The champion of the poors

The champion of the poors

by Vanessa Nguyen and Joseph Manso

​Jacob Riis was born in 1849 in Denmark.

He learned English in school and then became

a carpenter.

Multiple Choice

Jacob was born in the United States.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Where did Jacob come from?

Multiple Choice

What was his first job?

• Photographer

• teacher

• carpenter

Multiple Choice

In 1870, Jacob..............to the United States.

• immigrator

• immigrating

• immigrated

• immigrates

​Riis met a young woman named Elisabeth Nielsen. He wanted to marry her one day, but

her stepfather was against the idea. Riis could not find work, so he went to the United States.

He was 21. He wanted to get a job and make some money. Then he could marry Elisabeth.

Multiple Choice

Why did Jacob leave to the US?

• He wanted to go for a short holiday.

• He wanted to improve his life.

• He wanted to buy a house in New York city.

Multiple Choice

Who opposed to Jacob 's relationship with Elisabeth?

• His stepfather.

• Her stepfather

Multiple Choice

How many jobs did Jacob work when he arrived to the United States?

• 1

• 3

• 5

• 4

Multiple Choice

"Sometimes Riis was mistreated by his

employers. " Mistreated means:

• treat (a person or animal) badly, cruelly, or unfairly.

• treat (a person or animal) well and kindly

Multiple Choice

Jacob's employers didn't want to pay him like they had promised.

• True

• False

​Other immigrants lived under bridges or in

sheds. Riis later wrote: “No pig would have been

content to live in such a place.”

A very poor area in New York City was

Five Points in Manhattan. It had overcrowded

tenements and badly built sheds. Many people

did not have work. They stole food to survive.

Most of the children living there were too dirty

and hungry to go to school.

​

There were many new immigrants in New York City like Riis. It was hard for them to find work. Many were not qualified for jobs that paid well. They had no money and had to live in cramped and dirty apartment buildings called tenements. Tenements were crowded. There might be 15 people living in one room. Many of the rooms were underground. There was no light or fresh air.

Multiple Choice

Look for the picture that defines "SHED"

Multiple Choice

Riis later wrote: “No pig would have been

............................ to live in such a place.”

• content

• sad

• excited

Multiple Choice

A very poor area in New York City was

Five Points in..........................

• Manhattan.

• California

• Houston

Multiple Choice

Tenements are .............

• cramped and dirty apartment buildings

• cramped and dirty apartment houses

Multiple Choice

Why did people steal food to survive?

• They felt like doing it.

• They had no jobs.

Multiple Choice

Why was it difficult for the immigrants to find jobs in USA?

• They were so poor.

• They were not qualified.

​In 1873, Riis began working as a reporter forthe New York News Association. He wrote about the terrible conditions poor people lived in. He felt it was a terrible injustice. Riis also wrote to Elisabeth and asked her to marry him. She said yes, and he went to Denmark

for the wedding. He came back to New Yorkwith Elisabeth.

Multiple Choice

Riis believed that poor people committed

crimes because of their living conditions.

• It means that if they had had better lives, the wouldn't have committed crimes.

• It means that if they had had better lives, the would have committed crimes.

Multiple Choice

Where did Jacob and Elizabeth celebrate their wedding?

• In USA

• in Denmark

Multiple Choice

What did Jacob find out in the 1887?

• New method to take pictures

• New method to print newspaper.

Multiple Choice

Before this, it was only impossible to take photos

during the day.

• True

• False

​

​Riis bought a camera and a flash. He was one

of the first reporters to use flash photography.

Flash photography was dangerous. Riis needed

a person to help him light the flash powder.

Once, the flash powder exploded in his face. He

was wearing glasses, so his eyes were not hurt.

Multiple Choice

To use flash photography, one person could do it by himself

• True

• False

Open Ended

Why was flash powder so dangerous? Explain by your own work.

​

Riis’s book was read by the future president, Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was a big encouragement to Riis. They became friends. How the Other Half Lives also encouraged the city council to improve living conditions for the poor. The city began to clean up the Five Points slum in Manhattan. It took 14 years to tear down the Five Points slum. Riis’s work helped win that battle.

​

Jacob Riis died in 1914. Jacob Riis Park in New

York City is a memorial to him. There is also a

school and a playground named in his memory.

Multiple Choice

What was the first step when Riss took flash photography?

• Put a tripod

• Ground two flash powder

• Mix powder

• Throw the flash powder

Multiple Choice

After Riss' photos were printed in the newspaper, what happened?

• He could sell them to earn money.

• He made the people aware of the poor people 's lives.

Multiple Choice

Where else did he also show his photos?

• On magazine

• In his lectures

• On Television

• On the radio

Multiple Choice

Riis’s book was read by the future president,

• Theodore Roosevelt.

• Benjamin Franklin

• Ronal Reagan

• Harry S. Trueman

Multiple Choice

It took ................... to tear down the Five Points

slum. Riis’s work helped win that battle.

• 14 years

• 14 months

• 14 days

Multiple Choice

How many places were named after Jacob after he passes away?

• 2

• 3

• 1