home

=

=

=**The Roaring 20's and the Fabulous 50's: Unity and Division​ **=

__**Organizing Question**__
 * To what extent were the 1920's and 1950's decades of political and social harmony and economic prosperity? **

The 1920's in America were a period of extraordinary change and innovation. Some Americans embraced change while others retaliated against an attack on their traditional values. A disillusioned America turned away from idealism after WWI and toward social conservatism, a new mass economy, and exciting new forms of popular culture that undermined many traditional values. While many Americans enjoyed new technologies, new music and socio-economic advancement, African Americans, immigrants, farmers and others did not always fare as well.

The 1950s have the popular image of the "happy days," when the nation prospered and teens enjoyed the new beat of rock n' roll music. To an extent, this view of the fifties is correct, but limited. The decade began with a war in Korea and the McCarthy hearings. African Americans still faced the grim reality of a deeply segregated South and limited political, social and economic opportunity nation-wide. Middle-class suburbanites enjoyed their new cars and televisions, but the Cold War and threat of nuclear destruction loomed in the background.

====** __Your task__: In small groups create wiki-pages that showcase either unifying and disunifying factors in the 1920's and 1950's. As a culminating activity, write an essay synthesizing the organizing question. **====

Your Task: In small groups, construct a Wiki-Page that: a. gives a thesis explaining to what extent your topic is a dividing or unifying element of the 1920's and 1950's b. provides an effective overview of the issue in each decade c. provides several examples and extension of your topic d. is aesthetically pleasing and well organized (text is not overwhelming, sounds, sights, colors to catch the viewer's eye)

I encourage you to embed videos, narration and other bells and whistles to make the page more inviting.

LINKS: [|Roaring 20's sites] Great resource for primary sources and 20's sites [|vocaroo] Record your voice and embed it [|Graphic organizer] Webspiration [|Slide Share] Upload your powerpoint presentations and embed them [|Progressive era sites] [|Roaring 20s primary sources] PATHFINDER Media Center