Teaching program—Chapter 5: Social history and everyday life
(1920sand 1930s)
Unit 1
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
How are societies
organised?
History:
1 The effect of World War I on
Australia and the world
2 Social structure in Australia in
the 1920s
3 Russia: a comparison
Oxford Big Ideas
History, Level 6, pp.
132 to 137
Humanities — History, Level 6
1 Students analyse events which
contribute to Australia’s social,
political and cultural development.
2 Students analyse the impact of war
and conflict in the twentieth century.
3 Students compare different
perspectives about a significant
event and make links between
historical and contemporary events
Thinking processes:
1 Comparison and analysis
2 Reflection and evaluation on
the past and how it could apply
to the present
Suggested answers to
all unit activities at
www.oxfordbigideas.com
Suggested rubric for
Big Ideas activities at
www.oxfordbigideas.com
Communicating:
1 Developing questions to draw
out information
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students process and synthesise
complex information and complete
activities focusing on problem
solving and decision making which
involve a wide range and
complexity of variables and
solutions.
2 They explain the different
methodologies used by different
disciplines to create and verify
knowledge.
Communication, Level 6
1 Students use pertinent questions to
explore, clarify and elaborate
complex meaning.
Learning sequence
LESSON 1— AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY AND THE 1920S
1
Ask the students, in turns, to read through pages 132 to 137. After reading through the pages, have the students write
down what they believe a ‘liberal democracy’ is and how in the 1920s Australia fit the definition. After this, ask students to
discuss how they believe society makes choices or decisions. List their ideas on the board and say that the class will return
to them at the end of the exercise.
2
Complete the questions on page 132 after looking at the maps on page 133. Ask the students to suggest, after answering
the questions, what effect the ‘new’ nations or ‘shape’ of Europe might have in the years ahead.
3
Once this is completed, point out that Australia will be the ‘centre’ of work for a little while ,but that the students should think
about what they have read about what was happening in Russia and keep that in mind
4
Ask the students to complete the’ What do you know?’ questions on page 137 and then to discuss, as a group, what
Australian society would have been like at this time. They could then look at Source 5.9 and debate what the cartoon is
suggesting about the position of women in Australia at this time.
5
Complete the Big Idea questions on page 137 for homework.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
LESSON 2 — RUSSIA
1
Reread and discuss page 134. Ask students to argue why Russia developed as it did and the importance of Stalin in the
process.
2
Get students to select an area, such as women’s status, and to carry out further study. They should then present their
findings to the rest of the class. This could be carried out as group work
3
Once you have completed this, return to the comments on the board about Australian society and liberal democracy from
Lesson 1 and see if any of these views need to be altered or added to. You could get them to suggest why Australia seem
able to cope with change without resorting to the ‘extremes’ of a society like Russia.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
Teaching program—Chapter 5: Social history and everyday life
(1920s and 1930s)
Unit 2
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
What factors
change
societies?
History:
1 The 1920s in Australia
2 The United States of America: a
comparison
3 Advancing technology and change
4 The Great Depression
Oxford Big Ideas
History Level 6,
pp.138–147
Humanities — History, Level 6
1 Students analyse events which
contributed to Australia’s social,
political and cultural development.
2 They compare different
perspectives about a significant
event and make links between
historical and contemporary issues.
3 They analyse changes in
technology, medicine and
communication.
Thinking processes:
1 Analysing and making
comparison.
Civics and Citizenship:
1 Using resources and information
to develop views on
contemporary issues.
Suggested answers to
all unit activities at
www.bigideas.com
Suggested rubric for
Big Ideas activities at
www.bigideas.com
Worksheet 5.1 (and
suggested answers
where appropriate) at
www.bigideas.com.
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students make informed decisions
based on their analysis of various
perspectives and sometime
contradictory, information.
Civics and Citizenship, Level 6
1 Students present points of view on
contemporary issues and events
using appropriate supporting
evidence.
Learning sequence
LESSON 1—THE INITIAL BOOM OF THE 1920S IN AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
1
Ask the students to look at the photos and cartoons on pages 138 and 144. Ask the students to suggest what the images
suggest about Australian society at this time as well as the advances of technology. Write their thoughts on the board.
2
As a class, now read through the same pages, having students make point notes about the different sub-headings. Once
you have completed this get them to compare the thoughts that they had generated based on the graphics from the pages
to their notes on the text. What extra or different information have they gained? Were their points raised by the graphics
that were not covered by the text, if so, why do the students think this has occurred? What does the double page graphic on
pages 142 and 143 say about Sydney in the 1920s?
3
Complete the questions on page 144.
4
After you have done this get the students to break into groups and complete the Big Ideas questions, 1 – 7, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17 and 19 from page 147. Each group can then present their findings.
LESSON 2 — THE GREAT DEPRESSION
1
2
Read pages 145 and 146.
As a class discuss and write down how and why the Great Depression occurred. Make comparison to the recent worldwide economic downturn and look for similarities and differences and list these on the board.
3
Complete the questions on page 146 and the remainder of the Big Ideas questions except for question 20.
4
Having done this move on to the worksheet that can be found on the website.
5
Discuss this and then complete the worksheet for homework
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
Teaching program—Chapter 5: Social history and everyday life
(1920s and 1930s)
Unit 3
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
How does change
affect individuals?
History:
1 The Roaring 20s.
2 The impact of the ‘30s.
Oxford Big Ideas
History Level 6,
pp. 148–153
Humanities — History, Level 6
1 Students analyse events which
contribute to Australia’s social,
political and cultural development.
2 Students analyse the impact of key
wars and conflicts.
3 They identify, comprehend and
evaluate a range of primary and
secondary sources, including visual
sources.
Thinking processes:
1 Seeing beyond the obvious,
inferring meaning from
information.
2 Making logical comparisons.
3 Cause and effect
Communication
1 Using a variety of genre and
communication skills to
examine and discuss a topic.
Suggested answers to
all unit activities at
www.bigideas.com
Suggested rubric for
Big Ideas activities at
www.bigideas.com
Worksheet 5.2 (and
suggested answers
where appropriate) at
www.bigideas.com
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students discriminate in the way
that they use a variety of sources.
2 They take calculated risks when
defining tasks and generating
solutions.
3 They use specific terms to discuss
their thinking, select and use
thinking processes and tools
appropriate to particular tasks, and
evaluate their effectiveness.
Communication, Level 6
1 Students demonstrate their
understanding of the relationship
between form, content and mode,
and select appropriate resources
and technologies to effectively
communicate.
Learning sequence
LESSON 1— THE ROARING 20S IN AUSTRALIA AND IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
1
Start the class by asking the students what image they get of women in the 1920s based on Source 5.25. Would this image
be true for all women? Ask students to provide reasons for their responses.
2
Read pages 148 and 149 and look for similarities and differences between Australia and the United States of America. Get
students to list these and then compare their lists to each others’.
3
Students need understand what ‘prohibition’ was and could suggest why it might have been introduced in America but
wasn’t in Australia.
4
As a class the students should carry out some research on gangsters, Australian and American. They could look at why
gangsters seemed to become so prominent in America but did not gain the same standing in Australia.
5
Students should then complete the questions on page 149 and Questions 1, 2, 6, 7 and 12 from the Big Ideas question on
page 153.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
LESSON 2 — THE 1930S
1
Students should discuss as a class what they know, already, about the Great Depression to refresh their minds. They could
then look at the manner it effected people in the city and the country using Sources 5.29 and 5.30 and discuss why the
effect could be similar or different in the different parts of the country.
2
Read pages 150 to 153.
3
Get students to suggest why sporting or personal achievements might become important to people during these difficult
times.
4
Complete the questions on page 153.
5
Complete the remaining questions on page 153, except for Question 9. Once the students have completed these get them
to find and download the ‘stories’ from the worksheet. Divide the class into groups who can then present their story before
asking students to complete the worksheet.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
Teaching program—Chapter 5: Social history and everyday life
(19020s and 1930s)
Unit 4
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
How does society
respond to change?
History:
1 Recovering from the Great
Depression.
2 The rise of ‘isms’.
3 Civil rights in Australia.
Oxford Big Ideas
History Level 6,
pp. 154–159
Humanities — History, Level 6
1 Students analyse the impact of key
wars and conflicts in the twentieth
and twenty-first centuries.
2 Students use appropriate historical
language and concepts in historical
explanations.
.
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students employ appropriate
methodologies for creating and
verifying knowledge.
2 Students experiment with
innovative possibilities within the
parameters of a task.
3 They apply selectively a range of
creative thinking strategies to
broaden their knowledge and
engage with contentious,
ambiguous, novel and complex
ideas.
Thinking processes:
1 Comparison of the effects of
war over time on participants.
2 Using mind maps as thinking
and planning tools.
3 Using empathy as a means of
understanding in history.
Personal learning
1 Identifying how personal
beliefs are built on societal
experience
Suggested answers to
all unit activities at
www.bigideas.com
Suggested rubric for
Big Ideas activities at
www.bigideas.com
Student rubric for Fresh
Ideas feature on ‘Roleplay: The Great
Depression’ at
www.bigideas.com
Personal learning, Level 6
1 Students identify the ethical
frameworks that underpin their own
and others’ beliefs and values and
describe how the conflicts and
dilemmas they identify may affect
learning.
Learning sequence
LESSON 1— RESPONSES TO THE WORLD-WIDE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION
1
Read pages 154 to 157.
2
The students should then divide a page in three and make point notes for Australia, the United States of America and
Germany and in point form list the responses or reactions to the events of the Great Depression .
3
Look for similarities and differences in each country. Get students to explain why they think these differences or similarities
existed.
4
Complete the questions on page 157 and then complete questions 1,2 , 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17 from the
Big ideas questions on page 159.
LESSON 2 — GERMANY; AN ANALYSIS
1
Reread page 157.
2
As a class discuss how and why the Weimar Republic in Germany failed. Was there anything that the rest of the world coud
or should have done to stop what happened in Germany?
3
How were Hitler and his party able to legally come to power?
4
What was the importance of the ‘Law for Removing the Distress of People and Reich
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
LESSON 3 — CIVIL RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA.
1
Read page 158 .
2
As a class discuss the importance of the Civil Rights movement at this time.
3
Answer the questions on page 158.
4
Complete the remaining questions from the Big Ideas questions from page 159.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia
Teaching program—Chapter 5: Transferring ideas: Mussolini’s Italy
Big Idea
Key knowledge and skills
Resources
VELS standards (adapted)
How does war
change a society?
History:
1 Post-war Italy.
2 The rise of political extremes.
3 The social consequences of
warfare.
Oxford Big Ideas
History Level 6,
pp. 160–161
Humanities — History, Level 6
1 Students analyse the impact of
some key wars and conflicts in the
twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
2 Students critically evaluate sources
of evidence for context, information,
reliability, completeness, objectivity
and bias.
Thinking processes:
1 How are political and historical
decisions made?
2 What is the after effect of war?
Suggested answers
and rubric for
Transferring ideas
activities at
www.bigideas.com
Thinking processes, Level 6
1 Students discriminate in the way
they use a variety of sources.
2 They make informed decisions
based on their analysis of various
perspectives and sometimes
contradictory, information.
LESSON (IF COMPLETED IN CLASS)
1
Complete the Transferring Ideas spread in class or as homework as an assessable item. If desired, some of the activities
may be completed orally (via class or group discussion). The questions raised in student minds by this conflict would
benefit from class discussion and debate. Rubric and suggested answers supplied on Oxford web site.
2
In completing this exercise on post-war Italy, comparison could be made to other countries, particularly Australia. Students
might see that the potential existed in Australia for similar events to occur but that other political and social beliefs or factors
meant that extremism did not gain as strong a foothold.
Oxford Big Ideas History Level 6 ISBN 978 0 19 556562 1
© Oxford University Press Australia