Education Reform During the Progressive Era and the Rosenwald Schools of the American South

In this lesson, students will learn about the Julius Rosenwald Fund and study images and drawings of the Cadentown Rosenwald School in Lexington, Kentucky. The school was constructed in 1922-23, and the images were created after 1933 as part of the Library of Congress’s Historic American Building Survey. Students will analyze these sources to identify defining physical features of Rosenwald schools, develop historical research questions, and learn about the private-public partnerships that funded many Progressive Era reform efforts.

Weblink address (URL):

Home Page- source

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives:

Students will learn to evaluate primary source materials as artifacts, develop an understanding of the importance of historical inquiry based on primary sources, gain a better understanding that political, economic, and social history are connected, and recognize that private-public partnerships often funded reform efforts during the Progressive Era.

Essential and guiding questions:

How can buildings be used as primary sources? What kind of relationship model did the Rosenwald initiative create for Progressive reform efforts?

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level:

Applying

Extension suggestions:

Have students conduct additional research using the Fisk University Rosenwald Fund Card File Database to see if there was at one time or is at present an existing Rosenwald school in their community, http://rosenwald.fisk.edu/
Have students research and map out Rosenwald Schools across their county or state
Have students learn more about historic preservation efforts to save and restore Rosenwald schools by going online at https://savingplaces.org/places/rosenwald-schools.
Have students research Rosenwald school floor plans further at https://www.historysouth.org/rosenwaldhome/.

Helpful Hints

MATERIALS USED:

Primary Source Analysis Tool
Analyzing Photgraphs and Prints Teachers Guide
Rosenwald Schools videos, courtesy of the University of Alabama Center for Public Television
Video Discussion Questions Handout (page 5)