Social Changes of the 1920's | Drama-Based Instruction

Context for this Lesson

Age Group:

High School/Secondary

Subject:

Social Studies

ITEAR:

Teach

Assess

Hook/Engage:

Artifact

Explain that today we’ll be working together to explore some of the key 1920’s social changes and sharing our findings with each other. Begin by showing an image of a group of women from a current advertisement. Show image on overhead. Ask students to describe what they see. "Based on this description, what do you think women might be doing or thinking? How might this image represent the current lifestyle of today’s modern woman?" Share an image from the 1920’s on the overhead. Ask students to describe what they see. "Based on this description, what do you think these women might be doing or thinking? How might this image represent the lifestyle of a woman during the 1920’s? How might this image represent the lifestyle/expectations of a 1920’s woman? What are the differences between being a woman in the 1920’s and today?"

Transition: "Today we're going to work together to explore some of the key 1920's social changes and create a dynamic presentation to share our findings with each other. One of the ways we'll share our work is by creating staged frozen images of the time period."

Explore:

Image Work

As an example, let’s create a frozen image of that represents your high school today. "What might be depicted in this image?" (take ideas from group and remind students that images must be appropriate for school). After a number of ideas have been suggested, invite a volunteer to come to the front of the class to freeze their body in the image described (e.g. football player, teacher, student in lunchroom). Continue to add students until a complete image has been created. Make sure students’ bodies are fully engaged and frozen. Decide on a title, or caption for this frozen image. Students can sit down. Explain that we’ll now create an image from a 1920’s HS. "What might this image contain? Who would attend HS? What would they be doing?" (help fill in prior knowledge if students don’t know information) Invite volunteers to come up and create a frozen image. Make sure bodies are fully engaged and frozen. Decide on a title, or caption for this frozen image. Discuss the differences between the images. "Would you rather be a high school student today or in the 1920’s? Why?"

Transition: "Now we're going to work in small groups to do some research. Your task is to become experts about your social change, then to present the material to your classmates with the help of image work."

Group Research and Presentation Rehearsal

Each group will be given a packet of material about a key social change during the 1920’s. Assign students to a small group (5 or so). Provide copies of written research materials. Groups are going to (quickly) become experts in the assigned area of interest. They will be invited to share a 5-7min interactive presentation based on their research. The presentations should involve frozen images that depict important facts about the social change. They should give each image a title, or caption. Each group should be prepared to answer questions about their topic in an interview style format. Groups work independently to create their presentations. Teacher moves from group to group to support and troubleshoot issues. Invite groups to share their information one at a time. Non-presenting groups take notes and ask questions.

Reflection:

Describe: What steps did you take to create your presentations?

Analyze: Which of the changes presented created positive effects and for whom? Which of the changes created negative effects and for whom? What are the biggest differences between the 1920's and the modern day?

Relate: How did the social changes of the 1920's bring us closer to our contemporary society?