Name _______________________________________ 1950’s Web Quest
Page # _______
Learning Goal: Understand the culture of the 1950’s and how it led to social
conformity and rebellion.
Directions: Access the following websites and documents using the QR Codes
and the information provided on this sheet.
50 events, advancements, topics in the 1950’s
http://www.history.com/topics/1950s/videos/1950s
1. Watch the video on the provided website. What are two things you learned or
found interesting? Why did you pick these two events/topics?
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Good Housewife
http://www.ultimatehousewife.com/2013/02/1950s-housewife.html
2. According to this excerpt from a 1950’s Home Economics textbook, what are
three things a woman should do to be a “good housewife?”
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3. List two examples how the expectations/role of women in the 1950’s differ from
the expectations/role of women in the 2010’s?
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4. If you were a woman living in the 1950’s, how would this make you feel?
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5. Do you think this textbook is sexist? Support your response with at least two
pieces of evidence from the text.
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Rock and Roll Music
http://www.ushistory.org/us/53d.asp
6. What music styles did Rock and Roll originate from?
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7. What did churches call Rock and Role music?
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8. Are there genres of music that young people listen to today to rebel against their
parents? Explain with support.
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Elvis Presley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmljYkdr-w
9. Watch the live TV performance of Elvis performing his hit song Hound Dog. Why
do you think Elvis’ dance moves were considered provocative/sexual?
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10. Would this style of music and dance be considered provocative today? How does
it compare to today’s style? Use examples to support your response.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COFHGFZxtnY
View this short clip of Elvis performing on the Ed Sullivan Show. Elvis was censored
by only filming him above the waist.
11. Do you think this censorship was justified? Explain with support.
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Television
http://www.ushistory.org/us/53c.asp
12. What are two ways the invention of television affected politics?
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13. What were two popular TV shows from the 1950’s?
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I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy dared to address some of the major social issues of the
time. Lucy was in a biracial marriage and often showed support for her
African American maid’s equality showing that Ball was willing to take a
stance on civil rights. Lucy’s character obviously did not fit the mold of a
typical 1950s housewife. Her antics were often the opposite of traditional
domestic roles, showing the program’s willingness to push social
boundaries.
However, it sometimes aligned with the more traditional views of
1950s culture. Lucy and Ricky, her husband, were never shown sleeping in
the same bed, upholding old-fashioned ideas. These scenarios show that I
Love Lucy was willing to utilize its influence and take a stance on the issues
of the time, even if the stories portrayed on the show did not align with
the popular view of most Americans. The large popularity of the show gave
it the potential to make these ideals more acceptable to America’s
postwar population.
14. What are two ways I Love Lucy went against social norms of the time?
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15. What is one way I Love Lucy aligned with traditional views?
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Drive in Theaters
http://www.driveintheater.com/history/1950.htm
16. Approximately how many drive-in movie theaters were in the U.S. by 1958?
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17. Where was the largest drive-in movie theater in New Jersey located?
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18. This was a popular form of entertainment in the 1950s. How do the things
teenagers do for entertainment today compare to what they did in the 1950s?
Provide at least two examples.
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TV Advertising
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbrqm0Jt7q4
Advertising became more widespread through the use of TV. One commercial you
often see while watching I Love Lucy is this ad from their sponsor, Phillip Morris.
19. How did this advertisement make smoking look? How did the ad portray the
“everyday American housewife”?
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The Other America
20. Michael Harrington published a book called The Other America. In this,
Harrington highlighted the shocking issue of poverty and the decaying inner cities. If
you were writing a 2015 version of this book, what are three issues/topics you
would include?
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Cold War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLJKVVtiR3g
21. What was the political confrontation between the United States and Soviet Union
known as?
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22. What did the Soviet Union develop in 1949?
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23. Write a 2-4 sentence summary of this video on the Cold War.
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