Students learn about the rise of urbanization in the early 1900s, and the problems arising from growth and redistribution of population. They focus on the problems of poor immigrants and workers, including internal migrants. Finally, they examine the groundbreaking photos of Jacob Riis, whose iconic book How the Other Half Lives alerted the public to the problems wrought by immigration and urbanization.
Students read an introduction to urbanization in the early 1900s and the lesson objectives. They view an image of tenement houses and respond to a poll about whether they would prefer to live in a large city, small town, or rural countryside. On a class wall, they explain why they chose that setting and what it offers them. They then read a brief note connecting their choices to similar decisions Americans faced in the early 1900s.
Teacher MovesReview the lesson objectives and connect students’ poll responses to historical patterns of migration and urban growth. Optionally consult Industrialization and Urbanization in the United States, 1880–1929 from the Teacher Pack to deepen background knowledge.
Students examine an image of a tenement street and read The Underside of Urban Life to learn about overcrowding, poverty, and health hazards in immigrant neighborhoods at the turn of the 20th century. On a class wall, they compare the article’s description to conditions in American cities today, identifying ways cities still resemble the past and ways conditions have changed.
Teacher MovesHighlight and share several student responses to prompt whole-class discussion about continuity and change in urban problems. Guide students to consider persistent issues such as crime, poverty, and inequality, as well as improvements in sanitation, public health, and public awareness.
Students read an explanation of how urbanization involved both population growth and redistribution as internal migrants moved from farms and small towns to cities and suburbs. They study a graph of U.S. urban population growth and answer a multiple-choice question identifying the first census in which most Americans lived in urban areas. Next, they read about the social and environmental impacts of urbanization, including infrastructure expansion, resource use, landscape change, and the creation of national parks, and use Urban Threats to explore long-term urban issues. On a collaborative wall, they argue whether urbanization had an overall positive or negative effect on the early 20th-century United States and explain their reasoning, then review classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesUse students’ wall posts and replies to launch a discussion about the positive and negative effects of urbanization, drawing on students’ family histories and local community examples where appropriate. Ask follow-up questions such as how urbanization has shaped opportunity, environment, and inequality. As desired, direct students to Photographs of Urbanization in the Progressive Era for additional visual evidence and to the National Park Service’s History of the National Park Service page for more detail on conservation responses to urban growth.
Students view a Jacob Riis photograph of a crowded tenement and read about how writers, muckrakers, and photographers exposed urban hardships. They read Tenements and then watch the video Jacob Riis to deepen their understanding of immigrant living conditions and reform efforts. Using a drawing/upload tool, they locate at least one additional Jacob Riis photograph online, upload it, and write an original caption that explains what the image reveals about urban immigrant life.
Teacher MovesFacilitate a class discussion of the uploaded photographs. Invite volunteers to describe the subject matter and details of their chosen images, and prompt students to elaborate on what these photos reveal about the daily experiences and challenges of urban immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
©2026 Exploros. All rights reserved.