Rachel Socia
Social Studies Methods
September 24, 2009
J Nickelson
Curricular Unit Outline
Unit 11.6 The Twenties and Thirties (c 1920-1930)
Content Standards: Students describe how the battle between traditionalism and modernity manifested itself in
the major historical trends and events after World War I and throughout the 1920s.
1. Trace the growth and effects of radio and movies and their role in the worldwide diffusion of
popular culture. (G, S)
2. Describe the rise of mass-production techniques, the growth of cities, the impact of new
technologies (e.g., the automobile, electricity, airplanes), and the resulting prosperity, expansion
of freedom (derived from the car and the building of roads/highways), and effect on the American
landscape. (G, E)
3. Describe the policies of Presidents Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover (e.g.
“associationism,” The Teapot Dome scandal, “New Era” politics). (P)
4. Analyze the attacks on civil liberties and racial and ethnic tensions, including the Palmer Raids,
the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, and the emergence of Garveyism. (P, S)
5. Trace the responses of organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Anti-Defamation League to those
attacks. (P, S)
6. Explain the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the Volstead Act
(Prohibition). (P)
7. Analyze the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment and the changing role of women in society.
(P, S)
8. Describe the New Negro Movement/Harlem Renaissance and new trends in literature (e.g., Zora
Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Sterling Brown, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald),
and music, with special attention to the “Jazz Age” (e.g., James Reese Europe, Duke Ellington,
Louis Armstrong). (I)
9. Describe forms of popular culture, with emphasis on their origins and geographic diffusion (e.g.,
professional sports, flappers). (G, S)
Skill Standards:
1. Students compare the present with the past, evaluating the consequences of past events and
decisions, and determining the lessons that were learned.
3. Students show the connections, causal and otherwise, between particular historical events and larger social, economic, and political trends and developments.
Personal Stake: I’m not sure that I have an overwhelming personal stake to any of the many, many units that comprise the DCPS secondary social studies curriculum. Several of the brief overviews piqued my interest, however I chose this one because this is a period in American History I’ve had an interest in for many years. This is largely in part because the years of my schooling in which we covered 20th century American History, I was fortunate to have exceptional teachers. A lot of what I have decided to include in my unit is inspired by selected materials and activities of my own teachers.
Enduring Understanding:
Assesment: Throughout the unit students will complete a number of journal entries related to covered material which will allow a chance to demostrate their undersntading of concepts. At the end of the unit there will be a unit exam, which will be comprised of a variety of styled questions, including multiple choice, short answer and an essay question. Also, at the beginning of each class, the students will be asked one question about yesterday’s topic that can be answered in two sentences or less. Each correct response will be worth ¼ of a bonus point to add to unit exam.
Date Topic Lesson
Day 1 What do you know about the 1920s in the US? KWL Chart
Overview of Unit
Distribute packet of key terms/names
Introduce Ragtime
Assign each student 1-2 historical characters to research
Start Ragtime as read aloud
Homework: look up assigned character, write brief biography in journal
Day 2 New Technologies/
Growth of Cities
Students share character bios
Assembly line activity: small groups build something with some groups using assembly line fashion, others with parts non-standard, ill fitting parts
Class Discussion: Benefits of assembly line
In journal-list of daily/weekly places you go in a car
Record key points on board, and have students copy
Read Aloud: Ragtime
Homework:
In Journal -
search your home and make a list of the top ten technological conviences you can’t live without
Growth & Effects of Radio
Collect class data on how students receive news, small groups organize data then present to class
Listen to Orson Wells’ War the Worlds & discuss the panic that ensued
Discuss people’s faith in techonolgy and media
Compare media consumers of today with that of 1920s/30s could a WoW panic happen today?
Homework: Read chapter on Harding and the page on Coolidge from A Treasruy of Great American Scandals
Day 4 Presidential Policies/Attacks on Civil Liberties
Lecture
Teapot Dome
Palmer Raids
Read Aloud: Ragtime
Homework:
In journal-
Compare (in paragraph, list or graphic organizer form) Alien & Sedition Acts of 1917 with those of 1798, and the Patriot Act, may require some research and/or text reading
Day 5 Attacks on Civil Liberties/Racial & Ethnic Tensions
Share last night’s journal entries
Lecture/Notes
NCLU, NAACP
Read Aloud: Ragtime
Homework: none
Day 6 Prohibition
Read Aloud: Ragtime
Homework
Day 7 Changing role of women/Right to Vote
Think/Pair/Share on expectations of women today, ask students to describe their moms’ day to day life if they are stuck
Brief Lecture/Notes
Read Aloud: Ragtime
Homework
Day 8 Watch Ironed Jawed Angels
No Read Aloud
Homework: none
Day 9 Watch Ironed Jawed Angels
No Read Aloud
Homework: 1 page journal response to film
Day 10 Flex Day
Finnish Ragtime
Homework: In journal-write a response to Ragtime
Day 11 New Negro Movement/ Halrem Renaissance
Read Aloud: Langston Hughes Poem
Read/Act a scene from Raison in the Sun
Discuss in relation to what they have learned about discrimation
Homework:
In Journal-Write a letter to an organization asking for help as one of the characters discriminated against
Day 12 Pop Culture
Listen to Jazz Age Music
-Louis Armstrong
-Duke Ellington
-Ella Fitzgerlad & Chick Web Band “A Tisket, A Tasket”
Discuss students’ tastes in music then draw conections to Jazz
Listen to theme from Thoughoully Modern Millie, discuss why women were raising their skirts and bobbing their hair, invite students to compare with modern trendsetters
Distribute packet of Flapper slang and have students write dialogues/skits to perform for class
Sports:
Put up figure comparing NBL stats with those of Negro League
Art Deco Slides
Finnish Ragtime
Homework: complete unit review packet, highlight questions to go over in class
Day 13 Unit Review
Answer questions
Class game of Jeopordy-with prizes
Homework: Study
Day 14 Assessment: Unit Exam
Homework: none
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I really liked reading your unit outline. I like the topic that you chose and you have a lot of great ideas in place already! Even though you made it seem like you didn't have a big personal stake in the topic I think that you have a really important and valid one. Since this is something that you are interested in, you will enjoy teaching it. Also, since you had teachers that did a good job teaching it you will want to live up to that and give your students the same opportunities that were given to you.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is a good idea to have a big exam at the end of the unit and smaller quizzes at the end of each day for students. But, they both all seem to be written and in question/answer form. You could have some other forms of assessment such as oral or some type of project so that there is more variety. Also, this is a way to make differentiations.
I think its a idea to have the students keep journals and you have some great activities for students to do in these journals. The homework assignments are really good follow-ups to what was learned that day and previews to the topic that will be introduced the next day. I really liked the homework assignment about the Top Ten Technologies that they can not live without and I think students will really enjoy this.
Overall, I thought that this was a really good unit and you use a variety of activities and teach the essential topics of the 1920s-30s. One thing that you probably should include is the questions for this unit so that it will be easier to see what the overall goal is. Other than that I think that this is great!
I think its great that you had such a great experience yourself with this unit and now want to do that for your students with an ambitious agenda! In incorporating Ragtime into your unit is a great extra in your unit.
ReplyDeleteHaving the daily questions from the past lesson being worthwhile for the student (bonus point accumulation) is a motivation for the students to be more interactive within the lessons.
I have the movie Iron Jawed Angels in my unit plan too! It lends itself to a variety of things and a fun, informative way to break the unit up for the students. (movie time is always appreciated by students)
I hope you have your classroom as a jazz nightclub when you do the Age of Jazz. Also have your students display flapper fashions in their skits. There is a local Duke Ellington school, which is available if you wanted to use it, just a side note.
Your unit is wonderful and clear in what you want to accomplish. Awesome job!!
This is developing nicely. Note Ayanna's comments about assessment. How do all of the performance tasks lead to understanding of your essential questions and enduring understanding (is it missing?).
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