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The Labor Movement and Conflict in America: Through the Lens of US History

Access Activity Notes

  • No Access to Technology: Use this learning activity modification when students have no access to a device or to the internet.
  • Low Access to Technology: Use this learning activity modification when students have intermittent access to a device or to the internet. These students may also have limited technology skills and minimal access to support.
  • High Access to Technology: Use this learning activity modification when students have reliable access to a device or to the internet. These students have strong technology skills and access to support.

Teaching Notes

In order to create historical thinking and source analysis, students must have historical background knowledge and an understanding of its modern impact. This requires the ability to check primary and secondary sources for validity and to understand how to use these sources as supporting evidence. Making connections to the Ludlow Massacre and the Labor Movement during the Progressive Era, students will be able to trace the connections from the past to the present and analyze their causes, effects, and significance in a critical manner. This lesson was designed for the Fall of 2020, but can be adapted for any current event. The focus is the Ludlow Massacre and the broader effects of the Labor Movement at that time.

No Technology Access

Leveled Analysis:

1. Using background knowledge and without looking at sources, what effects do YOU think would happen as a result of the Ludlow Massacre? Are these effects mostly positive or negative? Are these effects short-term or long-term?

2. Reading S.2893 - Ludlow Massacre National Historic Landmark Act, what do you think is the importance of creating an historic landmark to the Ludlow Massacre? What does it mean when a society creates a monument? What message does a monument convey? How can a society recognize bad parts of its history? Does a historic landmark accomplish that goal?

3. The Ludlow Massacre was not the only labor strike. Using this article about the Haymarket Riot and this article from AFL-CIO, what is the significance of the 8-hour work day? What makes that so revolutionary at the time? After that victory for labor, what other changes today do you think labor unions would be fighting for?

4. Look at the UMWA poster. First, what do you notice? Is this pro-labor or anti-labor? Why? What could make this an effective tool? Is this a primary or secondary source? How could you use this in an argument about the causes of the Ludlow Massacre or similar events?

No Technology Access

Compare and contrast these two articles:

Consideration: What do workplaces need to be considered safe?

Effect: What were the short-term AND long-term effects of the labor movement of the early 20th century?

Significance: How does the Ludlow Massacre contextualize the broader Labor Movement and its significance to US History?

Modern Impact: What impacts do we see today that are a result of labor strikes during the Progressive Era?

Source: Click here, then click the 1910 link, then Final Reports, and then Volume 2, Full Document.
Source: Click here, then click the 1910 link, then Final Reports, and then Volume 2, Full Document.
Source: Click here, then click the 1910 link, then Final Reports, and then Volume 2, Full Document.

Where was the highest population growth in Colorado? Why do you think there was rapid population growth in that area? Which resource is most prevalent in southern Colorado? What potential conflict could you predict from rapid population growth, resource abundance, and low government oversight?

Cause: What was occurring in the United States at this time that led to events like the Ludlow Massacre and other labor strikes?

Low Technology Access

Using these two newspaper clips (linked below) as templates, recreate a news article of the Ludlow Massacre. Have students focus on the aspects of primary sources and what makes them effective. Useful for language development for ELL’s. Focus on unique language used in periodical writing. How do periodicals capture attention without sacrificing the needed information. What information is needed to tell the news, and what would be considered superfluous? (can be done on paper or the computer, if available).

High Technology Access

Using the maps of the historic labor protests and the contemporary Black Lives Matter protests, what comparisons can be seen? Is there a pattern between the two? How are economic and racial justice similar? In what areas do they overlap? In what areas are they unique? Have students make digital protest posters for the two different types of movements. How does the messaging of the two movements show similarity and differences between their methods and goals?

Effect: What were the short-term AND long-term effects of the labor movement of the early 20th century?

Significance: How does the Ludlow Massacre contextualize the broader Labor Movement and its significance to US History?

Modern Impact: What impacts do we see today that are a result of labor strikes during the Progressive Era?

High Technology Access

What conclusions can be drawn from the photographs and maps below?

View the Images in the TPS Teachers Network Album The Labor Movement and Conflict in America: Through the Lens of US History

Create a photojournal of the events at Ludlow and the propaganda.

Have students create a caption for each photograph that explains in their own words how it captures the significance of the event. How could the photo be impactful? What purpose does the photo serve?

In today’s society social media like Instagram is a version of a photojournal where we document our own personal history through photographs. If students were to create an Instagram page for the Ludlow Massacre or other labor strikes, how could they document it to capture the full story and caption it to express the significance, cause, and effects?

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Created By
Kile Clabaugh
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