1950 to Present
Setting the stage for reading The Catcher in the Rye: An examination of social expectations for teenagers in the 1950s
In order to set the stage for reading The Catcher in the Rye, students will view two or three short "Mental Hygiene" films, which were produced during the 1950s to be shown in schools for the purpose of guiding young minds. They will analyze social values of Holden Caufield's day, filmmaking techniques, evaluate the effectiveness of the films as teaching tools for young minds, and compare how social values and teaching methods may have changed since...
The 1950s Teenager: Conformist or Rebel?
The 1950s is often described as an era of conformity where the average American readily adopted to the popular culture of the day to form the "model family." This assumption, however, is a pretty simplistic view of the era. Students should be encouraged to see the real story of the...
The Cold War and Brown v. Board of Education
This lesson is useful because it allows you to connect two significant events that are generally taught as separate units. I begin the assignment with a question: “Did the Cold War influence the Supreme Courts decision in Brown v. Board of Education?” Students may find the question uncomfortable because it rails against what they have been...
Vietnam Primary Source Document Analysis
In this lesson students will analyze primary source documents to explore the impact of the Containment Doctrine on U.S. foreign policy decisions in Asia, specifically Vietnam. Students will analyze letters written by Ngo Din Diem, Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson, State Department memos, and George Kennan’s telegram. Students will analyze the actions of the U.S. government and both North and South Vietnamese Governments through analysis of these letters. This lesson could be used with ninth grade US History students or twelfth grade AP US History students. I will be using this with my AP U.S....
