Culminating Activity: Jeff, Matt, Roland, Justin
The Millennial Generation: Tales for an Accelerated Culture (Student Handout)
It’s the year 2017! In groups of 4 or 5, create a presentation where you assume the
identities of 17-18 year old representatives of the millennial generation. Much like
Douglas Coupland (1991) did in his Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, you
will craft a 30 minute presentation where you assess the influence of the previous
generation on your society. Therefore, you will weigh the impact of the Echo Boom on
your society, while indicating how your generation will distinguish itself and progress
from the ideals, customs, and culture representative of the Echo Boom generation. A 1520 minute question period will follow your presentation where representatives from the
class will have a chance to critique and offer feedback.
While researching your project, you should consider these questions:
1) How do demographics for your generation compare or contrast with some of the
different post-Second World War generations of the past?
2) Does your generation’s relationship with the Echo Boomers compare to the
relationship shared between Echo Boomers and Baby Boomers?
3) Which generational subgroups from the past does your generation identify with
the most? Which the least?
4) How have the demographics of your generation influenced your society?
5) Which aspects of Echo-Boomer culture (i.e. Fashion and Style, Arts and
Entertainment, Sports and Fitness) do you hope will persist in your generation?
Which aspects do you hope your generation will break away from?
6) In your opinion, how will your generation set itself apart and progress from the
Echo Boom generation?
Key themes to consider:
Counterculture, Materialism, Immigration, Family structure, Political Activism
Sexual Revolution, Suburbia, Education, Health Care, Gender Identity, Secularism
Race Relations, World Economies, Mass Media.
Culminating Activity: Jeff, Matt, Roland, Justin
A) Culminating Activity Description:
In Groups of 4 to 5, Students will prepare a 30 minute presentation using a
combination of PowerPoint and an Engaging Classroom Activity to assess the impact of
the Echo Boom on the Millennial generation. Thus, students will be able to weigh the
impact of the Echo Boom on the Millennial society, while indicating how the current
generation will distinguish itself and progress from the ideals, customs, and culture
representative of the Echo Boom generation.
B) Culminating Activity Expectations
Enduring Understandings:
1) Students will be able to understand and identify what makes generations distinct
and how they are inherently connected.
2) Students will critically evaluate and assess what forces shape social trends and
how these concepts may impact Millenials.
Overall Expectations:
STV.01, STV.02, STV.03
C) Culminating Activity Major Details (Teacher Section)
Planning Notes & Lesson Sequence:
-
-
-
-
-
In the first class of the unit, ask the students to go into groups of 3 to participate in
a diagnostic Graffiti exercise where the teacher will pass out chart paper with
several of the key themes of the unit to see where student knowledge is at with
some of the topics to be covered in the unit.
After the diagnostic activity, students will present what some of the words that
may have been associated with the topic and will post their chart paper up on the
wall. Can hold the class accountable to participate.
The Teacher will follow the activity by defining some of the key concepts on an
overhead, followed by handing out the culminating activity along with its rubric
(See above).
Make sure to highlight the questions students need to consider as well as the key
concepts as they will be the basis for the 30 minute presentation.
Take a Position!: Make sure students understand this presentation is not about the
“regurgitation” of materials, rather to teach the class and critically evaluate how
particular concepts of the Echo Boom will positively or negatively affect the
Millennials.
Ideas for the task: Promote the use of technology for students to use during the
presentation (i.e. PowerPoint) but also kinesthetic aspects of utilizing the
Culminating Activity: Jeff, Matt, Roland, Justin
-
classroom space. For instance, have the class form groups to look at how
magazine articles during different generations to see the impact of materialism on
society. Keeping the class attentive during the presentation is important.
Make sure students understand that attendance is highly important during the
presentations, as there will be a 10 mark component associated for Active
Participation during the debate portion of the assessment (see below).
D) Culminating Activity Evaluation
(I know we have the rubric, but here is something for the participation component)
Active Participation of the Audience: (Taken as an overall for all the presentations)
/5 Communication:
-
Communicates information and ideas with a high degree of clarity and with
confidence.
Asks strong questions indicative of the presentations.
/5 Knowledge/Understanding:
-
Demonstrates thorough and insightful understandings of the relationship between
the key concepts presented through active participation during debates
Poses critical questions to the presenters that invokes inquiry of the topic.
Culminating Activity: Jeff, Matt, Roland, Justin
Enduring
Understandings
Students will be able
to understand and
identify what makes
generations distinct
and how they are
inherently connected
Students will
understand what
shaped social trends
and how they
influenced each
generation
Students will be able
to critique and
differentiate the
characteristics of
their own generation
and how their society
has shifted from past
generations
Essential Questions
Overall Expectations
Specific Expectations
How are the
generations similar to
each other? How are
they different? What
are the key
sociological concepts
that relate to the
different generations?
How has fertility and
fecundity influenced
cultural consistencies
and changes overtime
How are demography
and culture linked?
How has immigration
influenced/changed
culture in Canadian
society? How has the
family structure
changed through the
different generations?
STV.02 : Assess the
importance of
demography as a
tool for studying
social trends
ST1.03: Demonstrate
an understanding of
the social impact of
the baby boom and
echo boom and how
they relate and differ
from one another.
STV.03: Demonstrate
an understanding of
the social forces that
influence and shape
trends
How have the previous
post second world war
generations influenced
the development of
the generation Y
culture (student’s
generation)? What
challenges does the
present generation
face in the future?
STV.01: Appraise
the differences and
similarities in the
approaches taken by
sociology to the
study of trends
relating to the baby
boom, fertility and
fecundity and the life
cycle
(Mod) ST3.01:
Demonstrate an
understanding of the
influence that
sociological factors
have on Canadian
Culture (e.g.
arts/entertainment,
fashion/style, family,
Canadian politics,
Body and Mind)
(Mod) ST1.02: Assess
the sociological
importance of the
baby boom and echo
boom to generation Y
Culminating Activity: Jeff, Matt, Roland, Justin
Schedule
Week 1:
Baby Boom: Monday – Thursday
Monday:
 Net Migration (Population)
 Causes: World War 2
 Immigration
Tuesday:
 Nuclear Family
 Suburbia
 Recession
Wednesday:
 Counter Culture
 Political Activism
 Sexual Revolution
Thursday:
 Materialism
 Progressive Education
 Health care
Library: Friday
Week 2:
Baby Boom: Monday
 AS THEY AGED:
o Dependency Load
o Pension funds
o Ecotousim: travel based on nature
Echo Boom: Tuesday – Thursday
Tuesday:
 Population increase in certain locations (pg 161)
 family structure
Wednesday:
 secularism
Thursday:
 Education
Culminating Activity: Jeff, Matt, Roland, Justin
Library: Friday
Week 3:
Echo Boom: Monday – Tuesday
Monday
 race relations improved
Tuesday
 gender identity
Millenniums: Wednesday – Thursday
Wednesday
 Decrease in number of children
o “Six-Pocket” Phenomenon – kids getting cash from parents and grandparents
 Education and its impact on economy (Double Cohort)
Thursday
 Television and Radio aimed towards Youth – Reality Television (Survivor)
Library / Work Period: Friday
Week 4:
Presentations
Concepts (total list)
Baby Boom
 Materialism
 Net Migration (Population)
 Causes: World War 2
 Immigration
 Suburbia
 Nuclear Family
 Progressive Education
 Counter Culture
 Political Activism
 Sexual Revolution
 Recession
 Health care
 AS THEY AGED:
Culminating Activity: Jeff, Matt, Roland, Justin
o
o
o
Dependency Load
Pension funds
Ecotousim: travel based on nature
Echo Boom
 Population increase in certain locations (pg 161)
 family structure
 gender identity
 secularism
 race relations improved
 Education – Double Cohort
Millenniums
 Decrease in number of children
o “Six-Pocket” Phenomenon – kids getting cash from parents and grandparents
 Television and Radio aimed towards Youth – Reality Television (Survivor)
 Education and its impact on economy (Double Cohort)