France in the ‘20s: The Age of Anxiety
Suggested
Time
Block
Schedule –
2 class
periods;
Standard
Schedule –
3 class
periods
Standards Addressed
10.6 – Students analyze the effects of the First World War
California Common Core Content Standards for English
Language Arts and Literacy in Social Studies (see Appendix A)
Topic Outline
Suggested Teaching
Activities
The enormous suffering
and apparent pointlessness
of the Great War left a
deep mark on Western
society. A sense of
disillusionment settled over
the survivors, marked by
insecurity and despair as
reflected in the art,
literature and music of the
era. Students will grapple
with these concepts as
they examine the post-war
years in France and
Germany.
1. Review jazz concepts and ideas
from NEA’s Jazz In The Schools
program.
2. Play selections from the
suggested recording list of French
Jazz. Discuss the differences that
students hear in the music using
the following questions as a guide:
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Suggested Resources
Jazz In France Post World War
One (Digitally Remastered)
(various artists) See Table 1
for recording details.
Does this music represent a
particular kind of jazz?
Are there "sounds" that are
different from what you’ve
heard when listening to earlier
lessons?
If so, where did the sounds
come from, and who were the
early players?
How does this sound
distinguish itself from the
sounds of earlier years, or is
there a distinction?
Does everyone like this type
of music?
What do likes and dislikes
have to do with the definition
of the jazz art form?
2. Review the causes and effects
of WWI with students. Have
Important Points
In literature, in art, in music,
the post-war theme is similar:
abandon tradition, experiment
with the unknown, change the
rules, dare to be different,
innovate, and above all,
expose the sham of western
civilization, a civilization
whose entire system of values
was now perceived as one
without justification.
French Jazz, although very
similar to American Jazz, has
a very distinct sound, with a
slightly different style. It is
important to let the students
experience the differences for
themselves, rather than
pointing them out. Class
discussion on the differences
and possible reasons for the
difference will help the
students better understand
the ways that various and
distinctly different nations
were affected by the horrors
of the war.
The following website contains
an excellent overview of the
students create a web diagram
with the Effects of WWI in the
center.
interwar years and the arts:
http://www.historyguide.org/
europe/lecture8.html
3. Have students read the poem,
MCMXIV by Phillip Larkin
(Appendix C). Discuss ideas of
lost innocence, disillusionment and
post-war insecurity and despair.
4. Listen to more selections from
the suggested list of recordings
and ask students to think about
connections between the music
and the poetry. What does the
music say about the time and
place that the recordings were
made?
5. Have students read other
literary selections that reflect the
sentiments held by the Lost
Generation (Ernest Hemingway,
John Dos Pasos, etc.) (Appendix C)
6. Show students the Power Point,
Art Movements of the Post-WWI
Years. Have students take notes
on their reactions to the pictures
during the presentation. Discuss
their comments.
The following website contains
an excellent overview of the
interwar years and the arts,
including artist and their
works:
http://www.pptpalooza.net/PP
Ts/EHAP/EHAPStudentProjects
7. Assessment – Have students
/RaphaellaWdocument their reflections on post- ModernArtInTheInterWWI France and similarities with
WarYears.ppt#330,67,Slide
today. Can they think of
67
contemporary music, movies, artwork
or literature that reflects current
ideas of loss of innocence, despair
and disillusionment? Their reflections
can be in the form of a written
narrative, or a graphic representation
but should compare and contrast the
two eras.
The Weimar Republic in Post-WWI Germany
Suggested
Time
Block
Schedule –
2 class
periods;
Standard
Schedule –
3 class
periods
Standards Addressed
10.6 – Students analyze the effects of the First World War
10.7 – Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments
after World War I.
10.8 – Students analyze the causes and consequences of
World War II.
California Common Core Content Standards for English
Language Arts and Literacy in Social Studies (see Appendix A)
Topic Outline
Suggested Teaching
Activities
Suggested Resources
Important Points
The enormous suffering and
apparent pointlessness of
the Great War left a deep
mark on Western society.
A sense of disillusionment
settled over the survivors,
marked by insecurity and
despair as reflected in the
art, literature and music of
the era. Students will
grapple with these concepts
as they examine the postwar years in France and
Germany.
1. Review Germany’s role in WWI
and the effects on Germany in the
aftermath of the war. Atina
Grossmann, Professor of History,
Faculty of Humanities and Social
Sciences, Cooper Union, New York,
discusses the impact WWI had on
people's perceptions of their
bodies, the rise of inflation, mass
culture, the machine age in
Weimar Germany and beyond.
Watch the video, courtesy of the
Guggenheim Museum, Aftermath:
The Interwar Years.
http://www.guggenheim.org/
new-york/interact/watch/
past-exhibition-videos/
aftermath
Public dissent and political
activism challenged the
government as the Weimar
Republic faced significant
economic difficulties.
Economic instability which
influenced the spread of jazz
within Germany, created a
cultural void where the jazz
progressed slowly compared
to jazz in France, Britain and
the United States.
2. Play selections from the
suggested recording list of German
Jazz. Discuss the differences that
students hear in the music using
the following questions as a guide:
Hit Parade of German
Orchestras of the 1920s and
1930s (various artists)
See Table 1 for recording
details.
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
Does this music represent a
particular kind of jazz?
Are there other "sounds," that
are different from what they
heard when listening to earlier
lessons?
If so, where did the sounds
come from, and who were the
early players?
The local German jazz artists
generally held a classical
music background, which
carried over into the use of
orchestral instruments
German jazz composition and
performance. The use of
violins, for example, provided
unique timbre in the European
jazz clubs.
With increasing social
pressure to provide music for
popular dances, German
musicians continued to
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
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How does this sound
distinguish itself from the
sounds of earlier years, or is
there a distinction?
Does everyone like this type
of music?
What do likes and dislikes
have to do with the definition
of the jazz art form?
2. Show students samples of
German expressionist surrealism
art, from the Power Point
presentation, The Interwar Years –
An Age of Anxiety.
interpret available jazz sheet
music and additionally sought
American performers to fill
their band ranks.
The Interwar Years – An Age
of Anxiety
http://users.ipfw.edu/gatesb/
H114n.PPT#256,1,The InterWar Years: An Age of Anxiety
3. Discuss the early limitations
that affected the composition and
performance of German Jazz.
Have students listen to more
selections from the suggested list
of recordings and ask students to
think about connections between
the music, the art, and what they
now know about the early days of
the Weimar Republic. What does
the music say about the time and
place that the recordings were
made?
It is important to let the
students experience the
variations for themselves,
initially, rather than pointing
them out. Class discussion on
the differences and possible
reasons will help students
better understand the ways
that various and distinctly
different nations were
affected by the horrors of the
war.
4. Listen to more selections from
the suggested list of recordings
and ask students to think about
connections between the music
and the poetry. What does the
music say about the time and
place that the recordings were
made?
5. There are a number of
excellent German films from this
era including Robert Wiene’s The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) and
Fritz Lang’s magnificent,
Metropolis (1927). Show an
With the continued increase in
foreign performances starting
in 1924, it is important to
note the added variations that
jazz music experienced in
Germany. When German
musicians began to interpret
sheet music, a distinct variety
of German jazz began to
develop. Two strong
characteristics that separated
German jazz from American
jazz were an emphasis on all
beats, and the drum taking on
the prominent roll; the drums
became known as “the jazz”.
Both of these films are
available for instant
streaming from Netflix at
www.netflix.com. They can
also be streamed via
Youtube.
excerpt from one of these or if
time permits, one in its entirety.
6. Assessment – Ask students to
reflect on the following: “Despite
the tremendous suffering faced by
the German people immediately
following WWI, an incredible
outpouring of artistic creativity
marked the years of the Weimar
Republic.” Have students write a
short essay in response to the
question.
Occupied Japan, Post-WWII
Suggested
Time
Block Schedule –
2 class periods;
Standard
Schedule – 3
class periods
Standards Addressed
10.8 – Students analyze the causes and consequences of
World War II.
10.9 – Students analyze the international developments in the
post-World War II World.
California Common Core Content Standards for English
Language Arts and Literacy in Social Studies (see Appendix A)
Topic Outline
Suggested Teaching
Activities
The American Occupation of
Japan initiated not only
structural reform in the nation’s
political, economic, educational,
and social life, but also a period
of intense self-reflection on the
nature and viability of
indigenous Japanese culture.
1. Post the following quote on
the board and ask the students
to consider the author’s
meaning.
“Everything is being
rationalized, to such an
extent that cultured people
around the world now aspire
to the living standard of
American cultural life. This
is a fact that Japan, rising
from the ravages of war and
defeat, and standing as a
cultured country, cannot
ignore.”
Nogawa Koban, 1949
Through official action initiated
by the American occupier, as
well as self-imposed
introspection, Japanese selfconsciously resumed the
interrupted journey toward an
ideal of modernity as defined by
American expectations and
accomplishments.
2. Play selections from the
suggested recording list of
Japanese Jazz, circa 1936 –
1941. Discuss the differences
that students hear in the music
using the following questions as
a guide:


Does this music represent a
particular kind of jazz?
Are there other "sounds,"
that are different from what
Suggested Resources
Important Points
Until August 1945, Japanese
culture itself had been offered
as the foundation for a new
pan-Asian nationalism – a
unique and superior blend of
traditional spirit and modern
science, which promised to
liberate Asia from the
constraints of colonization
(both territorial and cultural)
by the Western powers.
Japanese Jazz & Salon Music,
1936-1941, Vol. 1, 2, 3
(Koichi Suigii) Recommended
selections – “Harusame,”
Dreaming of Home and
Mother,, “Kojo-no-Tsuki,” and
“Marinella”. See Table 1 for
recording details.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=ZfaR9PlxvQM&feature=r
Throughout the war years,
American Jazz had become
increasingly condemned by
Japan’s leaders as a
corrupting American
influence. It is important to
recognize that similarities
between the authoritarian
governments in Germany and
Japan (and Russia as well)
sought to minimize the
influence of American culture,
including attempts at
suppressing jazz. While
unsuccessful in completely
shutting down jazz clubs and
musicians, the creative
oppression is apparent in the
lack of sophistication present
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
they heard when listening to
earlier lessons?
If so, where did the sounds
come from, and who were
the early players?
How does this sound
distinguish itself from the
sounds of earlier years, or is
there a distinction?
Does everyone like this type
of music?
What do likes and dislikes
have to do with the
definition of the jazz art
form?
3. Review with students Japan’s
desire to create a ‘Pacific
Empire’, including move towards
modernity, their need for new
lands to support their growing
population and access to raw
materials to feed their growing
industrialization.
4. Draw a chart on the board,
entitled “Victory in the Pacific”;
write ‘Allies advance within 500
miles of Japan’. Ask students to
come up and add to the list, any
of the things they believe led to
Japan’s surrender. After
students have run out of ideas,
review the list with the class,
adding any additional ideas that
come up.
5. Introduce the word
‘occupation’. In pairs, have
students develop a general
working definition of what they
think occupation might mean.
Have the pairs share out their
ideas, writing down main
concepts on the board. Next,
elated
in the music of the post war
years.
In occupied Japan, standards
established by the Supreme
Commander of the Allied
Powers created policies
regarding everything from
politics to film. American
influence can be seen in
clothing styles, dating
practices, and the role of
women in addition to the
newly drafted constitution.
Japanese Jazz, although
similar to American Jazz, has
a very distinct sound, with a
slightly different style. It is
important to let the students
experience the differences for
themselves, rather than
pointing them out, however
once they have listened, be
sure to point our the
instrumental differences (i.e,
heavy use of accordion and
traditional Japanese stringed
instruments, etc.) Class
discussion on the differences
and possible reasons for the
difference will help the
students better understand
the ways that various and
distinctly different nations
were affected by western
culture and influence.
Early composers, including
Koichi Sugii tried to overcome
jazz music’s controversial
qualities by creating a
‘Japanese sound’. They
reworked ancient Japanese
have students develop a
definition of occupation as it
applies to post-war Japan,
including the identity of the
occupier and why they are
occupying Japan. Remind them
of their list of ideas for “Victory
in the Pacific”.
folk or theatre songs, adding
a jazz rhythm, beat or twist,
and wrote new jazz
compositions that carried
Japanese thematic content
which often closely resembled
well-known traditional
melodies.
6. Show the YouTube clip, The
U.S. Army in Post World War II
Japan - Chapter 2 (4:46)
The U.S. Army in Post World
War II Japan, Chapter 2
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=QRoby0XW0Y&feature=related
7. Play selections from the
suggested list of Japanese Jazz,
recorded during the occupation.
Discuss the differences that
students hear in the music using
the following questions as a
guide:
The Tokyo Riff by Viktor Hot
Club
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=DhdJmEm9Pgk&feature
=related






Does this music represent a
particular kind of jazz?
Are there other "sounds,"
that are different from what
they heard when listening to
earlier lessons?
If so, where did the sounds
come from, and who were
the early players?
How does this sound
distinguish itself from the
sounds of earlier years, or is
there a distinction?
Does this music inspire
ideas of non-conformity?
Why or why not? (think
about the ideas of
occupation)
Compare this to other postwar jazz - What are some of
the differences and
similarities?
Tokyo Shoe Shine Boy by
Teruko Akatsuki
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=nC_jf6FUhU&feature=related
8. If time permits, show the
film, Jazz is my native language:
a portrait of Toshiko Akiyoshi.
9. Assessment - Have students
complete the chart, Appendix
reate a chart that lists the steps
taken by the Supreme
Commander of the Allied Powers
to change Japan’s government
and economy, and the results of
those steps; finally, ask them to
draw a conclusion about the
effects of U.S. occupation, using
what they have read, listened to
and watched. Finally, ask
students to turn their chart into a
narrative that presents their
ideas and conclusions.
Jazz is my native language
[videorecording] : a portrait
of Toshiko Akiyoshi /
produced and directed by
Renée Cho.
Imprint: San Francisco, CA :
Distributed by CrossCurrent
Media, NAATA, [National
Asian American
Telecommunications
Association], c1997.
Chart found in Appendix D