6-8

This inquiry uses the Industrial Age as a context for students to explore the compelling question “Is greed good?” The Industrial Age, often referred to derisively as the Gilded Age, brought about unprecedented economic growth and the advent of modern living. The effects of the Industrial Age were so essential to the economic and social development of the United States that some observers have referred to the industrial tycoons of the age as the “Men Who Built America.” However, industrial growth came at a considerable cost. Newfound industrial wealth was accompanied by the exploitation of workers, environmental degradation, and surging gaps between the rich and poor in terms of standards of living and political agency. In the Taking Informed Action sequence, students investigate the present-day issue of wealth inequality in the United States and whether or not government action on the issue would be worthwhile.