1. Mr. Accetta Social Studies 8
Tenements
Mr. Accetta
Social Studies 8

2. Jacob Riis (1849-1914) Photographer from an immigrant family
Took photographs of conditions in the tenements
Published his photos in a book, How the Other Half Lives, which exposed the harsh realities of tenement life to the public.

3. Muckraking Journalism
Riis was an example of a muckraker.
Muckraking: a form of journalism that seeks to raise awareness of social issues among the public.
Riis’ photographs led to building codes and inspection laws that improved living conditions in the tenements.

8. Learning Activity:
You are a newspaper reporter teaming up with Jacob Riis to publish a story about life in the New York City tenements during the late 1800s. Using his photographs and your class notes, write a 1-2 paragraph newspaper column including the following:
Description of the conditions in tenements
Why was this a problem?
Call to action (what can we do to solve this?)