Reform Leaders

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 explore Progressive Era reform movements through historical analysis, matching key figures to social issues, explanatory writing, and civic understanding. By connecting reformers such as Upton Sinclair, Jane Addams, Ida Tarbell, Jacob Riis, and Susan B. Anthony to their contributions, learners build foundational knowledge of how individuals influenced major social and political change in the early 20th century.

Skills Reinforced

• Progressive Era Understanding (Grades 5-7) – Identify major reformers and the social problems they worked to address
• Historical Reasoning – Connect individuals to movements such as labor reform, women’s rights, and consumer protection
• Explanatory Writing – Write a short response explaining the significance of one reformer’s work
• Civic Awareness – Understand how individual action can lead to lasting social change

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with U.S. history and civics standards
• Matching Activity Format – Supports recall and clear connections between people and ideas
• Writing Extension Included – Reinforces comprehension through a brief explanatory response
• Flexible Use – Suitable for classwork, review, homework, assessments, or homeschool lessons
• Accessible Design – Supports diverse learners with clear structure and focused content

This Reform Leaders worksheet helps students gain confidence with key Progressive Era figures while strengthening historical comprehension and civic thinking. By matching reformers to their causes and explaining why one leader’s work mattered, learners practice summarization, reasoning, and writing with evidence. It’s a no-prep, engaging resource for both classroom and homeschool settings focused on understanding how individuals shaped social reform in U.S. history.

This worksheet is part of our Progressive Era and Reform Movements Worksheets collection.