US History · 11th Grade

Active learning ideas

Theodore Roosevelt & Trust-Busting

Active learning works well for this topic because it helps students move beyond textbook descriptions of Roosevelt’s policies to grapple with real-world trade-offs. Debates and gallery walks create space for students to weigh competing values, while role-based analysis makes abstract ideas like ‘good trusts’ and ‘bad trusts’ tangible and memorable.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Civ.5.9-12
• C3: D2.His.1.9-12

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Formal Debate
• 50 min · Small Groups

Formal Debate: Should Government Break Up Big Business?

Students are assigned positions as captains of industry (representing trusts), consumer advocates, and Progressive reformers. Each group prepares a three-minute argument using evidence from provided documents about monopoly pricing, labor conditions, and corporate profits. After the debate, students vote on the most persuasive argument and explain their reasoning.

Analyze Theodore Roosevelt's 'Square Deal' and his approach to regulating big business.

Facilitation Tip

During the debate, assign roles (corporate lawyer, consumer advocate, labor leader) so students prepare arguments grounded in specific historical details.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was Theodore Roosevelt primarily a reformer or a protector of big business?' Ask students to use specific examples from his trust-busting actions and conservation policies to support their arguments, citing evidence from primary sources.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: TR's Square Deal in Action

Post six stations featuring primary source documents and political cartoons about specific trust-busting cases, consumer protection laws (Pure Food and Drug Act), and conservation decisions. Students rotate with a recording sheet, noting the problem TR was responding to and the government action taken. Debrief builds a complete picture of what the Square Deal actually accomplished.

Explain the concept of 'trust-busting' and its impact on corporate power.

Facilitation Tip

Before the gallery walk, model how to annotate a political cartoon or photograph with questions that reveal bias or perspective.

What to look for

On one side of an index card, have students write a one-sentence definition of 'trust-busting' in their own words. On the other side, ask them to list one specific trust Roosevelt targeted and the reason it was considered 'bad'.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Was TR a True Progressive?

Students read two short excerpts: one from a Progressive reformer praising TR and one from a labor organizer criticizing his limits. Partners discuss whether the Square Deal went far enough, then share with the class. The teacher records positions on a spectrum chart to make the range of views visible.

Evaluate Roosevelt's legacy in environmental conservation and the creation of national parks.

Facilitation Tip

Use a visible timer during the think-pair-share to ensure equitable airtime and prevent one student from dominating the discussion.

What to look for

Present students with a short excerpt from a speech by Theodore Roosevelt about conservation. Ask them to identify two specific actions he advocated for and explain how these actions align with the principles of the 'Square Deal'.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: The Three Pillars of TR's Square Deal

Divide students into three expert groups: trust regulation, consumer protection, and conservation. Each group analyzes a document set and prepares a summary. Students then regroup into mixed teams to teach each other, building a complete picture of the Square Deal's scope and legacy before writing an individual synthesis.

Analyze Theodore Roosevelt's 'Square Deal' and his approach to regulating big business.

Facilitation Tip

Divide the jigsaw articles by historical significance rather than length so each group contributes equal weight to the final Square Deal summary.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was Theodore Roosevelt primarily a reformer or a protector of big business?' Ask students to use specific examples from his trust-busting actions and conservation policies to support their arguments, citing evidence from primary sources.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers begin by situating Roosevelt’s policies in their historical context: Gilded Age inequality, rapid corporate consolidation, and public outrage. Rather than treating trust-busting as a simple morality tale, they emphasize the legal and political calculations behind each case. Research shows that when students analyze primary sources in real time, they build confidence in interpreting complex texts and develop sharper historical empathy. Avoid the trap of framing Roosevelt as either hero or villain; instead, focus on the constraints he faced and the choices he made.

By the end of these activities, students should be able to explain Roosevelt’s use of the Sherman Antitrust Act, evaluate his distinction between good and bad trusts, and connect conservation to his broader economic nationalism. Evidence should come from primary sources and student-led discussion, not just lecture notes.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Debate: Should Government Break Up Big Business?, watch for students who claim Roosevelt wanted to destroy all trusts.

  During the debate, have students reread a transcribed excerpt from Roosevelt’s 1902 speech on ‘good’ and ‘bad’ trusts before they argue. Ask them to highlight the sentence that states size alone is not the issue, and call on those who cite it to refute oversimplified claims.

• During the Gallery Walk: TR's Square Deal in Action, watch for students who assume conservation was solely about protecting trees.

  During the gallery walk, place a copy of Roosevelt’s 1908 message to Congress next to a map of early national forests. Ask students to annotate how he links conservation to preventing private monopolies over water, timber, and mineral resources.

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Methods used in this brief

• Formal Debate
• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share
• Jigsaw