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Lesson Title Was Andrew Carnegie a Robber Baron? Grade Level Sixth and Eighth Grade Estimated Time Required
Number of Days: Two days Number of Half-Hour Segments per Day: Two half hour sessions.

Author Information
Name: Virginia Royals School: Graham Middle School

Brief Description of the Lesson

Andrew Carnegie is described in many history books as a Robber Baron. This lesson will explore his relationship and attitudes to wealth. It asks the question, Was he really a robber baron? Further questions for reflection are: 1. What is the obligation of a citizen of the United States to the common good? 2. Should successful people be required by the government to share the wealth they create? 3. Do wealthy people have the obligation to give their money to the poor? 4. Do wealthy groups have the obligation to give away or share their wealth with less wealthy groups? (Neighborhoods, churches, towns, cities, states?) Why or why not?

Lesson Plan Objectives

Content Objectives: 1. Define Robber Baron in the context of the 19th century Gilded Age. 2. Identify stages in the growth of individual wealth for Andrew Carnegie using dates and jobs provided in Internet links.. 3. Identify dates and charities in Andrew Carnegies distribution of his wealth. Skill Objectives: 1. Describe the characteristics of the Gilded Age and the Robber Barons. 2. Evaluate the growth of Carnegies individual wealth and decide if it makes him a Robber Baron. 3. Discuss and explain Carnegies decision to give away most of his fortune. 4. Discuss the concept of wealth and the obligations of citizens to share or not to share it. Use modern examples such as Donald Trump,

North Carolina Social Studies Curriculum Alignment

Access the Table of Contents for the North Carolina Social Studies Curriculum at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/socialstudies/2003-04/toc.html. Click on the appropriate grade level. Cut and Paste the appropriate Competency Goal(s) and Objective(s).)

Sixth Grade Social Studies:

COMPETENCY GOAL 13: The learner will describe the historic, economic, and cultural connections among North Carolina, the United States, South America, and Europe. Objectives 13.01 Identify historical movements such as colonization, revolution, emerging democracies, migration, and immigration that link North Carolina and the United States to selected societies of South America and Europe and evaluate their influence on local, state, regional, national, and international communities.

Eighth Grade Social Studies:

COMPETENCY GOAL 5: The learner will evaluate the impact of political, economic, social, and technological changes on life in North Carolina from 1870 to 1930. Objectives 5.04 Identify technological advances, and evaluate their influence on the quality of life in North Carolina.

Print and Non-print Materials

Print Materials : TEXTBOOK: The American Pageant By David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen; Thomas A. Bailey Twelfth Edition Houghton Miffllin Co. New York, Boston, 2002 Pgs. 538-539 Supremacy of Steel and Carnegie and Other Sultans of Steel Non-print Materials (videos, images, etc.) PBS: Video The Gilded Age Supplies (paper, notecards, scissors, etc.) Students need paper and pencils.

Technology Needs
(Include computer hardware and software, audio-visual components, and internet sites needed to teach the lesson.)

Computer Lab Setting:

Students need computers. Each student should have his/her own or two can share one computer. Teachers need LCD projector and computer for this lesson.

Pre-Lesson Expectations
(Provide a brief statement of the context for the lesson. Where should the lesson fit in the sequence of the class? What should a student know before beginning the lesson?) This lesson should be an introduction to the Gilded Age lesson plans. I should fit in between Immigration, Industrialization and WWI. Previous knowledge of students should be Immigration and Industrialization in the United States.

Activities
(Provide a step-by-step sequence of instructions for the teacher to teach the lesson. It is very important to be as specific as possible. A teacher should be able to follow the sequence and know not only what they should be doing in each step but also what the expectations are for the students in the appropriate steps.) Day 1: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Day 2: 1. 2. 3. Teacher shows PowerPoint on Carnegie. Divide students into groups. Students use the shared document folder to find their groups research links. (see Robber Baron-Day 1) Create, name and save the document in Teacher Folder, as Robber Baron1. Open links assigned, read information, search for answers to questions and answer questions on a Timeline Worksheet-Day1. Each group has one date with one link to read. Each student answers questions based upon their group research. Class discussion about whether or not Andrew Carnegie was a robber baron and why. Divide students into two groups: Pro Carnegie and Anti Carnegie. (Do in class before coming to the lab, please!) Review yesterdays discussion about Andrew Carnegie. (5min.) Each group should answer the questions below in small group discussion based upon their research. Each student types answers to the five questions on their computers. (25 Min.) Class discussion about the meaning and value of wealth in society and the obligation of the individual to the group.Discuss Carnegies role in defining this obligation.

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(10 Min.) Extension Activities: Day 3-4: 7. Divide students into groups by robber barons. Rockefeller- Carnegie- Vanderbilt, Swift- Armour and Morgan. 8. Assign each student in the group Worksheet 1 and 2 questions to answer based upon their research. (www.google.com) 9. Create a corporation. Name it. Invent a history. Give it dates. Assign an imaginary budget. Decide whether to be a philanthropic society or not. Decide what part of your budget will be spent on doing good in society. Name your activities. Be specific. Present to the class.

Assessment
(Provide an assessment plan to allow the teacher to evaluate a students progress toward meeting the objective(s) of the lesson.) Teachers will assign students Worksheet 1 and 2 at the end of this lesson. They will evaluate students contribution to discussion.

Supplemental Information for Teachers Related Internet Resources

ANDREW CARNEGIE 1. 2. 3. PBS The Two Carnegies http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/sfeature/meet.html The Richest Man in the World http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/ Andrew Carnegie: A Tribute http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/carnegie.html Listen to Carnegie speak! Andrew Carnegie, Berkely University http://econ161.berkeley.edu/TCEH/andrewcarnegie.html How Carnegie went from rags to riches. Carnegie Endowment for World Peace http://www.ceip.org/

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The Great Idea Finder: Andrew Carnegie http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/carnegie.htm Carnegies Coat of Arms http://www.clpgh.org/locations/pennsylvania/carnegie/accoat.html Early family history and the coat of arms. The Life of Andrew Carnegie http://www.carnegieclubs.com/pages/carnegie/carnegie_story.html How Carnegie went from rags to riches. On This Day: Obituary of Andrew Carnegie http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1125.html Carnegie Library http://www.carnegielibrary.org/exhibit/neighborhoods/strip/strip_n27.html No Man Becomes Rich Unless He Enriches Others http://www.usdreams.com/Carnegie14.html Carnegies family and how he grew rich. Andrew Carnegie Image Collection http://shelf1.library.cmu.edu/Andrew/splash.htm The best collection of pictures of Andrew Carnegie and his family. The History Place: Child Labor in America 1908-1912 The Photographs of Lewis W. Hines http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/index.html Carnegie Links http://history.designerz.com/by-time-period-nineteenth-century-people-carnegie-andrew.php

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Writings of Carnegie: 1. How to Succeed in Life http://www.clpgh.org/locations/pennsylvania/carnegie/mrac3.html 2. 3. The Gospel of Wealth http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR/wealth.html Meet Andrew Carnegie: The Wrong Career Path? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/sfeature/meet_wrongpath.html

Attachments
(List the filenames for charts, presentations, or other materials created for the lesson.)

PowerPoint lesson