Students examine turn of the century catalogs to gain insight into the lives of a bygone generation and gain appreciation for the rise of the business of satisfying needs and wants through the mail. Students gain insight into the revolutionary effect the Sears catalog and mail-order sales had on frontier American lives.
Students explore the dramatic changes that paved the way for today's internet commerce.
Introduce the students to the Sears catalogs. Provide insight into the revolutionary Sears catalog by watching the videotape. Discuss the economic importance of the catalog in frontier life. Model a critical assessment of a specific catalog entry. Note the marketing description, the price, the size of the ad, the guarantees, the layout, and the form and function of the item.