Students encounter how to work together as a group to accomplish a common goal. They gain more experience in doing research using library reference materials as well as internet sources. Each group is responsible for making a bulletin...

Learners discuss prior knowledge of American culture during the 1950's. They complete KWL charts, participate in class discussions and view the documentary film Atomic Café. They record their observations from the film.

Students explore art of the 1950s. In this art history lesson, students examine works by Kofman, Groky, deKooning, Indiana, Hamilson, and Warhol as they identify the attributes of Abstract Impressionism and pop art. Students...

Third graders create a poster of a travel route. In this discrimination lesson, 3rd graders read The Gold Cadillac and use it to discuss the problems African Americans faced while traveling south in the 1950's. Students compare three...

High schoolers 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,...

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.

Lorna Simpson is a photographer who has put together a collection of photos from the 1950s in order to challenge the idea that primary source documents are objective in their portrayal of history. Learners are introduced to Ms. Simpson's...

What role did women play in pop art during the 1950s and 1960s? The class researches the role of women in mid-century America and how those roles were portrayed through the pop art of the time. They use an excellent set of...

Students survey bebop, cool jazz, and hard bop. They explore how bebop, cool jazz, and hard bop reflected American culture and society in the 1940s and 1950s.

Students analyze art and decide if the images are an attempt to celebrate or criticize American Popular Culture of the fifties and sixties and discuss how successful "Pop Art" mirrored society. Students also discuss the difference...

Fifth graders explore cool jazz and how it reflected American culture in the 1940's and 1950's.

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...

Students write from varying perspectives in the American South about the civil rights movements in the 1950s. In this civics lesson, students view video clips and take notes. Students discuss the film and listen to a lecture on...

Students study who were important in Hollywood cinema in the 1940's, 1950's and today. They participate in a comedy improv exercise.

Young scholars study New York in three time periods, 1890-1930, 1930's, and 1950's-60's. They discuss themes that are important in each time block. They describe a brief historical picture of each time period before they approach works...

Learners 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.

In this crossword puzzle instructional activity, students complete a 22 clue crossword puzzle about television shows that were popular in the 1950's and 1960's.

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...

Learners create Christmas quilts with the basics of hand appliqué while working on one 1950s Santa block and examine how to make that cute pieced "quilt," how to draw Santa's cheerful face, and how to manage the smaller appliqué pieces.

High schoolers will learn to appreciate the civil rights movement with a focus on Little Rock, Arkansas. They will also acknowledge Louis Armstrong's unparalleled contributions to American music.

Set this slideshow up at as an independent work station, or to provide your theater arts class with a look at the many manifestations of modern literary drama. Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, and Arthur Miller are the focus of the...

Learners study the effect of history on fictional or dramatic works of art by reading, Arthur Miller's, The Crucible. They examine the ties between a nation's history and culture with the literature it produces.

Encourage your artists to go wild with their color choices in this fun art lesson. Similar to the pop art by Andy Warhol, your class will color ordinary black and white photos with vibrant colors to simulate photo tinting. What a fun way...