In this activity, students learn about how artists living in the rapidly modernizing world of late 19th-century Europe wished not only to depict modern (for them, contemporary) everyday life, but also to reveal the emotional and psychological effects of living in a world in rapid flux.

Students examine the phenomenon of popular culture and the influences that led to the advent of graphic design.

Students discover the ways in which artists, photographers, and architects changed the landscape of modern cities. The emergence of the modern city in the early 1900s was shaped by industry, innovations in transportation (railroads in particular), and mass migrations of people.

Students will be able to research the history of individual labor unions and interview representatives about benefits and challenges; document in a photographer's journal the process of preparing for and participating in a photography assignment; formally analyze artworks in preparation for a photography assignment; and create an original photograph of a worker that uses leading lines to create emphasis.