Using Visuals to Easily Teach the Gilded Age

Posted on by Michele Luck

Though the Gilded Age can be taught with many different resources, methods, and styles, visual aids are key. Primary Source Analysis is heavy during the Gilded Age. Using visuals, visual analysis, and primary source analysis allow for easy comprehension during your Gilded Age unit.

Though the Gilded Age can be taught with many different resources, methods, and styles, visual aids are key. Primary Source Analysis is heavy during the Gilded Age. Using visuals, visual analysis, and primary source analysis allow for easy comprehension during your Gilded Age unit. Try this Image Analysis activity.

With different visual analysis activities, students will engage successfully with the content and retain it afterward. Visual analysis exercises like walking tours, scavenger hunts, think-pair-share, big paper activities, and more allow students the creative freedom to learn differently.

Visual Activities to Use While Teaching the Gilded Age

Use this big paper exercise Drawing Game to easily teach the Gilded Age.

There are many types of visual analysis exercises. When considering different learning styles, differentiation is important. Incorporating many of these different activities in your unit will ensure students have the opportunity to grasp the information at hand.

  1. Jigsaws: Jigsaws are lessons where students in one group become experts to share that same content or information with other students.
  2. Think-Pair-Share: With many different variations, think-pair-share is a great engagement exercises to get students thinking and spreading information.
  3. Walking Tours & Scavenger Hunts: Allowing students to move physically around the room helps them to engage with the content in a different and memorable way. Analysis and data collection lend to more free thinking while students interact during walking tours.
  4. Big Paper Activities: By literally using large paper, students can transform easy, boring assignments into engaging group exercises.
This image analysis activity focuses on immigration and urbanization during this time period.

By incorporating some or all of these visual analysis exercises into your Gilded Age unit, students will engage with the content in a new an exciting way. Students are sure to find at least one activity they enjoy and can relate to. Making this connection will enhance their relationship with the material. This ensures they are more likely to retain the information, even beyond test time.

Try one ore more of these activities in your next Gilded Age unit! Some of these lessons are ready-to-use with easy instructions and everything you need to get started.

Ready-to-use Resources

Immigration into America Introduction Drawing Game (Big Paper Exercise)

Gilded Age Immigration & Urbanization Image Analysis

1900s Image Analysis Set

Happy Teaching!