Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wings, Chrome, and Tailfins: Automobiles of the 1950s

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Pupils study the automobile industry. In this cultural history lesson, students explore 1950s America as they view a teacher-created PowerPoint presentation regarding the 1950s. Pupils research how the automobile changed the 1950s...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Consumer Culture in the 1950s: New Shopping Centers and Advertising trends

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders analyze the cultural and social aspects of the 1950s. Using primary source documents, they work together to determine what society was like. They use that information to write an essay about how their information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Economics after WWII

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baby Boom and the Culture of the 1950's

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explain the causes, course, and consequences of the United States' role in World War II.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

True Music

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders research a given decade in US History.  For this American History lesson, 11th graders interview a person who lived during the decade to gain a personal perspective on it.  Students rehearse and present their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Betty Ford: One Day at a Time

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils view a video about Betty Ford and how her candid admission of her own battles with addiction has enabled others to face their own addictions. She has done the same for breast cancer, since she was First Lady of the US.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vocational: Fashion History

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils research and present reports on 20th century fashions and their influences. After watching a video about fashion, they complete worksheets based on the film. In another activity, students make doll-sized clothing items using...
Lesson Plan
Mississippi Whole School Initiative

Dream Big...With Your Eyes Wide Open

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Troubled Relationship

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Learners discover information about Iran and Britain. In this current events lesson, students visit websites and listen to lectures to learn about Britain's Navy personnel that were taken hostage by Iran. Learners investigate the history...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Censorship in America

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students follow resource links to study the history of art censorship in the US. They study the work of the FCC and the Hip-Hop 4 Peace campaign.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Focused Learning Lesson

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders analyze charts and primary source documents to compare life in the 1940s and 1950s. They are encouraged to examine the economy, government, sports and education.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Minorities in Mainstream American Society

For Teachers 11th Standards
So many people fought for Civil Rights in the United States. Read about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and discuss what the act guarantees. Then pass out a slew of magazines and encourage them to observe how often minorities appear in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prosperity and Challenges

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners watch a slideshow about the technological advances in agriculture. After viewing, they complete an index card about one aspect of the slideshow. In groups, they create a cause and effect timeline in which they identify specific...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Urban Renewal

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders write down their best guess at the meaning of "urban renewal." students stage a Mayor's press conference announcing a new urban development plan for the Fillmore.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1945 1980: Popular Culture and Mass Media in the 1950s

For Students 9th - 10th
In the 1950s, financial prosperity allowed young Americans to participate in a shared culture of rock and roll music, movies, and television.
Unknown Type
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1945 1980: The Great Society

For Students 9th - 10th
A quick comprehension check over the "Great Society" of the 1950s.
Unit Plan
OpenStax

Open Stax: u.s. History: 29.4 Challenging the Status Quo

For Students 9th - 10th
Page form U.S. History e-book focusses on the culture of the 1960s and the rise of protest organizations challenging the status quo during that decade. Site contains questions for review, critical thinking, and glossary.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1945 1980: Women in the 1950s

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the myths and realities of women's lives during the 1950s.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1945 1980: The Dark Side of Suburbia

For Students 9th - 10th
Some background information that sheds light on how suburbia wasn't paradise for everyone especially women and African Americans in the 1950s and 60s.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: America Rocks and Rolls

For Students 5th - 8th
Read a brief history of rock and roll and its roots. See why this form of music shook the establishment and shattered the idea of conformity.
Unit Plan
Department of Defense

Do Dea: Ap Us History: Unit 8: An Age of Confidence and Anxiety

For Students 9th - 10th
This extensive learning module examines the United States' response to the global uncertainty and instability that followed World War II and the ways that marginalized groups challenged discrimination, and the counter-responses to their...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Land of Television

For Students 5th - 8th
The advent of increased television programming helped create a national popular culture. Read about the many kinds of television programs offered in the 1950s.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Voices Against Conformity

For Students 5th - 8th
The decade of the 1950s was kown for conformity. There was an undercurrent of rebellion, especially among younger Americans. Read about the Beat Generation, alternative literature, rebellion in art, and treatment of those who were not...