“1920’s” Web-Based Discovery Activity
Purpose of the Activity:
The purpose of this activity is simple: I want you to become more familiar with the content of this unit, and to do so by going
beyond what is provided to you in your textbook and note packets. My hope is that you will not only learn some new things
that will help you to solidify your understanding of the fundamental concepts of the time periods associated with the 1920’s ,
but will, as well, enhance your ability and understanding regarding how to use the Internet on your own to “dig deeper” into
topics about which you will be learning. There is so much more to what we learn in class than what is provided to you in our
books and my lectures. It’s now time to go and experience it!
The Task:
You will need to complete the activity that is located on the last few pages of the assignment. It will require you to go
and find specific information. Once that has been completed, you are more than welcome to access as many of the
other websites as you can and in any order that you would like. In some cases you will need to record information, while,
for others, all you need to do is search through and enjoy the material. Be ready to discuss at a later time what you experience
during today’s activity.
YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT THAT IS
SHOWN ON THE LAST FEW PAGES OF THIS ACTIVITY.
IT WILL BE COUNTED AS A 15 POINT QUIZ GRADE.
1920’s Unit Essential Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What happens when traditional and modern cultures interact?
What influences do economic excesses have on American society?
What is the proper role of the government in people’s lives?
Did America move closer to or further away from its founding ideals during the interwar period?
Enduring Understandings:
Students will understand that…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cultural patterns established between the world wars are still relevant today.
Conflict occurs when people perceive that traditional values and culture are threatened by modern changes.
Economic excess and the unequal distributions of wealth can lead to instability in society.
Liberals and Conservatives have different beliefs about individual responsibility and the proper role of the
government.
5. As a result of the New Deal, the United States government took on greater responsibilities for promoting the
general welfare.
The Sites
Site #1: www.history.com
A. This is the History Channel’s website. I have chosen specific links from it that are about the 1920’s. They are definitely
worth a look!
Note: Skip the advertisements in the video section by scrolling down a little and clicking the
first small video image. This should start the video almost immediately.
1) http://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties
- This link provides access to a variety of resources about the decade of the 1920’s.
A. Overview of the decade
1. The “New Woman”
2. The Birth of Mass Culture
3. The Jazz Age
4. Prohibition
5. The “Cultural Civil War”
B. http://www.history.com/videos/1929-stock-market-crash#1929-stock-market-crash
- video about the Stock Market Crash of 1929
C. http://www.history.com/topics/harlem-renaissance
- Harlem Renaissance.
D. http://www.history.com/topics/calvin-coolidge
- President Calvin Coolidge
E. http://www.history.com/topics/19th-amendment
- women’s suffrage
F. http://www.history.com/topics/prohibition
- Prohibition
G. http://www.history.com/videos/the-kkk#the-kkk
- video about the KKK.
H. http://www.history.com/videos/president-waren-g-harding#president-waren-g-harding
- video about President Warren G. Harding.
I. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cabinet-member-guilty-in-teapot-dome-scandal
- Teapot Dome Scandal
Site #2: http://ehistory.osu.edu/exhibitions/clash
- This site is about major cultural clashes and controversies of the 1920’s. It includes a look at the following topics:
- Prohibition;
- Scopes Monkey Trial;
- Anti-Immigration and the KKK
- The New Woman.
Site #3: http://www.let.rug.nl/%7Eusa/H/1994/chap9.htm
- Items 4 through 8 are associated with topics that we are learning about.
Site #4: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=13&smtID=1
- This site provides a look at many concepts within the topic of the 1920’s.
- Navigate through the site by clicking the “tabs” that are shown at a somewhat diagonal angle.
Site #5: http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm
- a quick, interesting look at the slang of the 1920’s
Site #6: http://www.angelfire.com/co/pscst/events.html
- Use the menu at the left. This is about a variety of topics, including:
- people, events, inventions, arts, literature, music, entertainment, and fads and fashions.
Site #7: http://history1900s.about.com/library/time/bltime1920.htm
- A timeline of the 1920’s.
Site #8: http://www.fashion-era.com/flapper_fashion_1920s.htm
- info about flappers (especially regarding their sense of style)
Site #9: http://guest.portaportal.com/addison
This website has a few activities that are associated with the 1920’s. Look at the following items:
- “Web Hunts: The 1920’s” (scroll down a little bit & look to the right-hand side of the page)
- “1920’s” materials (scroll down even more and look to the left-side of the page)
- there are flashcards, a timeline, practice quizzes, etc. that you can look at
Site #10: http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/diagrams/
This is not a “flashy” site, but it has very organized information.
- Look to the top right where it says “USA, 1929-41” and then look at the first 4 topics in that list.
Site #11: http://www.learner.org/biographyofamerica/prog20/feature/index.html
- This resource goes over basic information and asks you to make decisions about whether the 1920’s
“roared” or whether it was just a “big yawn”. Basic, but interesting.
Site #12: http://www.hippocampus.org/
- Click on the “Moments in American History Collection” item shown on the left side of the page.
- Scroll down to topics under “1865-1945”:
Entertainment: The Golden Age of Radio
Prohibition
The Harlem Renaissance, Post World War I
Women in the 1920s: The Vote, Prohibition, and the Beginning of a Dormant Period
Site #13: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1920s.html
- a timeline of the 1920’s
“1920’s” Web-Based Discovery Activity
Assignment (15 point quiz grade)
I. You MUST use the information from this web-based activity to do the following:
A. answer the following questions in a detailed manner. Cite specific information from online AND
your notes, and book that is related to the overall topic (examples, analogies, statistics, etc.);
1.
What happens when traditional and modern cultures interact?


Identify 3 specific instances from the 1920’s that demonstrate an interaction between traditional and modern cultures.
Explain how each of these instances demonstrates the following enduring understanding:
“Conflict occurs when people perceive that traditional values and culture are threatened
by modern changes.”
Traditional
Modern
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Explanation #1:
Explanation #2:
Explanation#3:
2.
Why is the period of the 1920’s often called a period of “Boom and Bust”?
 Focus on the impact of the economic policies of the Harding and Coolidge administrations on wealth distribution,
investment, and taxes.
 Discuss the purpose of the stock market and how it basically works.
 Focus on the causes of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.
Complete at least the first three parts of the following graphic organizer for the concept of the “Stock Market Crash of 1929”.
3.
Did America move closer to or further away from its founding ideals during the 1920’s
 Focus on how the ideals of liberty, equality, opportunity, rights, pursuit of happiness, property and democracy were
exemplified or contradicted during this time period.
4. Complete the following graphic organizer for the concept of the “Harlem Renaissance” (make that the “Title of Event”).
5. Complete the following graphic organizer for the concept of the “The New Woman/Women’s Rights” (make that the “Title of
Event”).
6. Use the following website to both find where to plot the locations of the ideologies and to define their meaning.
http://105.wikispaces.com/file/view/PoliticalSpectrumReadin.pdf
a) Plot the locations of the following ideologies on the political spectrum: liberal, conservative, moderate, radical, and
reactionary.
b) Define the meaning of each ideology and explain how it might connect to a discussion of the 1920’s and the start of the
Great Depression.
Liberal:
definition:
connections to 1920’s:
Conservative:
definition:
connections to 1920’s:
Moderate:
definition:
connections to 1920’s:
Radical:
definition:
connections to 1920’s:
Reactionary:
definition:
connections to 1920’s:
7. Complete the following graphic organizer as a means of “wrapping-up” our web-based activity about the 1920’s.