When Teddy Met Carrie, a New Experience in U.S. History

PHOENIX - March 6, 2018 - PRLog -- Teddy Roosevelt carried a big stick. Carrie Nation wielded a bar-bashing hatchet. The Progressive Era historical figures never met in real life but students impersonating Roosevelt and Nation did get a chance to chat in a speed-dating-simulation format in Alec McDaniel's Advanced Placement United States History class at Apache Junction High School.

As part of their assignment, the students researched influential figures of the Progressive Era (1890 to 1920) and were tasked to take on the persona of one of its key figures. Historical figures included: Ida Tarbell, Jane Addams, Florence Kelley, Margaret Sanger, Emma Goldman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Burns, Carrie Nation, Ida B. Wells, Frances Willard, Alic Paul, W.E.B. Dubois, Booker T. Washington, Eugene V. Debs, Robert LaFollette, Lincoln Steffens, Thomas Nast, John Dewey, Jacob Riis, Frederick Taylor, John Muir, Roger Baldwin, Theodore Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, Samuel Gompers and Upton Sinclair.

As part of their research students delved into their character's life to understand how the person would respond to the following questions.

How did your childhood/education/upbringing affect your views?

What is the most important problem facing the nation and how would you fix it?

What effect did you have (short and long term)?

What obstacles/challenges/"haters" did you face? How did you deal with them?

What is a memorable quote from your character?

Then students interacted in a "speed-dating" format to talk and ask questions of one another as the character they were portraying. Questions included:

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? Why?

What is the most important problem facing the nation and how would you fix it?

What is your biggest pet peeve?

What is your spirit animal? Why?

The AP U.S. History Class is open to students who are interested in an unconventional and challenging approach to learning about U.S. history. Students in the class recently attended the musical Hamilton, the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. In addition to U.S. History AJHS offers advanced placement classes in World History, Government, English, Calculus and Biology. For more information about AJHS's AP Placement classes contact the high school at 480-474-3980.