Students will build literacy skills by researching a retail company. They will synthesize the information they uncover into a written paper, a slideshow/presentation, and a poster/infographic which they will then present in front of an audience.

At the turn of the 20th century, most American cities of any size had a family-run department store (or two or more) entrenched in their downtowns. By New York, Chicago, or Philadelphia standards, Wisconsin department stores were small and modest, but they served their communities well. In this exhibit, you'll learn about and see images of Wisconsin's bustling department stores along with the impacts those stores had on their communities and the people they employed.