Campaigning in 1893 and Now
A 50-minute Grade 4 lesson comparing how people pressed for change in the 1890s with how they do it today.
Campaigning in 1893 and Now is a free 50-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.Civ.14.3-5 — show ways people have changed society, in the past and now. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3 to Grade 5
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.Civ.14.3-5
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · Civics
D2.Civ.14.3-5
Illustrate historical and contemporary means of changing society.
Objective
Students will be able to match a historical method of campaigning to its modern equivalent and weigh both.
Students are successful when they can
- Sorts methods into then and now.
- Pairs methods doing the same job.
- Says what a modern method gains and loses.
What you need
- The union circular beside a printed screenshot of a modern campaign
- Twelve method cards
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — one circular, one post
5 min- Show the 1893 circular and a modern campaign post side by side.
- Ask what job both are doing.
Teach — sort by job, then weigh
17 min- Sort 'a printed circular to members' into the 1890s. Ask what it needed: a press and a list.
- Sort 'emailing every member at once' into today. Ask what it needs: an address list and a network.
- Pair them: both tell everybody the same thing at the same moment.
- Sort 'publishing figures in an annual report' and 'publishing a dataset online'. Same job.
- Ask what the modern version gains: reach, and speed measured in seconds.
- Ask what it loses: a circular took work, and the work was itself a signal of seriousness.
- Say the point: the methods change and the job of persuading enough people does not.
“What job is this method doing, and what does it need to work?”
Guided practice — sort and pair
15 min- Pairs sort twelve method cards into then and now.
- They pair up methods doing the same job across the two periods.
- Groups say which modern method the 1893 union would have used first.
Independent practice
10 min- Students complete the 'Campaigning in 1893 and Now' page.
- Watch for sorting by how modern something sounds.
Close
3 min- Ask which method the class would use for a school problem, and why.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Assumes modern methods are always stronger.
Why: Newer reads as improved.
Fix: Ask how many online signatures equal a circular that cost money to print and post.
Thinks the 1890s had only meetings.
Why: That is the familiar image.
Fix: List circulars, newspapers, published reports, and standing for the board.
Sorts by technology rather than by job.
Why: Technology is the visible difference.
Fix: A circular and an email do one job. Sort by job, then note the tool.
If they are not there yet
- Six cards, three clearly of each period.
- Give a modern method and ask for its 1890s equivalent.
If they finish early
- Name a job only a modern method can do.
- Say what the union would have gained from a crowdfunded strike fund.
- Argue that one 1890s method was stronger than its modern version.
Exit ticket
Match a 1890s campaigning method to its modern equivalent. What does the modern one gain, and what does it lose?
What to look for: A matched pair with a gain and a loss named. Only a gain means the trade-off has not landed.
Printable practice for D2.Civ.14.3-5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Campaigning in 1893 and NowSort each method into then or now.
Questions about Campaigning in 1893 and Now
How long does the Campaigning in 1893 and Now lesson take?
50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 17 min, guided practice 15 min, independent practice 10 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Campaigning in 1893 and Now teach?
D2.Civ.14.3-5 — D2.Civ.14.3-5, Civics for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Illustrate historical and contemporary means of changing society.” In plain terms, show ways people have changed society, in the past and now.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
The union circular beside a printed screenshot of a modern campaign, twelve method cards and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: assumes modern methods are always stronger; thinks the 1890s had only meetings and sorts by technology rather than by job. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Match a 1890s campaigning method to its modern equivalent. What does the modern one gain, and what does it lose?.” A matched pair with a gain and a loss named. Only a gain means the trade-off has not landed. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Campaigning in 1893 and Now?
Yes — 1 printable D2.Civ.14.3-5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Campaigning in 1893 and Now free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.Civ.14.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.