I.S. 250 RFK Middle School Social Studies Syllabus
Class: 801, 802, 803, 805, 831
Unit: The Roaring 20s
Duration: 3 weeks (through February)
Essential Questions: How did the United States return to normalcy after WWI?
How did the Roaring 20s change American culture?
What effect did Prohibition have on the United States?
Why did the United States limit immigration?
Items to Be Assessed:
VOCABULARY:
-“Return to Normalcy” -Jazz Age -Flappers –Charleston -Harlem Renaissance -Prohibition -18th Amendment -Speakeasies - Bootleggers
-21st Amendment -Immigration Act of 1924 -Red Scare - Silent Films
-Sacco and Vanzetti -Scopes Trial - Black Nationalism - Ku Klux Klan
IMPORTANT FIGURES :
- Warren G. Harding -Calvin Coolidge - Louie Armstrong - Langston Hughes - Al Capone -Nicola Sacco - Bartolommeo Vanzetti -John Scopes
-Marcus Garvey –Charlie Chaplin
DATES:
- 1920 Warren G. Harding is elected President.
-1920 Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are arrested for robbery and murder.
-1920 18th Amendment is passed, starting Prohibition in the United States.
-August 1923 Warren G. Harding dies of a heart attack while in office and Vice-President Calvin Coolidge takes office.
-1924 the Johnson-Reed Act is passed putting a quota on immigration.
- May 1925 John T. Scopes goes on trial in Tennessee for teaching evolution.
-1927 Charles Lindbergh completes the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
-1927 Babe Ruth hits 60 Home Runs.
-1927 the first movie with sound comes out called “The Jazz Singer” with Al Jolson.
-1928 Herbert Hoover is elected President.
EVENTS:
- Election of Warren G. Harding
- Warren G. Harding dies of a heart attack and Calvin Coolidge takes office.
- Passing of the 18th Amendment, banning alcohol.
- Scopes Trial
-Non-Stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean
-21st Amendment is passed, ending prohibition.
Aims for Each Lesson and Homework Assignments:
Lesson 1: How did the United States return to normalcy after World War I?
Standards: SS1 – U.S. History, SS5- U.S. Government HW: Answer the following questions
1. What does “return to normalcy” mean?
2. What ideas did President Warren G. Harding have for restoring The United States after WWI?
3. Why did Warren Harding believe tax cuts for the rich would help the economy?
4. How did Calvin Coolidge become President?
5. What was the United States Foreign Policy after World War I?
Lesson 2: How did the Jazz Age change American culture?
Standards: SS1 – US History,
HW: Answer the following questions
1) What is the Jazz Age?
2) Where did Jazz music come from?
3) Who is Louie Armstrong?
4) What is the Charleston?
5) What are flappers?
6) Why did some adults not want their children listening or dancing to jazz music?
Lesson 3: How did the Harlem Renaissance change American culture?
Standards: SS1- U.S. History
HW: Answer the following questions:
1) What was the Harlem Renaissance?
2) Who was Langton Hughes?
3) What was the Cotton Club?
4) Who was Duke Ellington?
Lesson 4: How do we create a billboard advertisement for a Jazz artist?
Standards: SS1 – US History
HW: Complete Billboard Advertisement Outline
Lesson 5: Why was Prohibition passed in the United States?
Standards: SS1 – US History, SS5- Government
HW: Answer the following questions:
1) What is Prohibition?
2) What is the 18th Amendment?
3) Why was Prohibition passed in the United States?
4) Why was Prohibition difficult to enforce?
Lesson 6: Why did Prohibition fail?
Standards: SS1 – U.S. History,
HW: Answer the following questions.
1) What are bootleggers?
2) How were bootleggers sneaking alcohol in?
3) What were speakeasies?
4) How did Al Capone make his money?
5) What was the 21st Amendment?
6) Why did Prohibition fail?
Lesson 7: How did the United States try to limit immigration?
Standards: SS 1 – U.S. History SS5- Government
HW: Answer the following questions:
1) What was the Immigration Act of 1924?
2) How did the United States determine how many immigrants can come here?
3) Which country was allowed to have the most immigrants come to the U.S.?
4) Why did the United States want to limit immigration?
5) Should the United States limit immigration from some countries while allowing immigration from others? Why or Why not?
Lesson 8: Why were Sacco and Vanzetti executed?
Standards: SS1- U.S. History, SS5- Government
HW: Answer the following questions:
1) Who were Sacco and Vanzetti?
2) What was the Red Scare?
3) What is an anarchist?
4) What were Sacco and Vanzetti charged with?
5) Why were Sacco and Vanzetti executed?
Lesson 9: Why was John Scopes put on trial?
Standards: SS1- U.S. History, SS5- Government
HW: Answer the following questions
1) Who was John Scopes?
2) Why was he put on trial?
3) What was the outcome of the trial?
4) Why did the trial become famous?
Lesson 10: How did movies in the 1920s change?
Standards: SS1- U.S. History
Homework: Answer the following questions:
1) How much did it cost to see a movie in the 1920s?
2) How much does it cost to see a movie today?
3) Who was Charlie Chaplin?
4) What was the first movie with sound?
5) Why do Americans love to go to the movies?
6) How much did a novel cost in the 1920s?
Lesson 11: How did the Ku Klux Klan attempt to terrorize the United States?
Standards: SS1- U.S. History
Homework: Answer the following questions.
1) What is the Ku Klux Klan?
2) What does an “American for Americans” mean?
3) Who were targets of the Ku Klux Klan?
4) Why do you think the Klan dresses in white sheets?
Projects:
· Students will complete a Jazz Age artist Billboard Advertisement.
· Prohibition Political Cartoon Analysis