Curated OER
The Technological impact on 1950's culture
Eleventh graders examine the 1950's. In this American History instructional activity, 11th graders explore the key vocabulary for the unit. Students research the new technology that existed in the 1950's.
Curated OER
Robert Indiana Biography, Activities, and Lesson Plans
Students analyze Pop art and the work of Robert Indiana. In this Pop art lesson, students read about the history of Pop art and a biography of Robert Indiana. Students complete a criticism and aesthetics activity, create their own Pop...
Curated OER
American Economics after WWII
Students analyze the American culture after WWII. Through a variety of activities, students gain an understanding of ecomonics and prosperity in the US following WWII.
Curated OER
Paul Robeson: 20th-Century Renaissance Man, Hero In Any Century
Students study the life and times of actor Paul Robeson. In this social activism lesson, students research primary and secondary documents to create multi-media presentations featuring Paul Robeson's life and political activism.
Curated OER
Where Am I - Navigation and Satellites
Students explore geography by completing a navigation activity in class. In this satellite positioning lesson, students define terms such as orbit, satellite, GPS and triangulation. Students view diagrams of the Earth's orbit and...
Curated OER
Cold War Era Film Censorship: High Noon- a Slice of Americana Or Communist
Students study of the effects of the Cold War on the home front. They analyze the film High Noon according to an abbreviated version of the standards that films were judged by in the early 1950s and determine whether or not High Noon is...
Center for History Education
Cold War Case Files: The Rosenberg Trial - Was Justice Fairly Served?
The Rosenbergs—executed for their role in a Soviet-era spy ring—continue the captivate the American imagination. Using a history lab format, young historians examine the trove of documents associated with the case, including photographs...
Albert Shanker Institute
The March on Washington Logistics Then and Now
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...
Curated OER
Introduction to Photovoltaic Systems
The Green Education Foundation found that this lesson plan, written by the Texas State Energy Conservation Office, is right up their alley when it comes to teaching sustainability. It is ideal as a first lesson plan on photovoltaic...
Curated OER
Sondheim: Voice of Cultural Change
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.
Brooklyn Museum
Lorna Simpson: Gathered
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...
Brooklyn Museum
Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958–1968
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 guiding...
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Students investigate what constitutes an "un-American" activity and why Soviet espionage was such an important issue in the 1940's and 1950's. Joseph McCarthy's impact on American anticommunism is examined in this lesson. There are three...
Mississippi Whole School Initiative
Dream Big...With Your Eyes Wide Open
For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...
Curated OER
Build It With Lincoln Logs!
Students use primary sources to analyze advertisements, prices, and styles of Lincoln Logs from Carson Pirie Scott catalogs from 1952 to 1960. Students then compare modern-day toy to Lincoln Logs of the 1950s by analyzing differences in...
National Math + Science Initative
Reading an Informational Text: "It All Started with Sputnik"
Sputnik was one of the greatest scientific advancements of the 1950s, and this reading lesson does it justice. Pupils start off with pre-reading questions and a video. They then read an excerpt from an article, which is accompanied by...
Curated OER
The Lure and Lore of Weight Lifting
Students examine the importance of physical activity and positive reasons for weight training. They analyze and discuss a famous ad, read and summarize an article, and identify the benefits of resistance training.
Curated OER
Trips as Cheap as Chips
Students take part in summer activities. In this field trip opportunities lesson, students may visit California Country Park, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Manchester Art Gallery, the Princess Diana Memorial Playground, or Towneley...
Curated OER
Internet Activity: More Space About Space
Students analyze the exploration of space. In this space lesson, students discuss the space race of the 1950s and 1960s. Students identify important events in space exploration and analyze the reasons for a space station.
Curated OER
Federal Holidays
Third graders complete various activities pertaining to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veteran's Day. They conduct research and complete writing and art activities on the...
Japan Society
Our Family and Other Families: Using Totoro to Teach Family Structure
What do families around the world have in common? Explore this theme through the popular animated film My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki. Over the course of two days, pupils view the film, pausing to discuss their own families and the...
Bright Hub Education
The Winter of Our Discontent
The resource gives some basic concepts concerning the title of the novel, basic literary elements, student developed assessments, and a philosophical notion concerning honesty in literature. The instructors are shown where they can use...
Curated OER
1950's Popular Culture
Students gain a basic understanding of Capitalism and Communism, the ideologies that fueled the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Smithsonian Institution
Cuban Missile Crisis
The United States—specifically John F. Kennedy—played a large role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A history resource poses questions that encourage critical thinking as well as in-depth analysis of images from the time period.