions effective or ineffective?  Do you think there was a better way to deal with these problems?

5.  All students from your group should put together one longer analysis showing how your city changed over time due to urbanization.  Provide an introduction that gives a summary of your findings and a conclusion that ties them all together.

6.  Write a letter to the mayor of that city suggesting what the best course of action would be to deal with urbanization in the 21st century.  This letter will actually be mailed to the mayor, city council, and other important people in that city asking for a response.