Introduction

"Americans today count on their public schools to be free of expense, open to all, and devoid of religious sectarianism....Free schools open to all children did not exist in colonial America. Yet, something like modern American public schools developed in the 1840s, when a majority of voters in the northern regions of the United States decided that it would be wise to create state-mandated and locally controlled free schools...It was called 'the Common School Movement.'"

In order to build background knowledge on the Common School Era, you will explore the following five questions:

• What was the pedagogical emphasis of the Common School Era?
• What was the role of feminization of teaching during the Common School Era?
• What moral values existed during the Common School Era?
• What global events influenced the Common School Movement?
• What was Horace Mann’s role in the educational reform of 1820-1860?

Task

You will work in groups to find information about the following questions. Each group will be assigned one question to research. In your groups, you will explore the resources provided for each question. As a group, you will be responsible for summarizing the information you found and sharing your knowledge with the rest of the class.

• Group 1: What was the pedagogical emphasis of the Common School Era?
• Group 2: What was the role of feminization of teaching during the Common School Era?
• Group 3: What moral values existed during the Common School Era?
• Group 4: What global events influenced the Common School Movement?
• Group 5: What was Horace Mann’s role in the educational reform of 1820-1860?

Process

With your group, answer the question assigned to you using the links in the resources section of this WebQuest. You may search beyond these links if you'd like. You may also want to decide in advance who will search which link. You will then prepare a brief summary of what you learned. Each group will have a few minutes to verbally share what they discovered. 

Resources

Group 1: What was the pedagogical emphasis of the Common School Era?

• US Embassy: Victory of the Common School Movement
• PBS Teaching Timeline

Group 2: What was the role of feminization of teaching during the Common School Era?

• PBS Teaching Timeline
• McGraw-Hill: Teachers, Schools, and Society

Group 3: What moral values existed during the Common School Era?

• US Embassy: Victory of the Common School Movement
• The Common School Era PowerPoint

Group 4: What global events influenced the Common School Movement?

• Industrial Revolution
• Labor Unions - "Just Society"

Group 5: What was Horace Mann’s role in the educational reform of 1820-1860?

• Schoolhouse Pioneers: Horace Mann
• Common Man, Common School PowerPoint

Conclusion

When you have completed this WebQuest, you should have some insight into the Common School Era and some of the essential questions surrounding this time period. Hopefully this background knowledge helps you in forming your own opinion on the values and actions taken during this movement.