Creating a 1920's Magazine
Chapter 12-13 Assignment
Assignment: Using Chapters 12-13 (pp. 412-459) your job is to create a
magazine covering aspects of culture (art, movies, music), politics, lifestyles
(society) and the like from the 1920's. You will create a product that is as
reflective of the 1920's style as possible. You will mimic a current, favorite
magazine's content and style, making a 1920's edition that is reflective of that
magazine's format.
Magazine Requirements:
1. You will choose a magazine format which you will imitate. Some possible
magazines to mimic: Time, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Entertainment
Weekly, Vogue, Better Homes and Garden, Life, O, Glamour, etc. Look at
the cover and see what it looks like, then pattern your magazine after that
cover. Look at what types of articles it has and write articles from the
1920’s on similar topics. If your model magazine is Sports Illustrated, then
your 1920’s magazine should be geared towards sports and more of a
male-based readership, just as Glamour is definitely geared more towards
women.
2. You need the following parts to your magazine:
a. Cover Page: Title of magazine, Lead story, picture,
editors/contributors, & date (the pictures can be computergenerated/downloaded) – patterned after the style of your model
magazine
b. Table of Contents (including who did what for the magazine) –
either on the cover, or just inside the cover. What does your model
magazine do?
c. Four feature (or news) articles. You need:
1. 1 article on politics or economics (president, senators, the
business of America, etc.)
2. 1 article on underrepresented groups (women, African
Americans, Hispanics, etc.)
3. 1 article on Sports or automobiles
4. 1 article on Popular Culture (music, movies, literature,
fashion, slang, etc.)
5. Each article needs to be at least 1 page (typed, double
spaced)
6. Each article needs at least 1 picture – make sure your
pictures don’t take up the entire space for your article. There
needs to be sufficient writing accompanying the article.
d. Two Supplementary pieces. Ideas could include: ad
- A graphic (map, chart, etc. with contextual explanation of at
least 150 words)
- Advertisements. You may copy images but you must create
the text yourself. The ads must suit the audience of your model
magazine (be popular products of the time).
- Letters to the Editor - on a current controversial issue
- Political Cartoon (must be created, not copied)
- Obituaries -- at least 3 – of actual people who died in the 1920s
- Classified Ads (a full page of classifieds, researched to fit time
period with appropriate cost and style)
- Sports page (find actual results from sporting events at the
time and give a brief write up with quotes from the participants
(these can be made up by you – keep them time period
appropriate - - meaning you can’t have Babe Ruth say, “That
game, like, totally sucked.”
- Movie times and movie ads (remember they wouldn’t have
huge, multiplex movie theaters)
- Crossword puzzle/Games
3. Your articles must correspond to the date of your magazine and have
some perspective of time. For instance, if your magazine is written in 1927,
you cannot write about the stock market crash of 1929, and any articles
about Babe Ruth must either be about the glorious 1927 season or
retrospectives about his still vibrant career.
4. Neatness and creativity!
5. **BIBLIOGRAPHY: Include a properly formatted bibliography at the end
of your magazine. NO PLAGIARIZING!! (Meaning – no cut and paste or
direct copying – articles and supplementary pieces must be your own
work)**
General Guidelines – I expect the following:
Content:
1. Accuracy in reporting. NO PLAGIARIZING, CUTTING AND PASTING, ETC.!!!!!
2. Accounts that are rich in detail, factual historical evidence, and that are interesting to
read.