West Morris Central High School
Department of History and Social Sciences
USII Academic
1920s Essay Topic
Our essential question for this unit deals with the extent to which the 1920s represent or illustrate the
growing dichotomy of American society. To that end, the goal of your essay will be to provide evidence
to support the idea that we see a real split in society during the 1920s. We are assuming as a class that
the 1920s DO represent a growing dichotomy, therefore all evidence will seek to support that notion.
Your thesis statement and all documentary evidence will prove that a dichotomous society existed and
was shown in the way groups interacted during the 1920s.
Resources:
Textbook chapters 20-21
Primary source documents on class notes webpage
WMC Online Databases (Facts on File, ABC-CLIO, etc)
Graded Content:
There will be two TEST grades associated with this assignment. There will be no formal Quest for this
unit.
1. A detailed outline (DUE DATE:___________)
a. Your outline will be written in complete sentences/thoughts, and will indicate the
argument you will make, the examples (development points) you will use in support of
your argument, and the evidence you will use to tie your examples to your thesis. You
will effectively be writing your essay in outline form, so you should include all relevant
information in your outline
2. A final paper (DUE DATE:______________)
a. Your final paper will combine the elements of your outline into a formal essay. If you
create a thorough outline, putting your paper together should be not much more than
formalizing your ideas, adding transitions, and reformatting.
Specific requirements:
1. You must provide a thesis that accurately reflects our position, and clearly defines the scope of
your paper. Your introduction must clearly identify the specific examples (development points)
of dichotomy you will include in your paper, as well as a preview of how you will use the
example to support your thesis.
2. You must provide three (3) specific examples (development points) of this dichotomy.
3. Your examples must be given context. Provide an overview of the issue, and why it represents a
division in society. To do so, you will likely have to provide information on both sides of the
issue.
4. You must provide a minimum of one (1) quote for each example, from a primary source. This
means minimum three (3) quotes in your essay. You may use the primary sources I have
provided, or you may find your own. If you use your own, you must provide the source when
you hand in your paper (print-out of page, highlighted quote)