SOCIAL STUDIES 8th GRADE
1920’s RADIO and ADVERTISING PROJECT
The 1920’s were a time of tremendous economic, social, and political changes in America. From
an economy that created a cornucopia of new consumer products to societal and political
changes brought on by flapper culture and the Harlem Renaissance, the decade altered American
attitudes and expectations more than any period since. An important catalyst of these changes
was the radio. The radio became a technology that truly knitted the nation together. For the first
time news events could be communicated to a nationwide audience. Thus, the radio served an
important role in Americanizing a diverse and immigrant population. Also, thanks to radio,
modern advertising became an important business in this era.
Advertising as it is known today had its roots in the industrial expansion of the 1880’s. Mass
production of consumer goods in the 1920’s meant that more items were available to more
people than ever before. Eventually, advertising a product changed from simply announcing its
existence to persuading the public they needed and wanted to own it.
PROCEDURES
In this assignment imagine yourself as a producer of an early 1920’s radio program. Using photo
story create a news story of a topical event of the period and advertisements for its associated
commercial sponsor(s).
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Select a topic for a “newscast.” Topics may be from any of the following areas:
politics, entertainment, sports, inventions or individual accomplishments like
Lindberg’s flight across the Atlantic.
Extend your understanding of the subject by reading and researching the topic.
Ensure that your news presentation has a clear organization. The subject’s
introduction must demonstrate a clear purpose or occasion for the story. Further, the
body of the story must contain all necessary detail to make the story interesting and
incorporates the 5Ws.
Select two consumer products of the 1920’s and create a radio advertisement for
each that encourages people to buy the product. The advertisement must identify a
potential consumer, i.e. a housewife, a farmer, a teenager etc. Provide the consumer
detailed information about the product. Clearly state at least one reason why the
customer would benefit from purchasing the product. The ad must also relate to the
customer on an emotional level. Appeals based on emotion are often very persuasive
and these can be either positive, such as suggesting others using the product are
enjoying themselves, or negative such as showing the troubles people have when not
using the product.
One feature of the period was distinctive and colorful slang – use at least five slang
terms popular at the time in your project.
Choose a popular Jazz selection from this time period for a sound track, and identify
both the song’s title and artist.
Include six images to provide a visual component for the project.