The 1920s
A Unit Plan
Written By
Mike Mazzie
Fall 2004
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Curriculum Standards
Curriculum Grid
Grading Rationale
Grade Tracker
Lesson Plan 1 – Intro/Postwar Troubles
Lesson Plan 2 – Republicans in Power
Lesson Plan 3 – A Nation Divided
Lesson Plan 4 – Life in the 20s
Lesson Plan 5 – Creative Era
Appendices
Appendix 1-1 “A Turbulent Decade” Graphic Organizer
Appendix 1-2 “The Jazz Age” Graphic Organizer
Appendix 1-3 Primary Source Analysis
Appendix 2-1 Drawing Conclusions Skill Worksheet
Appendix 2-2 Chapter 11 Review Worksheet
Appendix 2-3 Chapter 11 Quiz 1
Appendix 2-4 Chapter 11 Quiz 2
Appendix 2-5 Chapter 11 Quiz 3
Appendix 3-1 Rubrics for Presentations/Posters
Appendix 4-1 Chapter 12 Review Worksheet
Appendix 4-2 Chapter 12 Quiz 1
Appendix 4-3 Chapter 12 Quiz 2
Appendix 4-4 Chapter 12 Quiz 3
Appendix 5-1 Langston Hughes Excerpts
Appendix 5-2 James Weldon Johnson Excerpts
Appendix 5-3 Claude McKay Excerpts
Appendix 5-4 Countee Cullen Excerpts
Appendix 5-5 Claude McKay Excerpts #2
Appendix 5-6 Zora Neale Hurston Excerpts
Appendix 6-1 Final Assessment
References
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2
INTRODUCTION
This unit will cover the time period known as the “Roaring 20s”.
The 1920s have been called the “gateway to a modern America” and
students will learn how the United States moved from a war machine
to a prosperous nation at peace in the world. However the world
peace was shaky and the glittering life of the era masked an
underlying fear at home. Fear of communism, immigrants, and
minorities arose as the cultural and social norms were challenged by
men and women of all walks of life. On the economic front, war
weary voters wanted “normalcy” and elected Republican leaders who
promised a return to the normal life as well as a promise for more
promotion of big business by the government. Technology was
rapidly changing both the business world and the consumer world as
the assembly line helped churn out the latest invention: the
automobile. A mass culture developed, fueled by radio and a
“renaissance” in Harlem led by African American artists, musicians,
and writers. All of the good times were to come crashing down by the
end of the decade when the economy collapsed.
Through the lessons presented here, students will gain an
appreciation and understanding of the era including its relevance and
similarities to modern history. There will be lectures, class
discussion, group activities, written assignments, quizzes and a final
test that includes objective as well as essay questions.
This time period is full of fascinating events and people, and
ideally, students will have fun as they relive the Jazz Age.
3
CURRICULUM STANDARDS
11.2 Students analyze the relationship among the rise of industrialization, large-scale rural-to-urban
migration, and massive immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.
1.
Know the effects of industrialization on living and working conditions, including the portrayal of
working conditions and food safety in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle.
2.
Describe the changing landscape, including the growth of cities linked by industry and trade, and
the development of cities divided according to race, ethnicity, and class.
11.3 Students analyze the role religion played in the founding of America, its lasting moral, social,
and political impacts, and issues regarding religious liberty.
11.5 Students analyze the major political, social, economic, technological, and cultural
developments of the 1920s.
1.
Discuss the policies of Presidents Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover.
2.
Analyze the international and domestic events, interests, and philosophies that prompted attacks
on civil liberties, including the Palmer Raids, Marcus Garvey's "back-to-Africa" movement, the Ku
Klux Klan, and immigration quotas and the responses of organizations such as the American Civil
Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the AntiDefamation League to those attacks.
3.
Examine the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the Volstead Act
(Prohibition).
4.
Analyze the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment and the changing role of women in society.
5.
Describe the Harlem Renaissance and new trends in literature, music, and art, with special
attention to the work of writers (e.g., Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes).
6.
Trace the growth and effects of radio and movies and their role in the worldwide diffusion of popular
culture.
7.
Discuss the rise of mass production techniques, the growth of cities, the impact of new
technologies (e.g., the automobile, electricity), and the resulting prosperity and effect on the
American landscape.
4
CURRICULUM GRID
Content Standards
Lesson
1
Lesson
2
11.2.2 Students analyze the relationship
among the rise of industrialization, large-scale
rural-to-urban migration, and massive
immigration from Southern and Eastern
Europe.
Lesson
4
XX
11.5.1 Discuss the policies of Presidents
Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and
Herbert Hoover
XX
XX
XX
11.5.3 Examine the passage of the Eighteenth
Amendment to the Constitution and the
Volstead Act (Prohibition).
XX
XX
11.5.4 Analyze the passage of the Nineteenth
Amendment and the changing role of women
in society.
XX
XX
11.5.5 Describe the Harlem Renaissance and
new trends in literature, music, and art, with
special attention to the work of writers (e.g.,
Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes).
11.5.6 Trace the growth and effects of radio
and movies and their role in the worldwide
diffusion of popular culture.
11.5.7 Discuss the rise of mass production
techniques, the growth of cities, the impact of
new technologies (e.g., the automobile,
electricity), and the resulting prosperity and
effect on the American landscape.
Lesson
5
XX
11.3 Students analyze the role religion played
in the founding of America, its lasting moral,
social, and political impacts, and issues
regarding religious liberty.
11.5.2 Analyze the international and domestic
events, interests, and philosophies that
prompted attacks on civil liberties, including
the Palmer Raids, Marcus Garvey's "back-toAfrica" movement, the Ku Klux Klan, and
immigration quotas and the responses of
organizations such as the American Civil
Liberties Union, the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People, and the
Anti-Defamation League to those attacks.
Lesson
3
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
XX
5
GRADING RATIONALE
Learning and demonstrating competency about history can take a variety of
forms. I believe that a core of knowledge is necessary for the understanding of historical
events. Therefore in my classroom, the student will be expected to know what happened
but also will be expected to explain how and why these events happened. Finally, the
student will be able to evaluate and assess the meaning of historical events during the
time in which they occurred and the trends and impacts for the future. In this way, the
student will come to a full and appreciative understanding of history.
This class will be more than lecture. The student will have opportunity for
participation in discussions, role plays and debates. The student will be asked to write
both factual and creative papers as well as journals. And finally the student will be
exposed to a variety of visual and audio media to enhance their view of history. Testing
and evaluation will be based on a variety of methods to allow each individual the chance
to showcase their strengths. However, as mentioned there is a core of knowledge that the
student is expected to comprehend.
All students will be expected to maintain a respectful environment in the
classroom where ideas and issues can be freely discussed. This is extremely important
and will be reflected in the participation grade.
6
GRADING TRACKER
A = 90 – 100% of total points
B = 80 – 89%
C = 70 – 79%
D = 60 = 69 %
F = 59% and below
Assignment
Drawing Conclusions
Primary Source Analysis
Nation Divided Essay
Creative Era Project
Class Participation
Group Presentation
Peer Evaluations
Facts Quizzes (6)
Final Assessment
TOTAL
Number of Points
15
15
15
50
50
50
20
60
75
350
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT WORK




Your participation in discussions on history is extremely important. One of the
best ways to understand historical concepts is to analyze and discuss them.
In light of the goal for class participation, you should understand that any
disrespect in the classroom will not be tolerated. I expect students to listen to
their peers without making inappropriate jokes or comments. Part of your grade
for participation includes your listening skills. Points will be deducted if this
occurs. If the problem continues, you will be serving class or school detention.
Late work will only be worth 50% of original amount at most.
Extra credit is only available if all the work is turned. The purpose of extra credit
is to provide an opportunity to add on to your grade, not to make up for missing
assignments.
7
LESSON #1 – UNIT INTRO/POSTWAR TROUBLES
Teacher: Mr. Mazzie
Subject Area: US History
Grade Level: 11
Unit Title: 1920s
Lesson Title: Unit Introduction / Postwar Troubles
Overview: In this lesson, the students will be introduced to the 1920s using KWL
interaction and graphic organizers. The lesson will touch on post-World War I troubles
in the US using lecture.
Connection to the Curriculum: History
Connection to Standards:11.5.2
Time: 60 minutes
Materials/Equipment Required: Graphic Organizer handouts for “Decade of Disorder”
and “A Decade of Change”. Textbook: The American Nation in the 20th Century
Objectives: The learner will be able to
1. Describe economic conditions after World War I
2. Identify how workers reacted to hard times
3. Explain why many Americans feared a communist revolution
Suggested Procedure
Opening: Ask student volunteers to review the changes that took place on the home front
during WWI. Also ask students to review what life was like prior to WWI especially the
dominance of rural life and the hopes for WWI. Then lead the discussion to the fact that
the upcoming chapter will look at how the US made the transition from war to peace.
Use the “KWL” approach to the 1920s and list on the board responses from the students
about what already know about the 1920s. Find out what they might want to learn about
this period and list those items on the board.
Development:
8



Two graphic organizers will be distributed. The first is entitled “Decade of
Disorder” (See Appendix 1-1) and the second is “A Decade of Change” (See
Appendix 1-2). Students will fill these organizers in as the unit progresses.
Ask for a student volunteer to read the “Understanding the Main Idea” for
Chapter 11 in their textbook. Discuss what the term “normalcy” might mean and
the different interpretations of that word that different groups, such as African
Americans, immigrants, demobilized white soldiers, might have.
Have students get into groups of 3 to discuss and answer the following “themes”
questions. Allow 5-7 minutes for group discussion, then 10-15 minutes for class
discussion
1. How might a democratic government respond to a perceived threat of
revolution?
2. In what ways might ethnic and racial groups respond to acts of
discrimination?
3. What actions should the federal government take to promote economic
prosperity?



Vocabulary: preview people, places, and terms such as demobilization, normalcy,
Red Scare, A. Mitchell Palmer, Emma Goldman, Seattle WA, Blair Mountain
labor uprising, Boston MA, Ole Hanson, Edwin Curtis, Emma Goldman (10
minutes)
Lecture and discussion on the postwar economic troubles, demobilization, labor
issues, Red Scare. Tie in Red Scare to the current War on Terrorism and Patriot
Act. Use Venn Diagram to compare and contrast. (15 minutes)
Primary Source Analysis: Students individually read the primary source excerpts
shown in Appendix 1-3 and in writing answer the question listed. (10 minutes)
Closing: Ask for students to recall three things they learned in the lesson.
Student Assessment: Informal assessment via question asking. In addition, the primary
source analysis is a form of assessment.
Extending the Lesson: For homework, students will read Section 1 in Chapter 11 of the
textbook.
Additional Resources:
9
LESSON #2 – REPUBLICANS IN POWER
Teacher: Mr. Mazzie
Subject Area: US History
Grade Level: 11
Unit Title: 1920s
Lesson Title: Republicans in Power
Overview : This lesson will focus on details of the Republican presidents of the 1920s,
their scandals, policies, and effectiveness. A PowerPoint presentation and analysis of
Harding scandals will be done.
Connection to the Curriculum: History, English
Connection to Standards: 11.5.1
Time: 30 minutes
Materials/Equipment Required: Textbook: The American Nation in the 20th Century.
Computer and overhead projector for PowerPoint presentation.
Objectives: The learner will be able to
1.
2.
3.
4.
Explain why voters chose Republican presidents in the 1920s
Analyze how the economy fared under Republican leadership
Assess the Republican presidencies of the 1920s
Describe some effects of Republican pro-business policies
Suggested Procedure
Opening: Write “Bill Clinton” on the board (or George W. Bush). Have students write
down their rating for the president’s performance (good, fair, poor) and list reasons for
their rating. Ask for volunteers to explain their rating and criteria. Based on class input,
develop a general list of criteria for evaluating a president and then tell students to use
this list and rate the presidents of the 1920s.
Development:

PowerPoint presentation including vocabulary covering Harding, normalcy,
Cooldige, Andrew Mellon, Teapot Dome, American Plan, mergers,
presidential elections, Hoover (15 minutes)
10

Students will work individually on Social Studies Skills Worksheet 11 (see
Appendix 2-1) – Drawing Conclusions regarding Harding administration
scandals. (15 minutes)
Closing: Have students fill in graphic organizers for topics discussed in lessons 1 and 2.
Student Assessment/Extending the Lesson: The Skills worksheet will be collected at
the end of class. For homework, students will read Sections 2 and 3 in Chapter 11 of the
textbook. Quiz show in Appendix 2-2 will be given at the start of the following day.
Additional Resources:
11
LESSON #3 – A NATION DIVIDED
Teacher: Mr. Mazzie
Subject Area: US History
Grade Level: 11
Unit Title: 1920s
Lesson Title: A Nation Divided
Overview: Using jigsaw cooperative learning groups, students will learn about issues
that divided the nation in the 20s. Each group will study/research a separate issue from
the following:
1. Red Scare/Immigration: Sacco and Vanzetti Trial
2. Black Migration/Nationalism: Garvey vs. DuBois
3. Fundamentalism: Scopes Trial
4. Women: 19th Amendment/ERA/Flappers
5. Native Americans/Mexican Americans
6. KKK Revival
7. Prohibition
After studying/researching the issue, each group will then teach their topic to the class
using skits, lecture, or other method of their choice. A poster will be required from each
group that will be hung in class. Presentations will be peer evaluated as well as teacher
evaluated.
Connection to the Curriculum: US History
Connection to Standards: 11.2.2, 11.3, 11.5.2, 11.5.3, 11.5.4
Time: 3.5 hours spread out over 3 class periods: 65 minutes class 1, 90 minutes class 2,
50-70 minutes class 3
Materials/Equipment Required: Computer tech lab for additional Internet research,
American Century with Peter Jennings – 1920s video tape, colored pens/markers,
drawing paper.
Objectives: The learner will be able to
1. Describe how Native Americans and Mexican Americans responded to
discrimination
2. Summarize factors that led to black nationalism in the 1920s
3. Analyze the revival of the Ku Klux Klan and immigration laws
4. Describe the changing ways of women in the 1920s including equal rights
5. Interpret the impact of the Sacco and Vanzetti case
12
6. Compare and contrast the debates over prohibition and fundamentalism
Suggested Procedure
Opening: Ask students to name some of the divisions within American society today and
then speculate why some of these same divisions may have existed in the 1920s?
Development:
Day 1






Students will be put into 7 groups. Each group will research one issue and present
to class in a 5-10 minute presentation. Each group will be required to create a
poster for their issue that will be hung in class. (Group assignments and
discussion of project: 5 minutes)
First half of period will be in the tech lab for research (40 minutes)
For the remainder of this class period students will work in class on their
assignments while I circulate to each group for assistance. (20 minutes)
Check for Understanding of project as a class (2 minutes)
Lecture and discussion on celebrities and heroes. Show first part of video on
1920s. (18 minutes). This is actually part of “Lesson 4”.
Closing:
Day 2



First half of period will be in the tech lab for research (40 minutes)
For the remainder of this class period students will work in class on their
assignments while I circulate to each group for assistance. (40 minutes)
Closing:
Day 3



Presentations by each group and hanging of posters (50-70 minutes)
Students will evaluate their peers presentations/posters using the rubrics shown in
Appendix 3-1.
Go to Lesson 4 for remainder of period
Closing: Have students return to their original groups of 3 to re-visit, discuss and
answer the following “themes” questions.
1. What steps did the federal government take during the 1920s to reduce the
perceived threat of revolution?
2. In what ways did Native Americans, African Americans and Mexican Americans
respond to discrimination?
3. How did Republican pro-business policies attempt to stimulate the economy?
13
Student Assessment: The project/presentation will be graded according to rubric shown
in Appendix 3-1. In addition, the information presented will be part of a quiz.
Extending the Lesson: Use the seven sentence essay format to write an expository
response to the concept of a Nation Divided in the 1920s – the essay can address any one
of the topics presented. For homework, students will read Section 1 and 2 of Chapter 12
in the textbook.
Additional Resources:

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
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
Marcus Garvey info: http://www.isop.ucla.edu/africa/mgpp/
Sacco/Vanzetti Trial:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/SaccoV/SaccoV.htm
Scopes Trial: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm
History Channel video tapes on Scopes Trial and Sacco and Vanzetti trial.
Pacifism vs. Patriotism in 1920s women’s movement:
http://womhist.binghamton.edu/teacher/milit.htm
14
LESSON #4 – LIFE IN THE 20s
Teacher: Mr. Mazzie
Subject Area: US History
Grade Level: 11
Unit Title: 1920s
Lesson Title: Life in the 20s
Overview: This lesson will cover a broad spectrum of life in the 1920s. There will be
discussion comparing many of the aspects of 1920s life with modern life, a documentary
video will be shown and students will work in groups to discuss and analyze life in the
1920s in terms of prosperity/productivity, changes in work (assembly line), creating
consumerism, the land of automobiles, and the use of entertainment (radio, celebrities,
heroes) .
Connection to the Curriculum: US History
Connection to Standards: 11.5.6, 11.5.7
Time: 90 minutes
Materials/Equipment Required: Computer tech lab for additional Internet research,
American Century with Peter Jennings – 1920s video tape, colored pens/markers,
drawing paper.
Objectives: The learner will be able to
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
List the factors that led to the economic boom of the 1920s
Identify the processes that changed work habits during the 1920s
Describe how the automobile affected American life
Analyze the development of consumerism
List the most popular forms of entertainment during the 1920s
Suggested Procedure
Opening: Ask students how and in what forms advertising influences their lives today.
Show examples of 1920s ads as well as older and more current ads and discuss the
changes in advertising.
Development:
15

Have students get into groups of 3 to discuss and answer the following “themes”
questions. Allow 5-7 minutes for group discussion, then 10-15 minutes for class
discussion
1. How might increased consumer spending help improve a nation’s
economy?
2. How might new technology transform people’s lives?
3. How might the cultural traditions of a particular area or group conflict
with or contribute to a national culture?




Show American Century video, 1920s section. (total of 45 minutes – some shown
during lesson 3)
Have students read out loud the “Changing Ways: Hitting The Road” excerpt
from the textbook (p. 305). Next ask students for the positive and negative effects
of the automobile during the 1920s and beyond. Create a word web/mind map on
the board using student input.
Do a comparison (Venn diagram) of women’s dress and behavior in the 1920s vs.
today.
Discuss role of heroes, entertainers, sports figures in the 1920s and draw
comparisons to today.
Closing: In groups, students analyze and respond to the statement that the 1920s are “the
gateway to modern America.” Specific examples must be given to support the statement.
Student Assessment: Chapter 12 Quiz 2.
Extending the Lesson: For homework, students will read Section 3 of Chapter 12 in the
textbook.
Additional Resources:
16
LESSON #5 – A CREATIVE ERA
Teacher: Mr. Mazzie
Subject Area: US History
Grade Level: 11
Unit Title: 1920s
Lesson Title: A Creative Era
Overview: This lesson will cover the creative arts of the 1920s including music/dance,
the Lost Generation, and mainly the Harlem Renaissance. Selected literature will be read
and analyzed and an expository paper will be written.
Connection to the Curriculum: US History, English
Connection to Standards: 11.3, 11.5.5
Time: 90 minutes
Materials/Equipment Required: Hand outs of writings from Harlem Renaissance and
Lost Generation authors. CDs from Jazz Age musicians. Textbook: The American
Nation in the 20th Century.
Objectives: The learner will be able to:
1. Explain how African Americans contributed to the arts during the Harlem
Renaissance
2. Identify key African American writers and musicians
3. Identify the Lost Generation of writers and how they got their name
4. Compare and contrast the Harlem Renaissance with the Lost Generation
Suggested Procedure
Opening: Play CDs of jazz age music. Discuss how music, art and literature can set the
tone for a generation – 60s, grunge, punk, etc.
Development:

Activate prior knowledge by discussing the northern migration of African
Americans and its influence on the growth and development of Harlem. Students
examine a map showing the African American population of the United States in
1910 and draw conclusions regarding the economic and social motivation for
movement. What impact did World War I have on the growth of American cities?
17
Where did the majority of Americans live by 1920? Why was there an increase in
urban population? Where did most African American migrants settle? Why did
African Americans congregate in specific areas of major northern cities? (5-10
minutes)

Divide the class into five groups and have each group read a different biographic
sketch of a Harlem Renaissance poet (Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson,
Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen) and one of his works included on the
handout (see Appendices 5-1 thru 5-5). Each group selects a student to read the
poem to the class. Instruct the remainder of the class to listen carefully and to
reflect on the feelings expressed in each reading. Then within groups have
students discuss such questions as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What were the author's intentions?
In what ways did the selected poems reflect the history of the period?
What was the central message of each poem?
Which of the poems imparted a desire to remedy inequality?
Are there any universal messages in these selected works?

Students should read "My People! My People!" (Appendix 7) and discuss the
arguments Hurston presents in the essay. Compare and contrast Hurston's writing
to that of Claude McKay. (45 minutes for both above)

Discuss Lost Generation – use excerpt from Hemingway or Fitzgerald. (15
minutes)
Closing: Have students return to their original groups of 3 to re-visit, discuss and answer
the following “themes” questions.
1. How did advertising, merchandising, and installment buying help the nation’s
economy in the 1920s?
2. How did new technology affect Americans’ lives at work and at home?
3. How did the mass media help preserve ethnic culture?
Students should also complete their graphic organizers.
Student Assessment: As a homework assignment, have each student write an essay
comparing any two of the selections from the point of view of one of the above questions.
Essays to be collected the following day. Chapter 12 Quiz 3.
Extending the Lesson:
Additional Resources:
18
Appendix 1-1
19
20
Appendix 1-2
21
22
Appendix 1-3
Our object...is to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world
as against selfish and autocratic power....We are glad...to fight...for the ultimate
peace of the world and for the liberation of its peoples, the German peoples
included: for the right of nations great and small and the privilege of men
everywhere to choose their way of life and of obedience. The world must be made
safe for democracy....We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no
dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the
sacrifices we shall freely make....
It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war....We shall fight for the
things which we have always carried nearest our hearts,--for democracy, for the
right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own Governments, for
the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a
concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the
world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes,
everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who
know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her
might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she
has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.
President Wilson's war message, April, 1917
Never forget that this league is primarily...a political organization, and I object
strongly to having the politics of the United States turn upon disputes where deep
feeling is aroused but in which we have no direct interest. It will tend to delay the
Americanization of our great population....We have interests of our own in Asia and
in the Pacific which we must guard upon our own account, but the less we undertake
to play the part of umpire and thrust ourselves into European conflicts the better for
the United States and the world.
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, 1919, on the League of Nations
To what extent was America's war a war for business? Did Woodrow Wilson lead
America into war in order to serve the selfish interests of the few? The answer is
determined by looking into the essential facts. In the first place, Wall Street wanted
war.
John Kenneth Turner, 1922
Every disloyal native-born American should be disfranchised and interned. It is time
to strike our enemies at home heavily and quickly.
Theodore Roosevelt, 1917
People...ask questions which involve the reasons for my acts against the "Reds." I
have been asked...to what extent deportation will check radicalism in this country.
Why no ask what will become of the United States Government if these alien
radicals...carry out the principles of the Communist Party?
23
In place of the United States Government we should have the horror and terrorism of
Bolshevik tyranny such as is destroying Russia now....The whole purpose of
communism appears to be a mass formation of the criminals of the world to
overthrow the decencies of private life, to usurp property....
A. Mitchell Palmer, 1920, on the Red Scare
This indictment is founded wholly upon the publication of two leaflets....The
first....says that the President's cowardly silence about the intervention in Russia
reveals the hypocrisy of the plutocratic gang in Washington....It says that there is
only one enemy of the workers of the world and that is capitalism....The other
leaflet...says..."Workers in the ammunition factories, you are producing bullets,
bayonets, cannon, to murder not only the Germans, but also your dearest, best, who
are in Russia and are fighting for freedom"....
The United States constitutionally may punish speech that produces or is intended to
produce a clear and imminent danger that it will bring about forthwith certain
substantive evils that the United States constitutionally may seek to prevent. The
power undoubtedly is greater in time of war than in time of peace because war opens
dangers that do not exist at other times....
It is only the present danger of immediate evil or an intent to bring it about that
warrants Congress in setting a limit to the expression of opinion where private rights
are not concerned. Congress certainly cannot forbid all effort to change the mind of
the county....
When men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come to
believe...that the ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas....I
think that we should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of
opinions that we loathe and believe to be fraught with death, unless they so
imminently threaten immediate interference with the lawful and pressing purposes of
the law that an immediate check is required to save the country.
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, dissenting opinion in Abrams et al. v. U.S.
1. What questions of loyalty and civil liberties were raised by the war?
24
Appendix 2-1
25
26
APPENDIX 2-2
27
28
APPENDIX 2-3
29
APPENDIX 2-4
30
APPENDIX 2-5
31
APPENDIX 3-1
Making A Poster : 1920s - A Nation Divided
Teacher Name: Mr. Mazzie
Student Name:
________________________________________
CATEGORY
Content - Accuracy
4
At least 7 accurate
facts are displayed on
the poster.
Knowledge Gained
Student can
accurately answer all
questions related to
facts in the poster.
2
3-4 accurate facts are
displayed on the
poster.
1
Less than 3 accurate
facts are displayed on
the poster.
Student can
accurately answer
most questions
related to facts in the
poster.
Graphics - Originality Several of the
One or two of the
graphics used on the graphics used on the
poster reflect a
poster reflect student
exceptional degree of creativity in their
student creativity in
creation and/or
their creation and/or display.
display.
Graphics - Relevance All graphics are
All graphics are
related to the topic
related to the topic
and make it easier to and most make it
understand. All
easier to understand.
borrowed graphics
All borrowed graphics
have a source
have a source
citation.
citation.
Student can
accurately answer
about 75% of
questions related to
facts in the poster.
The graphics are
made by the student,
but are based on the
designs or ideas of
others.
Student appears to
have insufficient
knowledge about the
facts.
All graphics relate to
the topic. Most
borrowed graphics
have a source
citation.
Graphics do not relate
to the topic OR
several borrowed
graphics do not have
a source citation.
Attractiveness
The poster is
acceptably attractive
though it may be a bit
messy.
The poster is
distractingly messy or
very poorly designed.
It is not attractive.
Grammar
The poster is
exceptionally
attractive in terms of
design, layout, and
neatness.
There are no
grammatical mistakes
on the poster.
3
5-6 accurate facts are
displayed on the
poster.
The poster is
attractive in terms of
design, layout and
neatness.
No graphics made by
the student are
included.
There is 1
There are 2
There are more than
grammatical mistake grammatical mistakes 2 grammatical
on the poster.
on the poster.
mistakes on the
poster.
Date Created: Nov 29, 2004 03:47 pm (CST)
32
Collaborative Work Skills : A Nation Divided
Teacher Name: Mr. Mazzie
Student Name:
________________________________________
CATEGORY
Contributions
4
Routinely provides
useful ideas when
participating in the
group and in
classroom discussion.
A definite leader who
contributes a lot of
effort.
3
Usually provides
useful ideas when
participating in the
group and in
classroom discussion.
A strong group
member who tries
hard!
2
Sometimes provides
useful ideas when
participating in the
group and in
classroom discussion.
A satisfactory group
member who does
what is required.
1
Rarely provides
useful ideas when
participating in the
group and in
classroom discussion.
May refuse to
participate.
Working with Others
Almost always listens
to, shares with, and
supports the efforts of
others. Tries to keep
people working well
together.
Usually listens to,
shares, with, and
supports the efforts of
others. Does not
cause "waves" in the
group.
Often listens to,
shares with, and
supports the efforts of
others, but sometimes
is not a good team
member.
Rarely listens to,
shares with, and
supports the efforts of
others. Often is not a
good team player.
Time-management
Routinely uses time
well throughout the
project to ensure
things get done on
time. Group does not
have to adjust
deadlines or work
responsibilities
because of this
person's
procrastination.
Consistently stays
focused on the task
and what needs to be
done. Very selfdirected.
Usually uses time well
throughout the
project, but may have
procrastinated on one
thing. Group does not
have to adjust
deadlines or work
responsibilities
because of this
person's
procrastination.
Focuses on the task
and what needs to be
done most of the
time. Other group
members can count
on this person.
Tends to
procrastinate, but
always gets things
done by the
deadlines. Group
does not have to
adjust deadlines or
work responsibilities
because of this
person's
procrastination.
Focuses on the task
and what needs to be
done some of the
time. Other group
members must
sometimes nag, prod,
and remind to keep
this person on-task.
Rarely gets things
done by the deadlines
AND group has to
adjust deadlines or
work responsibilities
because of this
person's inadequate
time management.
Provides work of the
highest quality.
Provides high quality Provides work that
work.
occasionally needs to
be checked/redone by
other group members
to ensure quality.
Focus on the task
Quality of Work
Rarely focuses on the
task and what needs
to be done. Lets
others do the work.
Provides work that
usually needs to be
checked/redone by
others to ensure
quality.
Date Created: Nov 29, 2004 03:52 pm (CST)
33
Oral Presentation Rubric : A Nation Divided
Teacher Name: Mr. Mazzie
Student Name:
CATEGORY
Content
________________________________________
4
Shows a full
understanding of the
topic.
Student is completely
prepared and has
obviously rehearsed.
3
Shows a good
understanding of the
topic.
Student seems pretty
prepared but might
have needed a couple
more rehearsals.
2
Shows a good
understanding of
parts of the topic.
The student is
somewhat prepared,
but it is clear that
rehearsal was lacking.
1
Does not seem to
understand the topic
very well.
Student does not
seem at all prepared
to present.
Evaluates Peers
Fills out peer
evaluation completely
and always gives
scores based on the
presentation rather
than other factors
(e.g., person is a
close friend).
Fills out almost all of
the peer evaluation
and always gives
scores based on the
presentation rather
than other factors
(e.g., person is a
close friend).
Fills out most of the
peer evaluation and
always gives scores
based on the
presentation rather
than other factors
(e.g., person is a
close friend).
Fills out most of the
peer evaluation but
scoring appears to be
biased.
Enthusiasm
Facial expressions
and body language
generate a strong
interest and
enthusiasm about the
topic in others.
Facial expressions
and body language
sometimes generate a
strong interest and
enthusiasm about the
topic in others.
Facial expressions
and body language
are used to try to
generate enthusiasm,
but seem somewhat
faked.
Very little use of facial
expressions or body
language. Did not
generate much
interest in topic being
presented.
Listens to Other
Presentations
Listens intently. Does Listens intently but
not make distracting has one distracting
noises or movements. noise or movement.
Sometimes does not Sometimes does not
appear to be listening appear to be listening
but is not distracting. and has distracting
noises or movements.
Comprehension
Student is able to
accurately answer
almost all questions
posed by classmates
about the topic.
Student is able to
accurately answer a
few questions posed
by classmates about
the topic.
Preparedness
Student is able to
accurately answer
most questions posed
by classmates about
the topic.
Student is unable to
accurately answer
questions posed by
classmates about the
topic.
Date Created: Nov 29, 2004 03:58 pm (CST)
34
APPENDIX 4-1
35
36
APPENDIX 4-2
37
APPENDIX 4-3
38
APPENDIX 4-4
39
APPENDIX 5-1
LANGSTON HUGHES
James Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was an African American poet, essayist, novelist,
playwright, and journalist. Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri and lived for a time with
his grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas. Her first husband died at Harpers Ferry fighting
for John Brown and her second husband, Langston’s grandfather, was an ardent
abolitionist. Throughout his life Langston Hughes recognized his grandmother for
instilling in him a devotion to social justice. After her death, he lived with his mother in
Illinois and later joined his father in Mexico. In 1921 he attended Columbia University
for a year but became disillusioned and took various jobs as a seaman and traveled to
Africa and Europe. Returning to the United States he worked at odd jobs in Washington,
D.C. before moving to Harlem. Although a prolific writer, Hughes is best known for his
poems which expressed the anguish of unfulfilled promises of full participation in
American democracy. He published thirteen volumes of poetry, numerous works of
fiction, a history of the NAACP, an autobiography, a dozen children’s books, patriotic
songs written during World War II, and translated works from French and Spanish.
Hughes became a leader of the Harlem Renaissance and is often called “the poet laureate
of Harlem.
His poem, “I, Too”, written as a response to Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing”,
is an affirmation that African Americans will achieve equality in American society.
I, TOO
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
.
40
APPENDIX 5-2
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON
James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) was a writer, promoter of African American arts,
and a civil rights leader. Johnson attended Atlanta University and graduated in 1894,
practiced law in Florida in 1897, and was the first African American lawyer admitted to
the Florida bar since Reconstruction. He traveled widely and was fluent in several
languages. He was devoted to education and followed his mother’s career as a teacher
working in Harlem. Johnson promoted educational opportunities for African Americans
in his native Florida and served as a principal of a black school in Jacksonville. He was a
man of many talents. He was in the foreign service as consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua
during the Theodore Roosevelt administration. Between 1916 and 1930 Johnson worked
for the NAACP; first as a field secretary, and between 1920 and 1930 as executive
secretary of the organization. During his leadership, the NAACP assumed an active
strategy to end segregation in housing, promote anti-lynching legislation, and improve
the criminal justice system.
During the 1920s, Johnson helped shape the course of African American literature and
became one of the leading figures of the Harlem Renaissance. His novel, The
Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man was one of the most influential books of its time.
In addition he wrote poetry, translated libretti for the Metropolitan Opera, and worked
with his brother, John Rosamond Johnson, writing lyrics for Broadway musicals, popular
songs and comic opera. His best know song is “Lift Every Voice and Sing” which has
become an anthem for African Americans.
O BLACK AND UNKNOWN BARDS
O black and unknown bards of long ago,
How came your lips to touch the sacred fire?
How, in your darkness, did you come to know
The power and beauty of the minstrel’s lyre?
Who first from midst his bonds lifted his eyes?
Who first from out the still watch, one and long,
Feeling the ancient faith of prophets rise
Within his dark-kept soul, burst into song?
Heart of what slave poured out such melody
As “Steal away to Jesus”? On its strains
His spirit must have nightly floated free,
Though still about his hands he felt his chains.
Who heard great “Jordon roll”? Whose starward eye
Saw chariot “swing low”? And who was he
That breathed that comforting, melodic sigh,
“Nobody knows de trouble I see”?
41
What merely living clod, what captive thing,
Could up toward God through all its darkness grope,
And find within its deadened heart to sing
These songs of sorrow, love and faith, and hope?
How did it catch that subtle undertone,
That note in music heard not with the ears?
How sound the elusive reed so seldom blown.
Which stirs the soul or melts the heart to tears.
Not that great German master in his dream
Of harmonies that thundered amongst the stars
At the creation, ever heard a theme
Nobler than “Go down Moses.” Mark its bars
How like a mighty trumpet-call they stir
The blood. Such are the notes that men have sung
Going to valorous deeds; such tones there were
That helped make history when Time was young.
There is a wide, wide wonder in it all,
That from degraded rest and servile toil
The fiery spirit of the seer should call
These simple children of the sun and soil.
O black slave singers, gone, forgot, unfamed,
You—you alone, of all the long, long line
Of those who’ve sung untaught, unknown, unnamed,
Have stretched out upward, seeking the divine.
You sang not deeds of heroes or of kings;
No chant of bloody war, no exulting paean
Of arms-won triumphs; but your humblestrings
You touched in chord with music empyrean.
You sang far better than you knew; the songs
That for your listeners’ hungry hearts sufficed
Still live,—but more than this to you belongs:
You sang a race from wood and stone to Christ.
42
APPENDIX 5-3
CLAUDE MCKAY
Claude McKay (1890-1948) was a Jamaican-born poet who came to the United States in
1912. As a young man in Jamaica he had a reputation as an accomplished poet with the
publication of two volumes of Jamaican dialect verse. On arriving in the United States,
McKay attended Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and later Kansas State Teachers College.
He was a regular contributor to the Liberator, a leading avant-garde journal. He published
two volumes of poetry in the early 1920s, Spring in New Hampshire and Harlem
Shadows which established his reputation as one of the literary leaders of the Harlem
Renaissance.
Disillusioned with racism in the United States, McKay left the country in 1922 and spent
a year in the Soviet Union before traveling to France, Spain, and Morocco. He returned to
New York in 1934. On his return he was attacked by communists who felt he had
repudiated his earlier support of Soviet leaders and by some African Americans and
liberal whites for advocating racial solidarity rather than integration as a means of
achieving equality. Throughout his life, McKay wrote about black identity. In addition to
writing poetry, he wrote a collection of short stories and published several novels in
which he captured the vitality of African Americans. His most famous novel, Home to
Harlem, described the return of a young African American to the United States after
World War I. He also published an autobiography, A Long Way from Home, in 1937.
AMERICA
Although she feeds me bread of bitterness,
And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth,
Stealing my breath of life, I will confess
I love this cultured hell that tests my youth!
Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,
Giving me strength erect against her hate.
Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.
Yet as a rebel fronts a king in state,
I stand within her walls with not a shred
Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.
Darkly I gaze into the days ahead,
And see her might and granite wonders there,
Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand,
Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand.
43
Appendix 5-4
COUNTEE CULLEN
Countee Cullen (1903-1946) was born in New York City and grew up in Harlem where
his foster father was a Methodist minister. He had a keen interest in poetry, as a student
won a citywide poetry contest, and began publishing poetry before graduating from
college with a BA degree from New York University and a MA degree from Harvard. He
worked as assistant editor of Opportunity, an African American magazine published
during the Harlem Renaissance. Cullen published several volumes of poetry which were
highly acclaimed and contributed to his winning the Guggenheim Fellowship which
allowed him to study in France. While in Europe he wrote The Black Christ and Other
Poems. The title poem is the story of Christ substituting himself for an African American
youth about to be lynched. He also published a humorous novel, One Way to Heaven,
about life in Harlem, and several children’s books.
YET DO I MARVEL
I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind,
And did He stoop to quibble could tell why
The little buried mole continues blind,
Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die,
Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus
is baited by the fickle fruit, declare
If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus
To struggle up a never-ending stair.
Inscrutable His ways are, and immune
To catechism by a mind too strewn
With petty cares to slightly understand
What awful brain compels His awful hand.
Yet do I marvel at this curious thing:
To make a poet black, and bid him sing!
44
Appendix 5-5
Claude McKay
If We Must Die
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursed lot.
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monster we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us, though dead!
Oh kinsman! We must meet the common foe;
Though far outnumbered, let us still be brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!
What thought before us lies the open grave?
Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but--fighting back!
45
Appendix 5-6
Zora Neale Hurston
Excerpts from: My People! My People!
“My people! My people!” From the earliest rocking of my cradle days, I have heard this
cry go up from Negro lips. It is forced outward by pity, scorn and hopeless resignation. It
is called forth by the observations of one class of Negro on the doings of another branch
of the brother in black. For instance, well mannered Negroes groan out like that when
they board a train or a bus and find other Negroes on there with their shoes off, stuffing
themselves with fried fish, bananas and peanuts, and throwing the garbage on the floor.
Maybe they are not only eating and drinking. The offenders may be “loud-talking” the
place, and holding back nothing of their private lives, in a voice that embraces the entire
coach. The well-dressed Negro shrinks back in his seat at that, shakes his head and sighs,
“My people! My people!”
Now, the well-mannered Negro is embarrassed by the crude behavior of the others. They
are not friends, and have never seen each other before. So why should he or she be
embarrassed? Is it like this: the well-bred Negro has looked around and seen America
with his eyes. He or she has set himself to measure up to what he thinks of as the white
standard of living. He is conscious of the fact that the Negro in America needs more
respect if he expects to get any acceptance at all. Therefore, after straining every nerve to
get an education, maintain an attractive home, dress decently, and otherwise conform, he
is dismayed at the sight of other Negroes tearing down what he is trying to build up. It is
said every day, “And that good-for nothing, trashy Negro is the one the white people
judge us all by. They think we’re all just alike. My people! My people!”
...It being a traditional cry, I was bound to hear it often and under many circumstances.
But it is not the only folk label that I heard. “Race Pride”--”Race prejudice”--”Race
man”--”race Solidarity”--”Race Consciousness”--”Race.”
“Race Prejudice” I was instructed was something bad that white people used on us. It
seemed that white people felt superior to black ones and would not give Negroes justice
for that reason. “Race Pride” was something that, if we had it, we would feel ourselves
superior to the whites. A black skin was the greatest honor that could be blessed on any
man. A “Race Man” was somebody who always kept the glory and honor of his race
before him. Must stand every ready to defend the Negro race from all hurt, harm and
danger.... People made whole careers of being “Race” men and women. They were
champions of the race.
“Race Consciousness” is a plea to Negroes to bear their color in mind at all times. It was
just a phrase to me when I was a child. I knew it was supposed to mean something deep.
By the time I got grown I saw that it was only an imposing line of syllables, for no Negro
in America is apt to forget his race. “Race Solidarity” looked like something solid in my
46
childhood, but like all other mirages, it faded as I cam close enough to look. As soon as I
could think, I saw that there is no such things as Race Solidarity in America with any
group. It is freely admitted that it does not exist among Negroes. Our so-called Race
Leaders cry over it. Others accept it as a natural thing that Negroes should not remain an
unmelting black knot in the body politic. Our interest are too varied. Personal benefits run
counter to race lines too often for it to hold. If it did, we could never fit into the national
pattern. Since the race line has never held any other group in America, why expect it to
be effective with us?...
...By the time that I got to high school, I was conscious of a group that was neither the top
nor the bottom of Negrodom. I met the type which designates itself as “the betterthinking Negro.” I was thrown off my stride by finding that while they considered
themselves Race Champions, they wanted nothing to do with anything frankly Negroid.
They drew color lines within the race. The Spirituals, the Blues, any definitely Negroid
thing was just not done.... Booker T. Washington was absolutely vile for advocating
industrial education. There was no analysis, no seeking for merits. If it was old cuffy,
down with it! “My People! My People!”
This irritated me until I got to the place where I could analyze. The thing they were trying
to do went wrong because it lacked reason. It lacked reason because they were attempting
to stand equal with the best in America without having the tools to work with. They were
attempting a flight away from Negrodom because they felt that there was so much scorn
for black skin in the nation they their only security was in flight. They lacked the happy
carelessness of a class beneath them and the understanding of the top-flight Negro above
them. Once, when they used to set their mouths in what they thought was the Boston
Crimp, and ask me about the great differences between the ordinary Negro and “the
better-thinking Negro,” I used to show my irritation by saying I did not know who the
better-thinking Negroes were, but who the think-they-are-better Negroes were, but who
were the better thinkers was another matter. But when I came to understand what made
them make their useless motions, and saw them pacing a cage that wasn’t there, I felt
more sympathy than irritation. If they want to establish a sort of fur-coat peerage, let ‘em!
Since they can find no comfort where they happened to be born, no especial talents to lift
them, and other doors are closed to them, they have to find some pleasure somewhere in
life. They have to use whatever their mentality provides. “My People! My People!
But one thing and another kept the conflict going on inside me, off and on for years.
Sometimes I was sure that the Negro race was all that the platform speakers said. Then I
would hear so much self-deprecation that I would be deflated....
Light came to me when I realized that I did not have to consider any racial group as a
whole. God made them duck by duck and that was the only way I could see them. I
learned that skins were no measure of what was inside people. So none of the Race
clichés meant anything any more. I began to laugh at both white and black who claimed
special blessings on the basis of race. Therefore I saw no curse in being black, nor no
extra favor by being white. I saw no benefit in excusing my looks by claiming to be half
Indian. In fact, I boast that I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on
47
the mother’s side was not an Indian chief. Neither did I descend from George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, or any Governor of a Southern state. I see no need to
manufacture me a legend to beat the facts....
I do not share the gloomy thought that Negroes in America are doomed to be stomped out
bodaciously, nor even shackled to the bottom of things. Of course some of them will be
tromped out, and some will always be at the bottom, keeping company with other
bottomfolks. It would be against all nature for all the Negroes to be either at the bottom,
top, or in between. It has never happened with anybody else, so why with us? No, we will
go where the internal drive carries us like everybody else. It is up to the individual. If you
haven’t got it, you can’t show it. If you have got it, you can’t hide it. That is one of the
strongest laws God ever made.
I maintain that I have been a Negro three times--a Negro baby, a Negro girl and a Negro
woman. Still if you have received no clear cut impression of what the Negro in America
is like, then you are in the same place with me. There is no The Negro here. Our lives are
so diversified, internal attitudes so varied, appearances and capabilities so different, that
there is no possible classification so catholic that it will cover us all, except My people!
My people!
48
FINAL ASSESSMENT
This will be a combination objective test (multiple choice, matching) and subjective test
(short answer, essay). Multiple choice and matching will be similar (but not identical) to
what is shown for the daily quizzes. Possible short answer/essay questions include:
1. Discuss the immigration laws passed during the 1920s. Explain the ways in which
the laws reflected attitudes towards immigrants.
2. Discuss the effects of demobilization on the US economy after World War I.
3. Discuss how Republican pro-business policies during the 1920s affected the U.S.
economy. Include both positive and negative effects of these policies.
4. Trace the rise in the fear of communism in the United States after World War I.
5. Discuss the factors that contributed to the rise of consumerism in the United
States during the 1920s. Include the effect of new merchandising techniques on
the consumer market.
6. Analyze the crisis of values that emerged during the 1920s as illustrated by
Prohibition, Fundamentalism, and the “new women” known as flappers.
7. Discuss the changes in work habits and industrial organization during the 1920s
and analyze the impact on the economy.
8. Describe the changes in entertainment during the 1920s and how these changes
contributed to the development of a mass culture.
9. How did social changes contribute to the popularity of religious revivals?
10. Why did many farmers fail to benefit from the economic boom of the 1920s?
49
REFERENCES
Teacher’s Edition and supplemental teaching aids for The American Nation in the 20th
Century by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Lesson 1 Primary Source analysis from:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us16.cfm
Lesson 3 rubrics created using http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
Lesson 4 advertising ideas from:
http://history.osu.edu/projects/hti/Lessons/1920sconsumercult.htm
Lesson 5 on the Harlem Renaissance adapted from the California History-Social Science
Course Models website:
http://www.history.ctaponline.org/center/hsscm/index.cfm?Page_Key=1691
50