Curated OER
Jazz and World War II: A Rally to Resistance, A Catalyst for Victory
Students examine the impact of WWII on the development of jazz music and consider how jazz music helped to boost morale of both soldiers and those left at home. They identify the function of jazz as a cultural export and discuss its...
Curated OER
Into the Fifties: Understanding the Context of Film Genres in the Fifties
Learners discuss prior knowledge of American culture during the 1950's. They complete KWL charts, participate in class discussions and view the documentary film Atomic Café. They record their observations from the film.
Curated OER
Art and the Berlin Wall
Students study the relationship between Cold War politics, the people who were affected by it, and the artists who examined it. They create their own "walls" using a spray paint graffiti procedure.
Curated OER
Debating the Bomb
High schoolers research how the development of the atomic bomb affected people in World War II, participate in a debate about the bomb's use, and investigate how it has affected people's lives since 1945.
Curated OER
Debating the Bomb
Students research the repercussions of the development of the atomic bomb. In this history lesson, students read, reflect and discuss nuclear warfare and how it affected the population when it was introduced, as well as how it...
Curated OER
The blues highway: An integration of music with geography
High schoolers analyze the movement of the blues from rural Mississippi to urban Chicago and how place and the environment affected the development of the blues. They define the blues, where it originated and how and why it moved to...
Curated OER
Bob Dylan: No Direction Home
Students hold panel discussions on selected topics about the 1960s and their impact on modern-day events. As visual reinforcement, they watch the film about Bob Dylan and research the music of the period as well as his musical...
Curated OER
Jazz and Math: Rhythmic Innovations
Students watch a segment of the PBS Ken Burns JAZZ documentary about Buddy Bolden creating the "Big Four." They compare and contrast the rhythms of marches and jazz based on the examples in the film, and explore notation, subdivision of...
Curated OER
1950's Scavenger Hunt
Young scholars encounter how to work together as a group to accomplish a common goal. They gain more experience in doing research using library reference materials as well as internet sources. Each group is responsible for making a...
Curated OER
Photograph and Pamphlet About Nuclear Fallout
Students explore the term, 'nuclear fallout.' They analyze the "Facts about Fallout" pamphlet and list any questions that either were not answered by the pamphlet or arose as a result of materials provided.
Curated OER
Louis Armstrong
In this reading comprehension worksheet students read a biography of jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Students answer 6 questions.
Curated OER
Art and Politics
Students analyze the work of three artists whose art work illustrates important political and social events. For this art analysis lesson, students analyze the art of Jasper Johns, Charles Moore, and Andy Warhol. Students complete image...
Curated OER
American Pop Icons
Learners analyze art and decide if the images are an attempt to celebrate or criticize American Popular Culture of the fifties and sixties and discuss how successful "Pop Art" mirrored society. Students also discuss the difference...
Curated OER
History, Literature, Art: Connections
Eleventh graders read either The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner, The Crucible, or Hiroshima, and examine connection between art and literature by relating particular works of art to their readings, relying on both visual and written...
Curated OER
Briefing Book
Students prepare a briefing book highlighting important twentieth century events in Europe. The book lists and explains the major events of the twentieth century that caused separation and unification in Europe.
Curated OER
Memorandum of a Conference with President Eisenhower after Sputnik
Students document and list excerpts from a document that shows how calmly officials reacted to the launching of Sputnik. They research contemporary magazines and newspaper articles of the day as well.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum: Cold War Modern: Design,1945 70
Museum exhibition canvasses the design of the cold war period. The focus of the exhibition is on making the connections between artistic production of the time and the era's prevailing political and social ideas.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 35: The Melting of the Cold War
As the Cold War evolved over four decades, the end of the world seemed imminent as the nuclear arms race continued to escalate. Popular music, especially in the 1980s, reflected this growing pessimism. By 1989 and 1990, as the Berlin...
Tate
Tate Liverpool: Picasso: Peace and Freedom: Educator's Pack [Pdf]
Art historical context and analysis of an exhibition of Picasso's work on the artist's interest in representations of war and peace during the cold war period [Tate Liverpool, 2010]. This illustrated educator's pack, though designed to...
Library of Congress
Loc: Herblock's Gift
An overview of Herb Block's Editorial Cartoons which were gifted to the Library of Congress. The archive includes records, clippings, photographs and various articles as well as 14,000 original drawings.
A&E Television
History.com: 8 Ways the Original 'Star Trek' Made History
When "Star Trek" premiered on NBC in the fall of 1966, it promised "To boldly go where no man has gone before." More than half a century later, it has done just that. The original "Star Trek," which lasted for only three seasons, birthed...