These tasks are based on the text The Fifties and the Sixties
Anti-Communism – McCarthyism
Senator Joseph McCarthy is most famous for lending his name to a period of American history called the McCarthy era. In this period there was an anti-communist initiative, designed to remove from power anyone who allegedly did not have the best interests of America in mind. "Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?" was the catchphrase of the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
- Which accusations were made?
- Could similar unfounded accusations be placed today?
- Do you think that such an era will return?
- Why would many members of ethnic, religious and social minorities be worried?
- What happened to Charlie Chaplin?
- Look up a couple of the victims of McCarthyism and tell the class about who they were and how their lives changed after McCarthy’s allegations. How McCarthyism Worked – Hollywood
- Write an essay where you present McCarthyism taking these questions into consideration.
The Vietnam War
- For close to thirty years, American foreign policy was shaped by the Truman Doctrine. Find out more about the Doctrine and what it has to do with the American involvement in the Vietnam War. Why was the war called "endless?"How is the war viewed by Americans today? Why has it become a benchmark in American history? Write an essay addressing these questions.
- The Vietnam War was one of the most divisive wars in history and the subject of innumerable protest marches and songs both nationally and internationally. Many American families had lost family members in this war, and even more people had lost dear friends. These people needed a memorial to honor their lost loved ones. “The Wall”, which was completed in 1984, lists the names of all the casualties of the war. It is packed with symbolism; which includes the divisive effect of the war in American society. Look at the following websites and make a list of the symbolism of the wall: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall USA.
- The 1960s was a decade of both devastating and great events; a decade of change. This is reflected in a lot of the music of the decade. Listen to some of the music of Bob Dylan, Buffy St. Marie, Tom Lehrer, Peter, Paul and Mary, Barry McGuire, Joan Baez – or find another protest singer/group. Give a talk on one of these singers/groups and what their music was about. Include examples of their music.
- Select a film (or two for comparison) about the Vietnam War and present your choice to your teacher for approval. View the film and consider how it portrays the war and the soldiers who fought in it. Does it appear to support U.S. involvement in the war, or not? Are American soldiers presented as heroes, as victims, or in some other way? Write an essay using the film/films to comment on the different views of the war.
Civil Rights Movement
- Rosa Parks is called the mother of the Civil Rights Movement. On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, she refused to give up her bus seat to make room for a white passenger. She was arrested and convicted by a local court, and thus was the spark that started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Make a digital presentation of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement.
- Martin Luther King became the front figure in the fight for equality and civil rights for the black people of the southern states in the USA and led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He preached non-violent resistance and in 1963 he led nearly 250,000 people in a peaceful protest march on Washington D.C. At the Lincoln Memorial he held his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Listen to his speech and analyze his oratory skills (See " Yes, We Can!" about Rhetorical analysis). Write an analysis of his speech or an essay about him as a freedom fighter.
The Hippie Movement
Watch this video showing a brief outline of the American hippies and their importance with relation to the cultural changes throughout the 1960s.
- To what extent had the Hippie Movement an impact on American Society? Consider social, cultural and environmental aspects and write an essay. Call your essay, "The Legacy of the Hippie Movement."
- Make a visual presentation called "The Legacy of the Hippie Movement."
Make a Magazine
Make a digital magazine featuring major events in this period. Make sure to include articles on issues such as suburban America and the protestant work ethic. The journal also needs an editoral, comments from eye-witnesses as well as comments made in retrospect.
Learning content
US History
Fagstoff
Early Settlement to Civil War
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumWaves of Immigration
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumReconstruction to World War II
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumThe Cold War Era – A Precarious Peace
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumThe Fifties and the Sixties
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumThe Civil Rights Movement
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumThe Cuban Missile Crisis
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumThe Seventies and the Eighties
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumThe 1990s
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumInto a New Millenium
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumThe impact of 9/11
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumAbraham Lincoln
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculum12 Years a Slave (film)
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumEasy text: African Americans - from Slavery to Civil Rights
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumFrom Slavery To Civil Rights
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumMalcolm X: "Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?"
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumStrange Fruit (song)
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumThe Help (film)
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumThe Cuban-American Relationship
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAmerican Presidents and the Art of Rhetoric
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumFamous quotes by American Presidents
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumForrest Gump - Revisited
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumChallenges for the US in the 21st Century
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculum
Oppgaver og aktiviteter
Early Settlement to Civil War - Tasks
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumEarly Settlement - Comprehension quiz
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumEarly Settlement - Vocabulary
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumTask - Waves of Immigration
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumReconstruction to World War II – Tasks
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumCold War Jargon
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculum- Core content is a subject that is on the curriculum
The Fifties and SixtiesYou are here
The Civil Rights Movement and Black Power – Tasks
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumVocabulary - Civil Rights
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumVocabulary 2 - Civil Rights
Core content is a subject that is on the curriculumLincoln - Tasks
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAfrican Americans - from Slavery to the Present, Text in Brief
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumInterview: Philadelphia and US History
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumRosa Parks - a Voice Heard
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumHistorical Names and Events in The Help
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumMississippi Burning
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumMississippi Burning - Tasks
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumCuba - USA, True or False?
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumPerform Like the Best - Obama and Martin Luther King
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumChallenges for the US in the 21st Century – Tasks
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumChallenges for the USA
Additional content is a subject that is not on the curriculumAdditional content is a subject that is not on the curriculum