Semester 2 Unit 1: Roaring ‘20’s
Stage 1: Desired Outcomes
Topic/Unit Title: Roaring ‘20’s
 Were the 1920’s a step forward for the United States?
NYS Content Standards 1
Common Core Skills
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Key Idea 2: Important ideas, social and cultural
values, beliefs, and traditions; the connections and
interactions of people and events across time and
from a variety of perspectives.
Key Idea 3: major social, political, economic,
cultural, and religious developments; important
roles and contributions of individuals and groups.
Key Idea 4: explain the significance of historical
evidence; weigh the importance, reliability, and
validity of evidence; understand the concept of
multiple causation; understand the importance of
changing and competing interpretations of different
historical developments.
Reading-Social Studies (RH)
1. Use relevant information and ideas from documents to support analysis
3. Use information/ideas to determine cause and effect
6. Compare and contrast various points of view
7. Create and analyze visuals (graphs/charts)
8. Identify and analyze evidence
Writing (W)
3. Produce writing appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
4. Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing and rewriting
5. Draw evidence from informational text
Speaking and Listening (SL)
1. Participate in collaborative discussion
4. Clearly present appropriate information and evidence
6. Demonstrate command of formal English
Language (L)
1. Demonstrate appropriate grammar usage in writing and speaking
(sentence complexity)
2. Demonstrate appropriate usage of the mechanics of language
(punctuation, capitalization)
4. Build vocabulary and expand word choice
Understandings:
Students will be able to understand and know:
 Why this period is known as the Roaring
‘20’s
 What the new social freedoms of women
were
 What were the new political rights of
women
 The culture of the 1920’s
 How and Why America began
industrialization again
 The role of new technology
 The birth of consumerism
 The impact of the automobile
 The significance of the assembly line
 The significance of buying on credit
 The theories/philosophies of capitalism,
Social Darwinism, laissez-faire, rugged
individualism and their impacts on society
 Why there was an increase in intolerance
in the 1920’s
 Assess the significance of the “Red
Scare,” Palmer Raids, the rise of the Ku
Klux Klan, nativism, Prohibition, and the
rise of religious fundamentalism during
the 1920s
 The effects of Prohibition on America
 Notable industrialists of the time (Henry
Ford)
 The causes and effects of the Harlem
Renaissance
 The causes and effects of the Great
Migration
 The significant contributions of the
Harlem Renaissance
 The extent to whether the Harlem
Essential Questions:
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Why is this period known as the Roaring ‘20’s?
How did women receive/earn the right to vote?
What social changes did women experience in the
1920’s? Why did these new social freedoms exist?
Was the culture of the 1920’s a good or a bad
culture?
Why did America experience industrialization and
increase in wealth again in the 1920’s?
What was the role and impact of new technology on
America?
Why was there a new culture of consumerism?
How did this new culture of consumerism impact
America?
Were consumers buying on credit a good or a bad
development?
What was the significance of the assembly-line on
the American economy?
Are the theories/philosophies of capitalism good or
bad for a society?
How did the theories/philosophies of capitalism
impact America during the 1920’s?
Why was there an increase in intolerance in the
1920’s?
How did the Red Scare impact America?
Was the Red Scare Justified?
What was the impact of nativism on America?
Why did America have a Prohibition movement?
How did it impact America?
Was Prohibition a good or a bad development for
America?
What was the impact of religious fundamentalism on
America?
What role did industrialists such as Henry Ford
have on America?
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Renaissance was a celebration or revolt
Evaluate whether or not the 1920s were a
step forward for the United States
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How did Henry Ford represent the American
Dream?
What were the causes and effects of the Great
Migration?
What were the causes and effects of the Harlem
Renaissance?
What were the significant contributions of the
Harlem Renaissance?
To what extent was the Harlem Renaissance a
celebration or revolt?
To what extent were the 1920’s a step forward for
the United States?
Stage 2: Assessments and Tasks
Common Core Literacy Tasks:
 Analyze and answer questions about primary and
secondary source documents.
 Exit ticket: Why did America experience
industrialization and an increase in wealth again in
the 1920’s? Using at least 3 specifics from the lesson
 Create a political cartoon with 2-3 sentence
explanation: either celebrating the culture of the
1920’s or criticizing the culture of the 1920’s. Using
at least 2-3 specifics from the lesson
 Word webs for the 1920’s – one listing the attributes
of the 1920’s, and one listing the themes/concepts of
the 1920’s. Use at least 4 examples in each.
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Graphic Organizer in which students identify
different forms of intolerance, causes and effects
 Exit Ticket: Assess was the Harlem Renaissance a
revolt or celebration? (one paragraph (5-7
sentences), using at least 3 specific examples from
the lesson)
 Document Based Question Essay: Were the 1920’s a
step forward for the United States
Performance Tasks:
 Graphic Organizers
 Document Analysis
 Scenario analysis
 Writing Assignments
 Exit ticket summary activities
 Document creation (political cartoons)
 DBQ Essay
Student Reflections:
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Exit Tickets
Writing Assignments
Document Creation
Scaffolding Questions based on primary and secondary sources
Graphic Organizers
DBQ Essay
Stage 3: Learning Plan
Instructional Activities and Materials
Aim #1: Why did America experience industrialization and an increase in wealth again in the 1920’s?
Major Ideas:
- Growing ownership and use of automobiles epitomized the “boom” years of the 1920s.
- Philosophies and theories of capitalism: laissez-faire, Social Darwinism, Rugged Individualism
- The role of the automobile, consumerism, buying on credit, Henry Ford, the assembly line and
modern technology
Performance Objectives:
- Analyze the impact of the automobile, consumerism, and modern technology on life in the 1920s.
- Analyze the impact of the philosophies of capitalism on the American economy, politics and society
- Evaluate whether the philosophies of capitalism are good or bad
- Evaluate whether or not the 1920s were a step forward for the United States.
- ACTIVTY: Exit Ticket: Answer the aim in one paragraph 5-7 sentences using at least 3
specific facts from the lesson.
Aim # 2: Did women achieve their goals?
Major Ideas:
- Understanding the women’s rights movement and its development
- The role women played in World War I and how that contributed to the 19th Amendment
- The culture of “flappers”
- The culture of the 1920’s
Performance Objectives: Students will be able to:
- Discuss the importance and development of the women’s rights movement
- Understand the role women played in World War I and how that contributed to the 19th Amendment
- Describe the culture of flappers
- Evaluate the culture of the 1920’s – was it a good or bad culture for America?
- ACTIVITY: Create a political cartoon either celebrating the culture of the 1920’s or criticizing
the culture of the 1920’s. Explain the meaning of cartoon in 2-3 sentences. The political
cartoon should use at least two aspects discussed in the lesson.
Aim # 3: Was the 1920’s an era of prosperity?
Major Ideas:
- New technology, automobile, assemblyline, Henry Ford, new forms of entertainment, consumer
culture
- Will understand the growth of credit
Performance Objectives: Students will be able to:
- Explain and analyze the impact of new technology, the automobile, the role of the assembly-line
- Assess if the growth of credit was good or bad for the country
- Explain and analyze the changing culture of America in the 1920’s
- ACTIVITY: Make two word webs for the 1920’s – one listing the attributes of the 1920’s, and
one listing the themes/concepts of the 1920’s. Use at least 4 examples in each.
Aim # 4: Why was America intolerant in the 1920’s
Major Ideas:
- Nativism, rise of the KKK, Palmer Raids, Red Scare, Religious fundamentalism, Sacco and Vanzetti
Trial, Prohibition, Scopes Monkey Trial.
- The causes and effects of intolerance and anti-immigration
Performance Objectives: Students will be able to:
- Describe and analyze the reasons for intolerance in America during the 1920’s
- Assess why even though America was prospering we were still an intolerant country
- Identify Nativism, rise of the KKK, Palmer Raids, Red Scare, Religious fundamentalism, Sacco and
Vanzetti Trial, Prohibition, Scopes Monkey Trial
- Explain the causes and effects of intolerance in America.
- Assess whether or not Prohibition was a good idea
ACTIVITY: Graphic Organizer in which students identify the five forms of intolerance in the
1920’s and their causes and effects.
Aim #5: Was the Harlem Renaissance a revolt or celebration?
Major Ideas:
- Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North
- Developments in African American culture and cultural expression
Performance Objectives: Students will be able to:
- Explain causes and effects of the Great Migration
- Identify different forms of African American cultural expression and explain their significance
- Identify Langston Hughes, Counte Cullen, Duke Ellington
- Assess whether the Harlem Renaissance was a celebration or a revolt
ACTIVITY: EXIT TICKET: Answer the aim in one paragraph (5-7 sentences), using at least 3
specific examples from the lesson.
Culminating Activity:
DBQ Essay:
Were the 1920’s a step forward for the United States?
Task:
1) Identify at least two changes America experienced during the 1920’s.
2) Analyze the causes and effects of those changes
3) Evaluate: based on your changes, was the 1920’s a step forward for the United States?
Stage 4: Reflection
Teacher Reflection and Planning
 Evaluate exit tickets, graphic organizers, writing assignments, scaffolding questions, and DBQ Essay.
Will use these to review content and vocabulary building, essay writing skills, document analysis
 Will explore test results to look common content and skill errors, as well as document analysis.
 Will explore helpfulness of graphic organizers and writing activities