1. History Fair assignment #1

2. What is this year’s history fair theme? Actions/Legacies

3. Eight questions to answer… 1) Do individuals make a difference in history? 2) Do only famous people make a difference? 3) How do unknown people play a part in history?

4. Continued…. 4) Who are the important individuals in your life? Who has made a difference/impacted you? 5) What was an experience that had a big effect on your life?

5. And finally…. 6) How do you think YOU could make a difference in the world? 7) If you could change something, create, invent…what would it be? Why? 8) Once you know that, list 3 things you’d need to do to achieve it and who might help you or oppose you.

6. List the 4 different ways in which you can present your findings. Exhibit Paper Live performance Video documentary

7. Some individuals who might make good history fair topics…

8. William Ogden Chicago’s first mayor Helped Chicago recover after a financial crash in the 1830s Designed first swing bridge across the Chicago River Donated land for Rush Medical Center Promoted canals and railroads

9. Frances Willard Served as dean of the Northwestern Female College in Evanston Worked as journalist and editor of Chicago Daily Post Helped establish the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in 1874 (anti-alcohol) Supported abolition of prostitution, prison reform, and women’s suffrage

10. Amos Alonzo Stagg Football coach at University of Chicago, 1892-1932 Developed the tackling dummy, huddle, reverse and man in motion plays, lateral pass, uniform #s, and the awarding of varsity letters

11. Rachelle Yarros Set up an obstetrical and gynecological practice in Chicago in 1895 Advocated birth control and sex education set up first birth control clinic in Chicago with the help of Margaret Sanger—this formed the root of the future Planned Parenthood clinics

12. Albert Parsons Joined the Socialist Labor Party with wife Lucy and edited radical journal Alarm Fought for 8 hour work day Executed after Haymarket Riot, though nobody knows who threw the bomb at that event

13. Jane Addams Founded Hull House in Chicago, 1889, to help immigrants Established English classes, soup kitchens, nurseries, playgrounds Promoted garbage inspection and first juvenile court in the country Legacy of peace activism, Nobel Peace Prize, 1931

14. Montgomery Ward Invented the first mail order catalog Helped link farmers to the city Fought to keep the lakefront “forever open, clear and free” in Chicago Took the city to court with his own money

15. Upton Sinclair Went undercover to Chicago’s stockyards and wrote The Jungle about what he saw Revealed horrible working conditions and disgusting meatpacking practices His work led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act

16. John H. Johnson Created a publishing empire that included Negro Digest, Ebony, and Jet magazines Also owned book publishing and cosmetics companies Made TV specials and owned a life insurance company Visited many countries on behalf of the US government

17. Rudy Lozano Forged partnerships among Latinos, African- Americans and other minorities, particularly in election of Harold Washington in 1983 Regional director of Ladies Garment Workers Union Tried to organize workers at Del Rey Tortilleria factory Was killed in his own home

18. Florence Scala Resident of Little Italy who fought UIC expansion Lost the battle, but inspired others by her example

19. Frank Collin Led a neo-Nazi group in an attempt to hold a march in the predominantly Jewish suburb of Skokie Claimed freedom of speech rights to do so ACLU won the case for him, but ultimately, his group did not march there There are many layers to this case…

20. Richard Nickel Tried to save historic Chicago buildings from demolition Saved the old Stock Exchange trading room floor, which was relocated to the Art Institute When he failed at times, he captured the buildings in pictures Died in a building that was being demolished

21. Al Raby CPS teacher who was active in the Civil Rights Movement Led Coordinating Council of Community Organizations (CCCO) and helped bring Martin Luther King, Jr. to Chicago as part of the Chicago Freedom Movement Marched for open housing

22. Bill Ayers Led a group called the Weathermen Was part of the “Days of Rage” in Chicago in 1969 to spread the anti- Vietnam War message Participated in other bombings, including that of the Haymarket police statue Now a professor at the University of Illinois

23. Some other topic ideas: Architects: Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe

24. City planners Ellis Chesbrough—water purification issues Daniel Burnham—Chicago Plan of 1909

25. Mayors/politicians Anton Cermak Richard J. Daley Michael Bilandic Jane Byrne Harold Washington

26. Businessmen Marshall Field Oscar Mayer George Pullman Potter Palmer Robert McCormick—Tribune Robert Abbott—Chicago Defender Ray Kroc—McDonalds Charles Walgreen William Wrigley LEO BURNETT-advertising Hugh Hefner--Playboy

27. Writers Theodore Dreiser Nelson Algren Ben Hecht Richard Wright Lorraine Hansberry Studs Terkel

28. Musicians Louis Armstrong Muddy Waters Chess Brothers—recording label

29. Actors/theater people Bernard Sahlins—Second City founder Gary Sinise—one of Steppenwolf Theater founders, actor John Malkovich—affiliated with Steppenwolf, actor

30. Reformers/educators/unionists Saul Alinsky—stockyards area organizer John Dewey—education reformer Ida B. Wells—anti-lynching campaign Jackie Vaughn—CTU activist Fred Hampton—Black Panthers Ben Reitman—Hobo College Abbie Hoffman—anti-Vietnam War Carl Hansberry—anti-redlining, segregation

31. And a few more ideas… more to follow soon Enrico Fermi—first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction Wallace C. Abbott—Abbott Labs Walter Polovchak—Ukrainian boy given asylum by the US when he refused to go back home with his parents Abby Mandel—promoter of Cuisinart, local foods, and Green City Market founder