Overview

Author

Audience

Objectives

Materials

Procedures

Extension

Evaluation

Appendix

Everyday Life in the 1950s

Lesson Overview

This lesson serves as an introduction to primary source documents in preparation for research middle school students will do for National History Day.

Lesson Author

Name:	Beth Miller
School:	Williams Intermediate School, Davenport, Iowa

Lesson Audience

Grade Level	6-8	# of Class Periods	2
Class	Language Arts	Length of Period	45 minutes

Objectives Back to Navigation Bar

Student will:

1. identify aspects of family life, transportation, fashion, and communication of the 1950s

2. compare these aspects to our present day aspects,

3. analyze and answer questions related to primary source documents.

Materials Back to Navigation Bar

Online Resources (hyperlink)

1. Television and TV Dinners: http://www.mortaljourney.com/2010/11/1950-trends/tv-dinners
2. Chevrolet: http://oldcarandtruckads.com/Chevrolet/
3. 1950s Birthday Party: http://www.lustronconnection.org/html/interiors/davenport_IA.html

4. Duck and Cover: http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=195777&title=Atomic_Bomb_1950_s_PSA&vpkey=334059453d

5. Woman’s Place is in the Home: http://faculty.tnstate.edu/tcorse/h2020/ladies_home_journal.htm

Handouts

1. Primary Source Analysis 1950s (doc)

2. Photos for Source Analysis 1950s (doc)

Classroom Procedures Back to Navigation Bar

Prior Learning (background information, vocabulary)

The student will need to know:

1. The differences between primary and secondary source documents
2. Where and how to find primary source documents
3. How to determine if a resource is reliable

Day 1:

1. Introduce students to primary resources by showing physical examples of photos and documents or share examples that can be found online.
2. Discuss differences between primary and secondary resources.
3. Assign students to complete the Document Analysis Sheet for two of the resources in this lesson.

Day 2:

1. Continue assignment to study two primary source documents from this less and complete Data Analysis Sheet.
2. Complete the same exercise with the lesson on the 1920s (need hyperlink to the 1920s lesson).

Extension Back to Navigation Bar

Assign students to choose another decade of the 20^th century, find primary source documents, and create poster, booklet, PowerPoint or Prezi presentation that includes aspects of family life, transportation, technology/communication, fads/fashions, and major events with at least one document and an explanation of why it was important to that time period.

Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar

Rubric

The rubric below may be used to…..

	Exceptional	Proficient	More Effort Needed
	10 pts	8-9 pts	7 pts
Inference	Bull’s Eye	Good Hit	Slightly off the Target
	10 pts	8-9 pts	7 pts
Detail	Great account of document. Used solid detail	Good account. Used some solid detail	Ideas not fully developed; lacking sufficient detail to understand the thoughts behind the words
	10 pts	8-9 pts	7 pts
Questions	Great relationship to inference	Good relationship to inference	Weak relationship to inference
	10 pts	8-9 pts	7 pts
Grammar/Mechanics	No errors. Use of complete sentences in answer	A few errors. Use of complete sentences in answer	A few errors. One fragment or incomplete sentence

Appendix Back to Navigation Bar

3. Handouts: Primary Source Analysis 1950s (doc)

4. Photos for Source Analysis 1950s (doc)

1. TV dinners were invented during the 1950s, changing the way families gathered to share meal times.

2. Many 1950s families owned Chevrolet cars called “Chevy.” They were affordable, and the ads were targeted toward middle class families interested in “Seeing the USA in a Chevrolet.”

3. Kids dressed up to go to birthday parties like this one in 1956. Otherwise, they were simply affairs held in the birthday boy or girl’s home. Kids played games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Musical Chairs or board games. Of course, there was always ice cream and cake which was baked by the birthday child’s mother.