Progressive EraAll 5 grade bands · K-2 through APFree download
1908
Lesson plan.
William Howard Taft vs William Jennings Bryan — William Howard Taft, handpicked by Theodore Roosevelt as his successor, easily defeated William Jennings Bryan in his third and final presidential run. Roosevelt personally campaigned for Taft and essentially guaranteed his election. Bryan's progressive positions had moved closer to Roosevelt's, but he could not overcome the Republican advantage in a prosperous era. Taft's more conservative governing style would eventually alienate Roosevelt and lead to their epic 1912 split.
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