Creating a 1920’s
Magazine Webquest
Edited by Ms. Smith
Idea from
http://www.howhist
com/fraser/twenties.htm.
Magazine Requirements

You will choose a magazine format which you
will imitate. After analyzing the current
magazine's format and describing the
relevant style and content of the magazine's
creators and the typical reader, you will
create a magazine that mimics that format.
The magazines you can choose from are
(most of these magazines did not exist in the
1920's, but I am more concerned with their
format):
First things first…





Magazine is due February 11, 2008 by 3PM.
Create a schedule that will help to stay on
track as you complete the assignments.
Make sure that each person in the group
understands what they have to do.
Make sure each member swaps email
address.
Use your Goggle email accounts and Goggle
Docs to edit the assignment as necessary.
Sample Schedule
Sunday
Jan. 27
Monday
Jan 28.
Tur n in
planning
Schedule
to Ms.
Smth,
wikispace
discussion
tab.
Tuesda y
Jan 29.
Meet
with
group
members
to plan
whoΥs
going to
do what.
Wednesday
Jan 30. Do
research on
Flappers.
Check blog
for
information
and
assignments.
Thursda y
Jan 31.
Meet
with
group
members
to check
progress
Friday
Feb 1.
Everyone
will turn
in their 1st
drafts to
be peer
reviewed.
Post
questions
to Ms.
Smi thΥs
wikispace.
Saturda y
Feb 2.
Check blog
for
assignments.
Make
necessary
changes to
articles.
•Try to point everything your groups need to due each day!
•Post Schedule to: is123x.wikispaces.com
•Click home - then the discussion tab - post under Schedules Due
Magazine Requirements cont’d








1. Time
2. Newsweek
3. Sports Illustrated
4. Vogue
5. McCall’s
6. Vanity Fair
7. Harper’s
8. Ladies Home Journal








9. Life
10. Entertainment
Weekly
11. People
12. Forbes
13. Fortune
14. Rolling Stone
15. Vibe
16. Outdoors
SPECIFICS


If I were from the target audience would I
pick it off the shelf in the 1920's?
Group members must select specific jobs




Editor
Artist
Reporters
Designer
Create a Magazine





You will create a magazine with the following components
according to the format of one above:
Cover Page (Lead story, picture, title of magazine,
editors/contributors, & date)
Table of Contents (this has to be created last)
Four feature or news articles. Articles must be written as if
they could be in your model magazine during the 1920's
(e.g. in a 1920's issue of Time). Each group member is
responsible for 1. They can be about any significant event,
trend or development during the 1920's.
- Articles should be typed in column format, like a newspaper or
magazine
Tasks



Keep margins of 1 inch all around
The page on which your article is written should be
in magazine format; that is, no large expanses of
blank paper. You might wrap the article around a
picture or an advertisement.
Your articles must correspond to the date of your
magazine and have some perspective of time. For
instance, if your magazine is written in 1927, you
cannot write about the stock market crash of 1929,
and any articles about Babe Ruth must either be
about the glorious 1927 season or retrospectives
about his still vibrant career.
Supplementary Pieces

Four supplementary pieces to the magazine. Each group
member is responsible for two of the following. You may not
have more than two of each type in the magazine (These items
should be original creations – not a print out from a CD-Rom or a
copy of an advertisement you have seen in your research. They
should combine your historical knowledge with your imagination.
Each should be tailored to your magazine's audience).
 A graphic (map, chart, etc. with contextual explanation of at least
150 words)
 2 Advertisement (by private organizations or the government) You
may copy images but you must create the text yourself. The ads
must suit the audience of the magazine and be a popular product
of the era.
 Letter to the Editor - on a current controversial issue
 Political Cartoon (must be created, not copied)
Magazine Analysis


Magazines usually have a target audience. Of
course, they would like to sell to as many people as
possible, but since no magazine can be all things to
all people, they will usually target a group large
enough to make a profit, but specific enough to be
distinctive. (No one wants another LIFE magazine;
that niche is already filled.
Your first task is to choose a magazine that interests
you, then try to figure out what their target audience
is. You will do this by looking at the type of ads,
departments, articles, and, if available, the reader
responses in such things as "Letters to the Editor."
Magazine Analysis cont’d

In this analysis or the audience , consider such
factors as:





the education level required to read the articles
the hobbies or interests of the audience
the political slant (conservative or liberal)
the economic class of the reader
You can get hints to these by analyzing:





the products advertised (Tide or Godiva Chocolates?)
the depth of the articles (superficial, in-depth)
the level of vocabulary
the tone (lighthearted, serious)
what is emphasized in the coverage of a particular
newsworthy event (politics, business, fashion, behavior)
Magazine Analysis cont’d


















It is often helpful to compare two magazines in the same field (Vogue vs. Cosmopolitan, Time vs.
Newsweek, Rolling Stone vs Vanity Fair) to fine-tune your answers.
------------------------------------NAME OF MAGAZINE_______________Group Members_______ ______
__________ ________
Describe the general category of magazine (what are the majority of the articles about?)
Socioeconomic class of the typical reader __________________
Reason:
Educational level of the typical reader ________________
Reason
Age and gender of reader_____________________
Reason:
Lifestyle and Occupation of reader___________________
Reason:
Emphasis of articles (What is concentrated upon in a given news event):
Reason:
Conservative or liberal reader?
Reason:
On the back, in one sentence (complex!) describe the profile of the targeted reader, including all
of the above information
Proposed Feature Article and
Slant






Author's name (that's you)_______________________________
Topic of your feature
article_______________________________
The magazine you will be
imitating___________________________
Briefly explain what “spin” or angle you plan to take with your
topic in order to make it fit the type of magazine you are creating:
Example: TOPIC: Model T Ford
FOR VOGUE MAGAZINE: Since Vogue tries to appeal to the
status-conscious independent woman, I will write about how
owning an automobile will increases their power and prestige. I
will give some background on the car, have pictures of “classy”
car models, and reveal the impact the car has on a woman's
lifestyle.
Preliminary Ad Analysis










Ad Magazine Analysis
Step One:
As preparation for the Twenties Magazine you will create, today you will
analyze the magazine you have chosen to imitate. Using one of the ads
included in your magazine, you will write an analytical paragraph in
which you describe the TARGET AUDIENCE of the magazine. Consider
and include as many of the following components as possible:
1. The age range of the target audience
2. The economic group targeted
3. The lifestyle of the group targeted
4. Anything you can tell about the values or major concerns of the group
targeted
FORMAT: A) ONE EXTENDED PARAGRAPH
B) CLEAR TOPIC SENTENCE ESTABLISHING THE PURPOSE OF
THE PARAGRAPH
C) SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE AD (TEXT AND PICTURE) THAT LED
YOU TO YOUR CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE AUDIENCE
Preliminary Ad Analysis
CRITERIA
TOPIC SENTENCE
TEXT DETAILS AND ANALYSIS
PHOTO DETAILS AND
ANALYSIS
MECHANICS
EXCELLENT
ADEQUATE
NEEDS WORK
MISSING
Internet Research






At this point, you should have:
..........1. Analyzed the contemporary magazine whose style you will imitate.
..........2. Decided what its target audience is by examining its table of
contents, letters to the editor, ads, and articles
Your next task is to research the era to decide what articles and
supplementary pieces you will create for your magazine that will
adequately reflect the era and your magazine's style.
------------------------------#1 View at least two of the general sites below for an overview of the
events and personalities of the era:




Great overview of the era with specific events in various fields (science, sports,
etc.)
Timeline of all events year by year
A REAL MAGAZINE FROM THE TWENTIES St. Nicolas Magazine will give you
an idea of the drawings and subject matter of a popular magazine from the era.
Internet Research cont’d










#2. Below are some more narrowly-focused sites for special
topics
Clara Bow, the "It Girl"
ANTIQUES AND OBJECTS FROM THE JAZZ AGE Creating an
ad? Look here for articles from the era.
JAZZ MUSIC A popular jazz site: songs, performers, etc.
Flapper culture and fashions, famous women of the era
Sports: Baseball
Clothing and costumes
Flapper home decor
Twenties music and club scene
Popular music
Internet Research cont’d



#3. After viewing the sites, taking notes,
etc., you might want to further research
by trying the mega-search engine
http;//www.google.com
Try typing in a particular area like THE JAZZ
AGE- POLITICS
Due Dates

Friday, Jan 19:



Preliminary ad analysis: Choose an ad from the
magazine Ms. Smith brought into class. Analyze
its content to determine the target audience of this
magazine.
Analyze the target audience by looking at ads,
letters to editor, table of contents. Analyze
magazine for conservative (resistant to change) or
liberal (tolerant of change) leanings.
(Analysis due at the end of the period)
Due Dates cont’d




Articles due Wed., Jan. 23,
Write major magazine articles, bring articles to
school for group critiquing.
Research and write supplemental articles, bring to
school for critiquing.
Editor will check that all components are complete.



She will type a table of contents and assemble the
magazine over the weekend. Fill out all grade sheets with
titles of articles/supplements.
Artist will create cover of magazine
EACH PERSON MUST WRITE ONE ARTICLE
FOR THE MAGAZINE.
Grading Standards

I expect the following:


Content:
 1. Accuracy in reporting.
 2. Accounts that are rich in detail, factual evidence, and
that are interesting to read. The person who reads your
magazine should learn much about the era!
 3. Each group member will fulfill his/her responsibility
Style:
 1. Imagination and creativity, both in writing and
presentation
 2. Well-written articles including proper grammar and
spelling. Use rich details in a logical order.
 3. A neat, professional, aesthetically pleasing magazine that
is consistent with the model magazine you have chosen.
Grading Guideline 1920’s
Magazine Project


Student's Name_____________
Feature Article Title:________________Supplementary Piece Title:_______________












Grading Guideline – 1920's Magazine Project
General Guidelines – We expect the following:
Content:
1. Accuracy in reporting.
2. Accounts that are rich in detail, factual evidence, and that are interesting to read.
3. Each group member fulfills her responsibility
Style:
1. Imagination and creativity, both in writing and presentation
2. Well-written articles including proper grammar and spelling. Should have rich details in a
logical order.
3. A neat, professional, aesthetically pleasing magazine that is consistent with the model
magazine you have chosen. If I were from the target audience would I pick it off the shelf in
the 1920's?
Point Values:
Grading Guideline 1920’s
Magazine Project



Point Values:
News/Feature Article: (5 for highest mark)
Research quality and analysis of historical data;



Quality of writing – appropriate style + grammar/spelling


1 2 3 4 5 (possible points of 5 x 4 articles =20)
Is the article appropriate for the 1920's?
1 2 3 4 5 (possible points of 5 x 4 articles =20)
Does the magazine fit the type chosen (Time, etc.)?

Bibliography?





Point Value /45
Supplementary Piece (graphic, ad, letter to editor or political cartoon)
Research quality and analysis of historical data;
- Is the article appropriate for the 1920's?


1 2 3 4 5 (possible points of 5 x 4 articles =20)
Quality of writing – appropriate style + grammar/spelling


1 2 3 4 5 (possible points of 5 x 4 articles =20)
Does the magazine fit the type chosen (Time, etc.)?

Bibliography?





1 2 3 4 5 (possible points of 1 x 5 articles =)
1 2 3 4 5 (possible points of 5 x 4 articles =20)
Point Value /45
Group Grade: Overall quality of writing, research, presentation, including magazine and organization.
Point Value /10
Total: /100
Point Schedule




100 points total for each person (recorded History class)
45 points for your news/ feature article:
 Graded on quality of research, writing and analysis. Must be
appropriate to time period and interesting to read. Article must fit
the style of the magazine type chosen (Time, People etc.)
45 points for each supplementary piece:
 Quality of artwork or writing essential. Appropriate analysis of
1920's should be evident in piece. Must fit the style of the
magazine type chosen.
10 points for overall group/magazine grade:
 How well do the articles fit together? Does the magazine feel like
an issue of Vogue or Time? Does the cover and table of contents
give a good sense of the magazine? The editor and cover page
artist will earn 5 points each for their efforts.
Resource Links


Ideas
http://www.howhist.com/fraser/ideasand.htm
Internet Research
http://www.howhist.com/fraser/ideasand.htm
Bibliography

Include a properly formatted bibliography at
the end of your article. For each article, you
must use at least four sources of
information –



Other magazine articles
Textbooks
Websites (that are credible)