Equipment & Supplies
- Transparency or computer projector
Procedures
Steps:
Day One
1. Using transparency or computer projector, display on the board the "Now for a round-up," a political cartoon in support of the Sedition Act of 1918
[displayimage.php?imgId=6817 ].
Cover the small paragraph at the bottom of the image.
Pass out Student Worksheet 1 – "Now for a round-up".
Ask students to study the image for a few minutes and write down five words or phrases that come to mind. (This is the first question on the worksheet just distributed. This question will allow all students to think of answers and increase participation.) Have students complete the rest of the first six questions.
You may use Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 1 – "Now for a round-up" for a discussion guide. Discuss what they notice about the cartoon.
Discussion points may include:
Discuss what questions they have about the cartoon. These may include:
After the students have discussed their interpretations of the cartoon, display the bottom paragraph that addresses the Espionage and Sedition Acts passed during World War I. Explain the purpose of these acts. Then disseminate Student Handout 1-Background Information to provide the background knowledge for the First Red Scare lesson.
2. Explain to the class that for the first part of the lesson, they will be working in small groups of four to analyze political cartoons from 1919 and 1920. Divide the class into groups and distribute two copies of
Student Worksheet 2-Cartoon Analysis Worksheet and
one copy of Student Worksheet 3-Political Cartoon Analysis Chart per person.
Explain to the students that each one will analyze two documents and record their findings on the worksheet. They may wish to reference the Vocabulary List in Student Handout 1-Background Information for some of the terminology used in the cartoons.
Once they have completed their individual cartoons instruct the group to work together and share their findings to complete the chart Student Worksheet 3-Political Cartoon Analysis Chart. Each student will have a completed chart at the end of the activity.
3. When the groups have completed their findings, select a spokesperson from each group to report its analysis of two of the documents. When all the documents have been presented, have the students add any other information about the political cartoons not presented or discussed.
4. Remind the class about the political cartoon viewed at the beginning of the class. Briefly review the events that fueled these concerns in America. (Discussion should include WWI, the Russian Revolution, and labor unrest after the war.) Ask the class to speculate on how the government would or should respond to these concerns. List suggestions on the board or on an overhead.
5. Distribute Student Worksheet 4-Political Cartoon Analysis Questions and assign for homework.
Day Two
1. Check homework. Have students get into their groups from the previous class and share their answers to the questions. Each group should select the best answers to questions 1 and 3. The groups should then make a connection between the two answers and write a generalization about the First Red Scare. Have one member of each group write the generalization on the board. When each group has written an answer on the board, discuss their responses. (There should be some consistency in their answers that indicates both the fears and anger Americans had toward radicals and immigrants and the pervasive nature of this fear. Make certain that the students recognize that these attitudes were not limited to one region of the country but were felt nationwide.)
2. Have students return to their seats for the individual part of the lesson. Prior to reading Handouts 11 and 12, go over some of the vocabulary words in Student Handout 1-Background Information to ensure student understanding of some more complex terms used by Attorney General Palmer in his statement. Distribute copies of Student Handout 10 - "The Case Against the Reds," Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, 1920 and Student Handout 11 - Statement by Emma Goldman to each student. (Direct the students to read each document and underline key phrases and ideas contained in each. The students should write a four to six sentence summary of the main ideas contained in each document. When all students have read and summarized both documents, they should share their ideas with a partner.
3. Ask for volunteers to read their summaries of the documents. (Responses should include the following: Palmer's connection among communism, immigration, and labor unrest and his contention that all three undermine American ideals and way of life; and Goldman's statements about democracy, free speech, the deportation of aliens, and the desire by some to suppress new thoughts and ideas.)
4. Briefly clarify any questions that the students may have about the documents. Make certain the students understand the two points of view expressed by each person. Review the ideas researched for Student Worksheet 4-Political Cartoon Analysis Questions. Lead a brief review of the fears and concerns that Americans had about immigration. These should include dissent about the war expressed by immigrant citizens, the ideas of communism and socialism expressed by some immigrants, and the reaction by organized labor to immigrant competition for jobs. Review the concerns expressed by labor with regard to hours, wages, and working conditions.
5. Direct students to select one of the following activities: write a one-page newspaper editorial discussing the Palmer Raids as a reaction to the First Red Scare or create an original political cartoon depicting one aspect of the First Red Scare. Students may take a pro or con stand regarding the actions of Palmer and the federal government in the editorial. They should take a position from the perspective of someone who lived through this time period.
6. Conclude the lesson by explaining to the students that the events they just studied set the tone of isolationism that dictated American foreign policy until World War II.
Day One
1. Using transparency or computer projector, display on the board the "Now for a round-up," a political cartoon in support of the Sedition Act of 1918
[displayimage.php?imgId=6817 ].
Cover the small paragraph at the bottom of the image.
Pass out Student Worksheet 1 – "Now for a round-up".
Ask students to study the image for a few minutes and write down five words or phrases that come to mind. (This is the first question on the worksheet just distributed. This question will allow all students to think of answers and increase participation.) Have students complete the rest of the first six questions.
You may use Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 1 – "Now for a round-up" for a discussion guide. Discuss what they notice about the cartoon.
Discussion points may include:
- the setting (The Capitol in the background)
- the portrayal of figures (determined Uncle Sam; the cartoonish, evil spies and traitors; the werewolf)
- the relative size and perspective of the figures conveys critical meaning (clearly Uncle Sam is strong and in control)
- the words used in the cartoon (The title-What do you think of when you think of the term "Round-up"?
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Discuss what questions they have about the cartoon. These may include:
- What is the Sedition Act?
- What does I.W.W. stand for, and why is it portrayed as a werewolf figure?
- What does Sinn Fein mean? (Sinn Fein is an Irish political party founded by Gerry Adams in 1905. It means "We Ourselves" and fought for Irish independence from Britain. It is considered left wing in its ideology.)
- Who are all the groups represented as spies and traitors? (Groups considered socialist or radically left–Russian, German, Irish, labor union Industrial Workers of the World)
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After the students have discussed their interpretations of the cartoon, display the bottom paragraph that addresses the Espionage and Sedition Acts passed during World War I. Explain the purpose of these acts. Then disseminate Student Handout 1-Background Information to provide the background knowledge for the First Red Scare lesson.
2. Explain to the class that for the first part of the lesson, they will be working in small groups of four to analyze political cartoons from 1919 and 1920. Divide the class into groups and distribute two copies of
Student Worksheet 2-Cartoon Analysis Worksheet and
one copy of Student Worksheet 3-Political Cartoon Analysis Chart per person.
Explain to the students that each one will analyze two documents and record their findings on the worksheet. They may wish to reference the Vocabulary List in Student Handout 1-Background Information for some of the terminology used in the cartoons.
Once they have completed their individual cartoons instruct the group to work together and share their findings to complete the chart Student Worksheet 3-Political Cartoon Analysis Chart. Each student will have a completed chart at the end of the activity.
3. When the groups have completed their findings, select a spokesperson from each group to report its analysis of two of the documents. When all the documents have been presented, have the students add any other information about the political cartoons not presented or discussed.
4. Remind the class about the political cartoon viewed at the beginning of the class. Briefly review the events that fueled these concerns in America. (Discussion should include WWI, the Russian Revolution, and labor unrest after the war.) Ask the class to speculate on how the government would or should respond to these concerns. List suggestions on the board or on an overhead.
5. Distribute Student Worksheet 4-Political Cartoon Analysis Questions and assign for homework.
Day Two
1. Check homework. Have students get into their groups from the previous class and share their answers to the questions. Each group should select the best answers to questions 1 and 3. The groups should then make a connection between the two answers and write a generalization about the First Red Scare. Have one member of each group write the generalization on the board. When each group has written an answer on the board, discuss their responses. (There should be some consistency in their answers that indicates both the fears and anger Americans had toward radicals and immigrants and the pervasive nature of this fear. Make certain that the students recognize that these attitudes were not limited to one region of the country but were felt nationwide.)
2. Have students return to their seats for the individual part of the lesson. Prior to reading Handouts 11 and 12, go over some of the vocabulary words in Student Handout 1-Background Information to ensure student understanding of some more complex terms used by Attorney General Palmer in his statement. Distribute copies of Student Handout 10 - "The Case Against the Reds," Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, 1920 and Student Handout 11 - Statement by Emma Goldman to each student. (Direct the students to read each document and underline key phrases and ideas contained in each. The students should write a four to six sentence summary of the main ideas contained in each document. When all students have read and summarized both documents, they should share their ideas with a partner.
3. Ask for volunteers to read their summaries of the documents. (Responses should include the following: Palmer's connection among communism, immigration, and labor unrest and his contention that all three undermine American ideals and way of life; and Goldman's statements about democracy, free speech, the deportation of aliens, and the desire by some to suppress new thoughts and ideas.)
4. Briefly clarify any questions that the students may have about the documents. Make certain the students understand the two points of view expressed by each person. Review the ideas researched for Student Worksheet 4-Political Cartoon Analysis Questions. Lead a brief review of the fears and concerns that Americans had about immigration. These should include dissent about the war expressed by immigrant citizens, the ideas of communism and socialism expressed by some immigrants, and the reaction by organized labor to immigrant competition for jobs. Review the concerns expressed by labor with regard to hours, wages, and working conditions.
5. Direct students to select one of the following activities: write a one-page newspaper editorial discussing the Palmer Raids as a reaction to the First Red Scare or create an original political cartoon depicting one aspect of the First Red Scare. Students may take a pro or con stand regarding the actions of Palmer and the federal government in the editorial. They should take a position from the perspective of someone who lived through this time period.
6. Conclude the lesson by explaining to the students that the events they just studied set the tone of isolationism that dictated American foreign policy until World War II.
