This teacher's guide is designed to provide elementary and secondary students with an orientation to material culture studies and an exposure to such artifacts as sad irons, washboards, butter churns, butter molds, and waffle irons. Information is also provided about wages, employment, industrial development, and advertising in the United States prior to World War I. This material allows for the guide to be used effectively in conjunction with lessons on particular themes in U.S. history, economics, or sociology. A number of primary documents such as catalog pages, a magazine article, and illustrations are located in the appendix. A five-item bibliography is included. (DJC)