1920s and 1930s unit plan - sarah wright - homeand+1930s+unit... · 1920s and 1930s unit plan sarah...

1920s and 1930s Unit Plan Sarah Wright

Course: American Studies Grade: 11th

Length:

Ten 90-minute lessons (1920s)

Ten 90-minute lessons (1930s)

Four 90-minute lessons (Research Project)

Dates:

February 23 – March 14

March 15 – March 25

March 28 – March 31

Unit Overview

Overview: This unit is designed for an 11

th grade American Studies course. This course is a team-

taught class that blends both American history and literature to provide students with a

comprehensive understanding of American society. Since students receive both social studies

and English credit, this is a two semester course. Due to the year-long nature of the course, the

allocated instructional time is extended. As a consequence, this unit plan provides objectives

and daily activities for a total of twenty-four 90 minute class periods.

The unit was developed to allow students to critically engage in materials and content

from the interwar period. Constructed around essential questions, students are actively involved

in building their own understanding of the period. To achieve this the unit employs three social

studies instructional models used intermittedly in the unit: structured academic controversy,

concept formation, and historical inquiry.

Rationale: This is an umbrella unit for two pivotal periods of United States history, the 1920s and

the 1930s. Both sections of the unit incorporate complimentary works of literature (short stories

and Of Mice and Men) to present students with a more comprehensive view of American society

during the interwar period. The material is assessed through two unit tests: 1920s and Short

Stories, and 1930s and Of Mice and Men. Separate assessments break the material down into

appropriate sizes and better allow the teacher to measure comprehension and student

achievement of intended learning outcomes. In addition to the unit tests, the students will also

have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning through the completion of an in-class, four

day research project.

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SOL Objectives: Standard VUS.11 – The student will demonstrate knowledge of key domestic events of the 1920s

and 1930s by

a) Analyzing how radio, movies, newspapers, and magazines created popular culture and

challenged traditional values.

b) Assessing the causes and consequences of the stock market crash of 1929.

c) Explaining the causes of the Great Depression and its impact on the American people.

d) Describing how Franklin D. Roosevelt‘s New Deal relief, recovery, and reform measures

addressed the Great Depression and expanded the government‘s role in the economy.

NCSS Standards: Strand I - Culture

Strand II - Time, Continuity, and Change

Strand V - Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

Strand VI - Power, Authority, and Governance

Unit Goals:

Students will be able to identify the social, political, and economic conditions that led to the

Roaring Twenties.

Students will compare and contrast life in America during the 1920s and 1930s.

Students will critique the short- and long-term implications of the policies of the New Deal

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the United States position and involvement in the

larger global community during the interwar period.

Students will apply knowledge of the interwar period and the precedence established by the

New Deal to better understand the economic depression of 2008.

Unit Objectives: (skills)

1. Students will draw explicit connections between literature and history to demonstrate

deep knowledge of domestic events in the 1920s and 1930s.

2. Students will use in-class materials and research to make inferences about the nature of

American society before, during, and after the Great Depression.

3. Students will relate knowledge of FDR‘s the New Deal and make comparisons to

solutions provided by the government following the 2008 economic recession.

4. Students will understand the impact of the recession on the American people during the

decade prior to World War II.

Essential Questions: 1920s Unit :

What is the American Dream and how does it relate to certain people/groups (women,

African Americans, immigrants, etc.)?

How was is realized?

What happens to the American Dream following the stock market crash of 1929?

Was the United States truly prosperous during the 1920s?

1930s Unit:

To what extent was the New Deal successful in addressing the problems of the Great

Depression?

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Content Outline:

1. Introducing the Roaring Twenties

a. What is the American Dream?

b. Defining the Roaring Twenties

i. Women (flappers, suffragettes)

ii. Prohibition

iii. Heroes and athletes

iv. Popular culture

v. Consumerism

1. The roles of newspapers, magazines in advertising

2. Xenophobia

a. Defining xenophobia and nativism

b. Portrayal and treatment of immigrants

c. Resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan

d. (Chelsea) Literature/poetry that captures the xenophobic sentiment

3. Scopes Trial and Darwin

a. Darwin‘s Theory of Evolution

i. Contradiction between evolution and creationism

ii. Challenging of traditional norms/values in American society

b. Scopes Trial

i. What happened?

ii. Why was it so controversial?

iii. What was the lasting impact on American society?

4. Music of the 1920s

a. Jazz

b. Dance

5. Hemingway v. Fitzgerald; Prohibition and Women

a. Hemingway v. Fitzgerald (Chelsea)

i. The rivalry about ―class‖

b. Prohibition

i. Role of the Women‘s Christian Temperance Union

ii. 18th

amendment is passed

iii. Gangsters paradise

1. Bootlegging

2. Speakeasies

iv. The role that women played during prohibition

v. 21st amendment is passed reversing the 18

th

6. Women During the 1920s

a. Edith Warton

i. Short stories

b. Zora Neale Hurston

i. How it feels to be colored me

7. The Harlem Renaissance

a. Jacob Lawrence: Migration of the Negro series

b. Langston Hughes:―I, Too,‖ ―Harlem‖

c. Music: Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong

8. The Harlem Renaissance (continued)

9. The Crash!

a. The consumerism trend

i. Advertising

ii. Purchasing of goods on credit

b. Black Thursday – the Stock Market Crash of 1929

i. What caused the Crash

ii. over speculation and other issues

c. Day of Wrath (James N. Rosenberg) political cartoon

10. The American Dream in Review: Experiences of the 1920s

a. African Americans

i. Ku Klux Klan Resurgence

ii. Harlem Renaissance

b. Immigrants

i. Xenophobia

ii. Dust Bowl

c. Women

i. Suffragettes

ii. Flappers

iii. Prohibition

d. Stockholders (white males)

i. Impact of the Crash

11. 1920s and Short Stories Unit Test

12. 1930s Unit Introduction: The Hoover Presidency

a. 1928-1932: What went wrong?

i. Idea of voluntary cooperation

b. Of Mice and Men

13. The Great Depression

a. Causes

i. Stock Market Crash of 1929

ii. Federal Reserve

1. Failure to stop collapse of the banking system

iii. Tariff Act of 1930 (Hawley-Smoot Act)

b. Impact on daily lives of Americans

i. Unemployment

ii. No financial system

iii. Political unrest

iv. The Dust Bowl (farm foreclosures)

c. Of Mice and Men

14. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal

a. New Deal Policies for economic recovery

i. Policies/ Programs

1. Works Progress Administration

2. Agricultural Adjustment Administration

3. Federal Deposit Insurance Cooperation

4. Social Security Act

ii. Lasting impact

1. Increased government involvement in solving economic crises

2. Responsibility of the government

15. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Fireside Chats

a. Fireside chats to increase the morale of the nation

i. Role of radio

ii. Purpose was to gain widespread support for the New Deal Policies

16. Of Mice and Men

17. Of Mice and Men

18. Economic Depression: the 1930s v. 2008

a. Responses to the crises by the government

i. The New Deal

ii. The economic bailout of 2009

b. Was the New Deal successful?

c. Was the bailout successful?

19. The World Outside of the U.S.

a. Germany: The Power vacuum in Europe

i. The rise of Adolf Hitler

ii. Breaking of the conditions put forth by the Treaty of Versailles

b. The Russian Revolution

i. Rise of the communists and Stalin

c. Italy

i. Rise of the Fascist government under Mussolini

d. Concept Formation: Totalitarianism

20. Unit Test: 1930s and Of Mice and Men

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Lesson Plans:

Tuesday, February 22nd: “Introducing the Unit” (Ms. Bonta + Ms. Throckmorton)

1. Hemingway: ―Coming Home‖ Lost Generation, veterans coming home, disillusionment

Wednesday, February 23rd:

TOPIC: Roaring 20s Round Robin

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

Unit Objective 2

VUS.10a

ACTIVITIES:

1. Introductory Activity for Unit: Students brainstorm answers in their 10-minute journal

entry the following question: ―What is the American Dream?‖

a. Students share their ideas of what the American Dream is – transition into a

discussion about if our version of the American Dream would match that of

someone from the early twentieth century

b. Tell students that we will be examining the American Dream as it pertains to

different groups in American society throughout the 1920s

2. Distribute a copy of the ―American Dream Packet‖ – students will spend the last five

minutes of every class period during this unit filling out different sections of the packet.

The American Dream Packet will include sections for students to write what they have

learned about particular groups and their experiences in America during the 20s (i.e.

immigrants, women, African Americans, etc.)

a. Tell students that they are to bring the packet with them to class every day.

Students will use their packet to help review for the unit test. Students will turn-in

their packet on the day of the test and will receive a class participation grade based

on completion and thoroughness.

b. Section of Boom to Bust video

3. Round Robin activity:

a. Students will be divided into small cooperative groups.

b. Groups will then go and visit each of the six stations.

c. At each station the group will complete an activity to provide them with a general

overview of what we will be studying this unit.

d. Groups will have ten minutes to complete each of the six activities.

e. Activities:

i. Prohibition (images + WCTU + 18th

amendment)

ii. Women‘s Suffrage (images + 19th

amendment) – students make their own

signs advocating for equal voting rights

iii. Popular culture (list of commonly used 1920s slang) – students write their

own short story using some of the 1920s slang words

iv. Athletes + Heroes

v. Flappers

vi. Consumerism – look at advertisements for the 1920s and advertisements

from today. What has changed?

4. American Dream Packet – 5 minutes : After completing the Round Robin Activity,

students can focus on the changing roles of women in American society

Thursday, February 24th:

TOPIC: Xenophobia

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

VUS.11a

ACTIVITIES:

1. Distribute Article of the Week—SOL review—Mrs. T will take care of this

2. Students complete the 10-minute journal prompt

3. Historical background of Xenophobia Lecture (40 minutes Sarah)

a. Russian Revolution of 1917

i. What happens?

ii. Bolshevik (communist) revolution/government

iii. October Revolution (..November) – Bolsheviks under Lenin overthrow

the provincial government

b. Define communism

i. Classless, stateless society

ii. Common ownership and means of production

iii. Economic and political system

c. Communism and democracy in conflict

d. What is happening in America that makes us so afraid of communism

i. Bombings

ii. Fear of immigrants

e. Define xenophobia (and nativism)

f. Political cartoons and the portrayal of immigrants

i. Analysis of cartoons using modified National Archive worksheet

4. Literature that captures this sentiment (40 minutes Chelsea)

5. Students spend five minutes filling out the ―American Dream Packet‖ – particular

emphasis on the experiences of immigrants and African Americans

Friday, February 25th:

TOPIC: Grammar/Friday Writing and Music of the 1920s

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

VUS.11a

ACTIVITIES:

1. Grammar Friday (25-minutes)

2. Friday Writing (25-minutes)

3. Listen to the music of the 1920s

a. Let Freedom Swing: Jazz and democracy video

b. Teach students how to dance the Charleston

c. Listen to different types of popular music from the 20s

Monday, February 28th:

TOPIC: Scopes Trial + Darwin

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

VUS.11a

ACTIVITIES:

1. Article of the Week Journal Entry

2. Short lecture (10-15 minutes) on Darwin‘s theory

a. How did these theories challenge traditional norms?

b. Brief overview of the Scopes Trial – what started the trial, who was involved,

how much attention it gained, what was the lasting impact of the trial

3. Set the classroom up like a courtroom

a. Distribute copies of the Scopes Trial transcripts to the class

b. Ask for volunteers to play the roles/parts of certain key players in the trial

c. Chelsea and I will play the plaintiff/defendant

d. Act out the transcripts

Tuesday, March 1st:

TOPIC: Fitzgerald + Hemingway; Prohibition and Women

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

Unit Objective 2

VUS.11a

ACTIVITIES:

1. Students complete a 10 minute journal entry

2. Rivalry- class ―debate in literature: Hemingway and Fitzgerald ( 40 minutes Chelsea)

3. Prohibition Lecture (35 minutes) webquests/portaportal.com

a. Women‘s Christian Temperance Movement

b. Passage of the 18th

amendment

c. What impact does this have on American Society? (primary focus)

i. Bootleggers

ii. Speakeasies

iii. Gangsters

d. What role do women play in prohibition?

4. ―American Dream Packet‖ (5 minutes)

Wednesday, March 2nd: TOPIC: Flappers & Women of the 1920s

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

VUS.11a

ACTIVITIES:

1. Students complete a ten-minute journal entry

2. Edith Wharton: Short stories (Chelsea)

3. Zora Neale Hurston: ―How It Feels to Be Colored Me‖ (Chelsea)

4. Watch excerpt from Boom to Bust video on Flappers and the 19th

amendment

5. Round Robin

a. Looking at the different roles and experiences of women (i.e. WCTU, suffrage,

prohibition)

6. ―American Dream Packet‖ (5minutes) – particular look at women

Thursday, March 3rd:

TOPIC: Harlem Renaissance

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

ACTIVITIES:

1. Students complete a ten-minute journal entry

2. Jacob Lawrence: Migration of the Negro series

3. Langston Hughes:―I, Too,‖ ―Harlem‖

4. Jean Toomer? James Baldwin? Claude McKay?

5. Music: Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong

6. ―American Dream Packet‖ (5 minutes)

Friday, March 4th:

TOPIC: Grammar Friday/ Friday Writing and Harlem Renaissance

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

ACTIVITIES:

1. Grammar Friday (25 minutes)

2. Friday Writing (25 minutes)

3. Harlem Renaissance continued

4. ―American Dream Packet‖ (5 minutes) with particular emphasis on the African American

experience

Monday, March 7th: Review for SOLs (Throckmorton)

Tuesday, March 8th: SOL English Test

Wednesday, March 9th:

TOPIC: The Crash!

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

Unit Objective 2

VUS.11b

ACTIVITIES:

1. Students complete 10 minute journal entry

2. A look at consumerism (purchasing items not just out of need)

a. Advertising

b. Purchasing of goods on credit

3. What happened on Black Thursday – the Stock Market Crash of 1929

a. What caused the Crash

b. over speculation

4. Analysis - Political Cartoon – Day of Wrath (James N. Rosenberg)

Thursday, March 10th: SOL English Test

Friday, March 11th:

TOPIC: Grammar Friday/Friday Writing and the American Dream

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

Unit Objective 2

VUS.11a

VUS.11b

ACTIVITIES:



3. The American Dream in Review

a. Review the unit looking at the different aspects of the American Dream

(important to ensure that students are on the ‗same page‘ after SOL testing)

4. Inquiry Lesson: Was the 1920s really a prosperous decade?

Monday, March 14th: TEST: 1920s and Short Stories!

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Tuesday, March 15th:

TOPIC: 1930s unit introduction

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 2

VUS.11b

ACTIVITIES:

1. Students complete ten minute journal

2. Of Mice and Men (Chelsea)

3. The Hoover Presidency

a. What went wrong?

b. Voluntary cooperation

Wednesday, March 16th:

TOPIC: The Great Depression & Of Mice and Men

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1

Unit Objective 2

VUS.11c

ACTIVITIES:


2. The Great Depression Lecture

a. How did it impact the lives of Americans?

b. Dust Bowl

c. Initial reactions/interventions of the government

3. Complete Map Activity

a. Era 8 43a: Prosperity Ends and Immigration Slows

i. Gives students a general overview of the Great Depression, the New Deal,

and the Dust Bowl

ii. Students use geography to answer questions about patterns throughout

America

Thursday, March 17th:

TOPIC: FDR and New Deal & Of Mice and Men

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 2

Unit Objective 3

VUS.11c

VUS.11d

ACTIVITIES:


2. Distribute article of the week

3. The New Deal: a look at the policies (Introductory lecture + SAC Model)

a. Intro lecture about the New Deal CCC?

b. Structured Academic Controversy: Was the New Deal Successful?

Friday, March 18th:

TOPIC: FDR & New Deal

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 2

VUS.11a

VUS.11c

ACTIVITIES:



3. Roosevelt‘s Fireside Chats www.americanrhetoric.com

a. Read transcripts

b. Compare and contrast the methods used by politicians today to ‗talk‘ with the

people

c. What is the purpose of addressing the Nation?

Monday, March 21st:

TOPIC: Of Mice and Men

1. Students complete a ten minute journal entry based on Article of the Week


Tuesday, March 22nd:

TOPIC: Of Mice and Men

1. Students complete a ten minute journal entry


Wednesday, March 23rd:

TOPIC: 2008!

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 3

VUS.11c

VUS.11d

ACTIVITIES:


2. Historical Inquiry Activity – Looking at the responses to the economic crisis of the 1930s

and that of 2008

a. Policies – New Deal v. Economic Bailout

Thursday, March 24th: TOPIC: Totalitarianism

OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 4

ACTIVITIES:


2. Short Lecture – Global Perspectives: What has been going on in Europe?

3. Concept Formation Lesson Activity - Totalitarianism

Friday, March 25th: TEST 1930s and Of Mice and Men

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March 28th:

TOPIC: American Memory OBJECTIVES:

Unit Objective 1, 2, 4

VUS.11b-d

ACTIVITIES:

1. American Studies Project *

March 29th:

TOPIC: American Memory OBJECTIVES:


VUS.11b-d

ACTIVITIES:


March 30th:

TOPIC: American Memory

OBJECTIVES:


VUS.11b-d

ACTIVITIES:


March 31st:

TOPIC: American Memory

OBJECTIVES:


VUS.11b-d

ACTIVITIES:


April 1st: SPRING BREAK!!!!

* For more information about the American Studies project, please visit the section titled

―Culminating Activity‖

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Culminating Activity

American Studies Project : March 28-31st

Unit Objectives: 1, 2, 4

VUS.11c - Explaining the causes of the Great Depression and its impact on the American

people.

Students use the Library of Congress website to peruse documents of forgotten histories. These

are short and accessible for students.

Information about the Federal Writers‘ Project:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/newdeal/fwp.html - ―These life histories were compiled and

transcribed by the staff of the Folklore Project of the Federal Writers' Project for the U.S. Works

Progress (later Work Projects) Administration (WPA) from 1936-1940. The Library of Congress

collection includes 2,900 documents representing the work of over 300 writers from 24 states.

Typically 2,000-15,000 words in length, the documents consist of drafts and revisions, varying in

form from narrative to dialogue to report to case history. The histories describe the informant's

family education, income, occupation, political views, religion and mores, medical needs, diet

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/newdeal/fwp.html

and miscellaneous observations. Pseudonyms are often substituted for individuals and places

named in the narrative texts.‖

Federal Writers‘ Project Search Engine: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaquery.html

American Memory: A Screenplay

1. Characters: Using the American Memory website select a minimum of three biographies

written by the staff of the Federal Writers‘ Project during the New Deal.. Read these

biographies noting key facts about the person (where they live, what they do for a living,

their family situation, etc.). Using the biographies write a two-three sentence ‗character‘

summary, copy and paste the hyperlink to the website of each character at the end of the

summary.

2. Setting: Describe the setting in which your characters will interact. Where will they be

during the screenplay (at home? at work?)? What props will they interact with? What

things can they smell? Hear?

3. Historical Background: In approximately four sentences describe the impact of the Great

Depression on your characters. How have they been effected by the New Deal?

4. Get Creative: With your partner, write the script for a scene within a play about

American Memory. The script should be at least three pages in length and include

conversation and details about character movement/expressions. OR Create a four-five

page graphic novel. The graphic novel must also include conversation, and be illustrated

to include character movement/expressions.

a. Please Note: Your script or graphic novel must be historically accurate and be

based on the biographies of your selected characters.

5. Title: After writing your screen play or making your graphic novel, you and your partner

should come up with a catchy title to grab the readers interest as well as the essences of the

scene.

Sample rubric made with Rubistar:

Note: different parts of the project will be weighted differently.

o Writing Process + Accuracy of Facts will hold the greatest point values 25 points

each

o Dialogue, Organization, and Setting will be worth 15 points each

o Creativity will be worth an additional 5 points

CATEGORY Excellent Very Good Adequate Inadequate

Writing Process Student devotes a lot of time and effort to the writing process (prewriting, drafting, reviewing, and editing). Works hard to make the story wonderful.

Student devotes sufficient time and effort to the writing process (prewriting, drafting, reviewing, and editing). Works and gets the job done.

Student devotes some time and effort to the writing process but was not very thorough. Does enough to get by.

Student devotes little time and effort to the writing process. Doesn't seem to care.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaquery.html

Accuracy of Facts

All facts presented in the story are accurate.

Almost all facts presented in the story are accurate.

Most facts presented in the story are accurate (at least 70%).

There are several factual errors in the story.

Dialogue There is an appropriate amount of dialogue to bring the characters to life and it is always clear which character is speaking.

There is too much dialogue in this story, but it is always clear which character is speaking.

There is not quite enough dialogue in this story, but it is always clear which character is speaking.

It is not clear which character is speaking.

Organization The screenplay is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions.

The screenplay is pretty well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used.

The screenplay is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear.

Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.

Setting Many vivid, descriptive words are used to tell when and where the story took place.

Some vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story took place.

The reader can figure out when and where the story took place, but the author didn't supply much detail.

The reader has trouble figuring out when and where the story took place.

Creativity The screenplay contains many creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. The author has really used his imagination.

The screenplay contains a few creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. The author has used his imagination.

The screenplay contains a few creative details and/or descriptions, but they distract from the story. The author has tried to use his imagination.

There is little evidence of creativity in the story. The author does not seem to have used much imagination.

Assessment:

Formative Assessments –

Daily journal entries allow us to formatively assess student achievement of each of the

unit objectives in addition to the acquisition of essential content knowledge. Students

will be expected to complete the daily journal prompt during the first ten minutes of

every class period with the exception of Fridays and on test days.

o Unit Objectives 1-4

o VUS.11a - d

The ―American Dream Packet‖ will be a learning log that students will complete

throughout the course of the 1920s unit. Functioning as a review guide for students, the

American Dream Packet will also demonstrate students comprehension and learning

based off the daily activities.


o VUA.11a –b

Summative Assessments –

This unit is comprised of two tests. The first summative assessment measures student

learning during the 1920s and Short Stories portion of the unit. The second assessment

measures student learning during the 1930s and Of Mice and Men portion of the unit.


o VUS.11a-d

Students in regular American Studies will spend the last week before spring break

creating a screenplay with a partner.

o Unit Objectives 1,2, 4

o VUS.11b – d

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Differentiation

The preceding unit will also be taught in an Advanced American Studies course.

Expectations and assignments will be adjusted and students in the Advanced course will not

receive the same structured notes or video worksheets. Similarly students in Advanced will not

complete the map activities. Advanced American Studies will start the 1920s unit a week and a

half after the regular sections of the course as they will be completing the ―Greatest Generation

Project‖ (Bonta/Throckmorton). As a consequence, these students will be finishing up the 1930s

unit during the week before spring break and will not be completing the American Memory

Screenplay project.

Students with IEPs and/or English Language Learners will receive more structured notes

as well as opportunities to formatively demonstrate their learning (such as conversations with the

teacher). Student materials will be differentiated during the lessons that employ one of the three

chosen social studies instructional models (SAC, inquiry, concept formation). This will ensure

that all students are equally able to participate in all learning activities particularly those that

require student preparation.

There are three summative assessments used throughout this unit. The third assessment,

the American Studies Project, will give all students an opportunity to display their learning . The

project is structured to appeal to students with multiple learning styles or for those who prefer to

be assessed through other means than a traditional unit test. The project can be easily

differentiated to accommodate any variety of interest levels and various needs of students.

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