Problem
1) What the Wealthy Should Do With Their Money by Andrew Carnegie
a) What is Carnegie's vision of an ideal state?
b) How does Carnegie support his statement that the "good old times" were not good?
c) Analyzing information - What is Carnegie's view of the rich as compared to the poor?
2) A Politician Describes Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft by George Washington Plunkitt
a) How was Plunkitt privileged to get inside information about public improvements?
b) How does Plunkitt justify his type of graft?
c) Drawing Conclusions - What kinds of problems might a society face if it condoned Plunkitt's approach: "I see my opportunities and I took 'em?"
3) Life in a New York City Tenement by Jacob Riis
a) Why does the family live in the back of the building?
b) What were the conditions Riis found in the capmaker's apartment?
c) Analyzing Information - What is the family's attitude toward their situation?
4) Our Country by Josiah Strong
a) Why do you think Strong was concerned that immigrants comprised such a high percentage of urban dwellers?
b) What kind of problems did the disparity of wealth create in cities?
c) What forces did Strong overlook as possible causes for urban woes?
5) The Athletic Craze from The Nation
a) According to this excerpt, what were some of the negative aspects of college athletic programs? What do you think was meant by the plea for "moderation and decency?"
b) This selection contains gender and class assumptions about the types of individuals who were supposedly suited to attend college? What were these assumptions, and how have they changed over time?