National Endowment for the Humanities
Soviet Espionage in America
The war against Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s place in it are the focus of a series of three lessons examining postwar America from 1945-1950. This first instructional activity asks groups to read an introduction that describes the...
Curated OER
Jazz in America Lesson Plan 6
Students survey bebop, cool jazz, and hard bop. They explore how bebop, cool jazz, and hard bop reflected American culture and society in the 1940s and 1950s.
Curated OER
Wings, Chrome, and Tailfins: Automobiles of the 1950s
Students study the automobile industry. In this cultural history instructional activity, students explore 1950s America as they view a teacher-created PowerPoint presentation regarding the 1950s. Students research how the automobile...
Curated OER
Jazz In America - Lesson Plan 6
Fifth graders explore cool jazz and how it reflected American culture in the 1940's and 1950's.
Curated OER
Building Suburbia: Highways and Housing in Postwar America
Students determine how suburbs changed America. In this post World War II lesson, students complete research projects that require them to examine the growth of suburbs in the 1950's and 1960's. Students reveal how government policies,...
Curated OER
Eisenhower: The Contentious 1950s
Young scholars explore 1950's America. In this American history activity, students research the McCarthy hearings, Civil Rights, war fatigue, and economic issues of the decades. Young scholars respond to discussion questions about...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Revolution '67, Lesson 2: What Happened in July 1967? How Do We Know?
Even in a world in which dozens of participants and curious onlookers record every controversial event, the basic facts of what happened are often in dispute. Revolution '67, Lesson 2 explores 1967 Newark, New Jersey using an examination...
Curated OER
The Technological Impact on 1950's Culture
Students examine the impact of technological advancements on Cold War America. In this 1950's America lesson, students research politics, Cold War society, suburbia, and consumerism during the decade in order to better understand...
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Raisin in the Sun: Whose "American Dream"?
How does Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun factor into a discussion of the American dream? High schoolers define the American dream and recognize the historical setting of the play. Additionally, they identify...
Center for History Education
Guatemalan Coup of 1954: How Did the Cold War Influence American Foreign Policy Decisions?
Was it all about the bananas—or the fear of a communist threat? Young historians use a history lab to examine documents from the American-led 1954 Guatemalan coup. Using graphics, government documents, and speeches, they examine the...
Curated OER
Minorities in Mainstream American Society
So many people fought for Civil Rights in the United States. Read about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and discuss what the act guarantees. Then pass out a slew of magazines and encourage them to observe how often minorities appear in...
Curated OER
Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945-1954
Students investigate what constitutes an "un-American" activity and why Soviet espionage was such an important issue in the 1940's and 1950's. Joseph McCarthy's impact on American anticommunism is examined in this lesson. There are three...
Curated OER
Censorship in America
Students follow resource links to study the history of art censorship in the US. They study the work of the FCC and the Hip-Hop 4 Peace campaign.
Curated OER
Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Lesson 2
Students identify general business terms such as entrepreneur, corporation, marketing, demographic, promotion and distribution. They identify many Black music industry leaders and their contributions.
Curated OER
"Police Action": The Korean War, 1950-1953
Students investigate facts about the war in Korea in the 1950's and attempt to classify American foreign policy as a triumph or a failure. Why the U.S. became involved and the unpopularity of the war in America forms the focus of this...
Curated OER
Social Activism In The United States
Learners explore justice issues. For this social activism lesson, students watch "Social Activism in the United States," and then locate newspaper articles from the 1960's and 1970's about events during the era.
Curated OER
Levittown, Automobiles, and Cultures of the 1950's
Students investigate the impact of the automobile on Americans. In this 1950's America lesson, students listen to audio clips, read about Levittown, and explore the Interstate Highway Act from the decade. Students then discuss their...
Curated OER
1950’s American Culture: Television, Fashion, and Music
Sixth graders investigate the impact of popular culture on Americans. In this 1950's America lesson, 6th graders view television clips, listen to audio clips, and look over fashion photographs from the decade. Students then discuss...
Curated OER
The Space Race in the '50's
Learners explore the impact of the space race. For this 1950's America lesson, students examine newspapers from the time period as well as Apollo mission episodes. Learners then create journals from the perspectives of Apollo astronauts.
Curated OER
Social Activism in the United States
Seventh graders explore the goals of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In this US History lesson, 7th graders read a newspaper article that reported a significant event during this era. Students write a...
Curated OER
Traveling Southern Style: A Lesson on the Jim Crow Laws
Third graders create a poster of a travel route. In this discrimination lesson, 3rd graders read The Gold Cadillac and use it to discuss the problems African Americans faced while traveling south in the 1950's. Students compare three...
Curated OER
Women in Two Countries: Japan and America
High schoolers explore the role of women in Japan and the United States during World War Two. They focus on women and the family and women and the workplace and the changes within each. Students create an informational brochure of...
Curated OER
Baby Boom and the Culture of the 1950's
Students study the ripple effect of the baby boom generation on history and on their lives today. They discover how the rules and conformity of the 1950's set the stage for the rebellious, anti-establishment sixties. They study the...
Curated OER
Consumer Culture in the 1950s: New Shopping Centers and Advertising trends
Eleventh graders analyze the cultural and social aspects of the 1950s. Using primary source documents, they work together to determine what society was like. They use that information to write an essay about how their information...