Progressive EraAll 5 grade bands · K-2 through APFree download
1900
Lesson plan.
William McKinley vs William Jennings Bryan — McKinley won re-election in a rematch against Bryan, running on prosperity and 'the full dinner pail.' The Spanish-American War of 1898 had made America a colonial power, and Bryan campaigned against imperialism in the Philippines. Theodore Roosevelt was selected as McKinley's running mate to sideline the reform-minded New York governor. McKinley's victory was decisive, but he was assassinated in September 1901, elevating the 42-year-old Roosevelt to the presidency.
What is in each packet
Cover
Cycle metadata + band eyebrow
Lesson plan
Instructor — timing, materials, standards
Reading
Sized to grade band (K-2: ~250 words → AP: ~650)
Background
Curated cycles — 5-7 vocab terms + primary-source excerpt
Student worksheet
K-2: 3 questions → AP: 8, mixed format
Answer key
Instructor — rationale on every item
Discussion prompts
3 prompts tied to era
DBQ (AP only)
Long-essay + 5-point rubric + second source