The television and interstate highways both came of age in 1950s America. Scholars use film, text, and discussion to explore how these and other cultural icons shaped the literature of the time. Pupils also create a family history...

In this historical writing worksheet, students examine a full color picture of family life in the 1950's. Students write what they think they would like and dislike about living in this time from the viewpoint of the mother, father and...

Students complete an Individual Artist Information Sheet on famous 1950's Rock and Roll musician. They read one of the chapeters on "Elvis Pressley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Rockabilly, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, or...

West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet—two classics in their own rights that help young literature lovers better analyze different works. Learners research and compare the characters and story elements of West Side Story and Romeo...

Students explore Stephen Sondheim's contributions to musical theatre in the context of the dramatic cultural shift that occurred in American life in the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

How did the struggle for Civil Rights during the 1950s transform American society and politics? Why are American schools integrated today? Class members explore these essential questions by examining a series of primary and secondary...

Students create a time line about important events in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Bert the Turtle models for viewers the 1950s Civil Defense Duck and Cover strategy that was supposed to protect citizens from a nuclear blast. After viewing the video, watchers are asked to consider the motivations of the producers of...

Barbie has been an iconic figure in the lives of girls since the 1950s, but her existence has been full of controversy. A lesson plan on style, format, and genre explores that controversy by looking at three texts with different...

Schools in the 1950s and 60s looked very different from the schools we know today. An educator's guide explores the civil rights movement and, specifically, the process of integrating schools. Questions cover key themes in the novel and...

Not all southern newspapers covered the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Young journalists investigate how The Lexington (Ky. Herald-Leader and The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun re-examined their coverage of the movement. After...

Scholars watch a video featuring journalists who covered the civil rights movement, then respond to questions on a viewing guide. The video features interviews with participants and original news footage from the 1950s and 1960s. In...

Excerpts from an 1898 speech by civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell offers young scholars an opportunity to investigate how Black American women fought for civil rights long before Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement of the...

Elsa is a lioness who was raised by humans in the 1950's. The Adamsons took her in after George Adamson reluctantly killed her mother. Elsa did return to the wild but maintained a very strong bond with the Adamsons until her death in...

How do writers use words to protest injustice, challenge the status quo, and shape their own identities? Individuals watch and discuss a video, read author biographies, write poetry and journals, develop a slideshow, and complete a...

Students use vocabulary related to the history of segregation in the United States. They study about the history of segregation in America and recognize the challenges and prejudice that many African Americans faced in the 1950s....

Students consider the implications of the Salem Witch Trials. In this literature lesson, students read Arthur Miller's The Crucible and compare the witch trials to McCarthyism of the 1950's. Students rewrite scenes from the play...

Students examine voting rights in the South during the 1950s and 1960s. For this civil rights lesson, students examine legal rights and the opportunity to cast votes. Students research primary documents regarding the topic and share...

I have a dream ... that all pupils will be able to organize a march of their own after learning about how Bayard Rustin organized the 1963 March on Washington for civil rights. Young reformers work collaboratively examining informational...

Students use the internet to research the origins of rock and roll. In groups, they gather information on Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, his life and music. They work together to create a video on the 1950s and Elvis.

Students discover the great immigration to the United Kingdom by examining historic photographs.  In this world history lesson, students research the migration of West Indians to England in the early 1950's.  Students read...

Students complete a variety of language based activities to study the feelings of the Caribbean immigrants who arrived in the UK in the 1940's and 1950's. They use a poem as the basis to begin their studies of the Windrush Generation....

Students analyze the relevance of newly-uncovered, revealing C.I.A. document from the 1950's to people today. They explore the details and impact of a secret history of the C.I.A. in Iran by reading and discussing "How a Plot Convulsed...

Was the House Un-American Activities Committee justified in investigating subversive influences in the entertainment industry? Part two of the three-part series of lessons that examine the anti-communism movement after World War II,...