Students are introduced to the U.S. economy and culture of the postwar era by watching a brief video clip and a photo-essay about teenagers in the 1950s. Then, they read, summarize, and present articles on the postwar economic boom and its effects, including the GI Bill and the baby boom. Next, students explore artistic developments of the era. Finally, they learn about the development of the polio vaccine and its impact on American families.
Students read an introduction to postwar prosperity and the rise of teenagers as a distinct social and economic group. They view images of 1950s prosperity, then read and examine photos in “The Luckiest Generation”: LIFE with Teenagers in 1950s America to explore teen life and culture in the era. Students respond to a collaborative wall prompt by writing a short diary-style entry imagining a day in their life as a teenager in the 1950s.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives, highlighting that students will investigate economic growth, the GI Bill, the baby boom, cultural change, and medical advances. Lead a brief discussion of students’ diary entries, drawing out how 1950s teenagers experienced new freedoms and consumer power and how this reflected broader social and economic change. Then form small groups and assign each group one of the following articles for Scene 2—Economy in the 1950s, The GI Bill, or African Americans, Women, and the GI Bill—explaining that groups will read, summarize, and later present their article to the class.
Students examine an image of a 1950s housing development and read background text describing interconnected postwar changes, including the GI Bill, rising marriage and birth rates, expanding homeownership, growth of family-oriented industries, regional growth in the West and Sun Belt, and changes in land use and infrastructure. In small groups, they read and discuss their assigned article—either The 1950s, The GI Bill, or African Americans, Women, and the GI Bill—and collaborate to post a concise summary of the article’s key ideas to a small-group wall for later use in class presentations.
Teacher MovesClarify how the listed social and economic changes connect to broader postwar prosperity. Monitor group reading and summarizing, checking that students capture main ideas and distinctions among the articles, including issues of access and inequality. Consider postponing whole-class presentations and discussion until after groups have completed the parallel summarizing activity in Scene 3. Before moving on, assign each small group one of the following articles for Scene 3: The Baby Boom, The Growth of Suburbia, or The Dark Side of Suburbia.
Students view an aerial image of Levittown and read about how the baby boom and rising demand for family housing fueled the rapid growth of suburbs in the 1950s. In their small groups, they read and discuss their assigned article—either The Baby Boom, The Growth of Suburbia, or The Dark Side of Suburbia—and post a group summary to a small-group wall for later class presentations. Individually, students then contribute words or short phrases to a word cloud describing the values of 1950s United States society.
Teacher MovesUse the word cloud to launch a whole-class discussion about students’ perceptions of postwar prosperity, prompting them to identify both positive and negative effects and to compare 1950s social values with those of today. Ask questions about diversity, freedom, equality, and conformity, and invite students to consider how they might have responded if they did not share prevailing values. As an extension, suggest that interested students watch This Man Is the Father of Modern American Suburbia to deepen their understanding of suburban growth and its mixed consequences. Then explain that students will complete the remaining scenes independently.
Students read an overview of major 1950s cultural developments—rock and roll, modern jazz, youth-rebellion films, abstract art, Beat Generation literature, and television drama and comedy—and consider how these forms both reflected and challenged suburban conformity. They read Land of Television and America Rocks and Rolls to examine television and rock and roll as influential postwar cultural forces, then briefly research one film, artist, or author mentioned in the overview. Students post to a class wall explaining whether they think 1950s cultural developments were mostly positive or mostly negative, using specific examples, and then review and respond to at least two classmates’ posts with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesGuide students to connect economic prosperity with the flourishing of arts and entertainment, highlighting factors such as increased leisure time, disposable income, expanded education and communication, and artistic backlash against conformity. As time allows, facilitate discussion using student posts, prompting them to support their evaluations of 1950s culture with evidence from the readings and their brief research.
Students read about postwar advances in medicine, focusing on antibiotics and the history and impact of polio epidemics in the United States. After imagining the perspective of a parent hearing news of a 1952 polio outbreak, they read The Vaccine Everyone Wanted to learn how the Salk and Sabin vaccines were developed, received by the public, and used to nearly eliminate polio in the United States. Students then choose one listed effect of the polio vaccine—such as grassroots funding for research, public health awareness, advances in rehabilitation, or the disability rights movement—and post an explanation on a wall describing how the vaccine contributed to that outcome.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to empathize with families living through polio epidemics by asking them to imagine their thoughts and feelings upon hearing of a new outbreak. After students post their explanations, highlight and share one or more thoughtful or insightful responses with the class to spark discussion about how medical innovations can reshape society. As an extension, suggest that students read Salk, Sabin, and the Race against Polio for a more detailed account and powerful visual documentation of the campaign against polio.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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