Decoding a Decade - How media reflected and influenced cultural values during the 1960s


Decoding a Decade
 
How Media Reflected and Influenced Cultural Values During the 1960s
 
Final Project by: Brianna and Sara
 
Enduring Understandings-
After this unit students will understand that:
 
 
Objectives-
In this unit students will
 
 
 
 
Lesson 1 - Media Reflects Cultural Values
 
Introduction: 
After modeling this for the students, they will examine present day examples of media (TV, magazine, internet, film, music, etc.) in groups of 3 and explain how they feel the media reflects our cultural values. (example: Bright Eyes - "When the President Talks to God")  Groups will be asked to share their findings.
 
Teacher will then give a brief introduction the 1960’s and the final project that the students will be working towards.  The previous exercise will be used as the point of reference. 
 
 

 

Lesson 2 - Civil Rights Movement
 
Concepts:
Civil Disobedience
Black Power
 
Outcomes:
1.Students will be able to compare and contrast the methods of civil rights leaders Dr. King and Malcolm X
2.Students will be able to analyze two speeches, one from each leader
3.Students will be able to evaluate how each speech reflected/influenced cultural values of the time.
Anticipatory Set:
Play either video or audio clip of each speech. Have students discuss with a partner whether they thought the speeches were similar or different. (10 min)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1732754907698549493 
(I Have a Dream video)
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=TO6Co8v2XjY
(Ballot or Bullet speech-similar themes but not same as text below)

 

Body of Lesson:

Students will receive an excerpt from a MLK speech and an excerpt from a Malcolm X speech. They will have class time to read each and respond to the accompanying questions. Students will finish their work at home and come prepared to discuss findings the next class period.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“I Have a Dream”
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
August 28th, 1963
 
 
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Some questions may have multiple correct answers.
 
 
“It would be a fatal flaw for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigoration autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end but a beginning. Those who hoped that the Negro needed to blow off some steam and will now be content will have a rude awaking if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nations until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.”
 
 
 
Malcolm X
“It shall be the Ballot or the Bullet”
Washington Heights, NY
March 29th, 1964
 
 
Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Some questions may have multiple correct answers.
 
“If you’re interested in freedom, you need some judo, you need some karate-you need all the things that will help you fight for freedom. If we don’t resort to the bullet, then immediately we have to take steps to use the ballot. Equality of opportunity, if the constitution at the present time [doesn’t offer it], then change it. Either it offers it, or it doesn’t offer it. If it offers it-good, then give it to us-if it doesn’t offer it, than change it. You don’t need a debate. You don’t need a filibuster. You need some action! So what you and I have to do is get involved. You and I have to be right there breathing down their throats. Every time they look over their shoulders, we want them to see us. We want to make them-we want to make them-pass the strongest civil rights bill they ever passed, because we know that even after they pass it, they can’t enforce it.”
 

 

 

 
Lesson 3 - Johnson’s War on Poverty
 
Concepts:
Great Society
Medicare/Medicaid
Food Stamps
Head Start
 
Objectives:
1.       Students will understand and be able to describe the Johnson administration’s Great Society policy
2.       Students will interpret symbols and explain the message of several editorial cartoons
3.       Students will describe how political cartoons in general reflect/influence the cultural values of a certain time period.
 
Body of the Lesson:
Students will receive lecture and additional reading to inform them on the Johnson administration’s “Great Society”. 
 
Have students respond to the following quote:
“Cartooning is an irreverent form of expression, and one particularly suited to scoffing at the high and the mighty. If the prime role of a free press is to serve as critic of government, cartooning is often the cutting edge of that criticism.”
“The Cartoon by Herb Block”
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/cartoon.html
Ask students how examining political cartoons can teach about what is going on in the world, how it is being perceived by the public and what values are important at that time. After a brief class discussion, pairs of students will interpret 2 political cartoons and answer the following questions.
 
Closure:
As a formative assessment, students will be asked to complete a 3-2-1 and turn in at the end of the hour. 
List: 3 programs from the Great Society and what they did
       2 civil rights leaders and their approaches to activism
       1 one example describing how media has reflected/ influenced the cultural values of the 60’s

 

 

Interpreting Political Cartoons
Johnson’s Great Society
 
Directions: For each cartoon answer the questions below on the back of this handout.

 

 

            
 
 
Lesson 4 - Vietnam War, Hawks vs. Doves
 
Jigsaw I - 
The Political Speech
For homework, students will have read one of the speeches below.
 
Richard Nixon “Address to the Nation on the War in Vietnam”
Nixon Address to the Nation on the War in Vietnam.doc
or
John Kerry “Vietnam Veterans Against the War”
Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement by John Kerry.doc 
 
 
In class, students will be placed in groups of 4 by the article they read. Students will discuss:
 
Students will then be grouped into new foursomes – 2 Nixon, 2 Kerry and teach each other about what they read.
 
Popular music
Students will remain in their groups and examine how similar sentiments are presented in popular music.
 
 “War” by Edwinn Starr (1970)
“Ballad of the Green Beret” (1965) by Sgt. Barry Saddler and Robin Moore
 
  1. After listening to both songs, students compare and contrast the mood of the song “War" with “TheBallad of the Green Beret.” What three adjectives could be used to describe the mood and tone of “War?”
  2. In both songs, women play a secondary role.  Contrast the role of the young wife in “Ballad of the Green Beret” with the mother in “War”.
  3. How are the soldiers in both songs portrayed differently?  Use specific lyric references to explain your answer.
  4. Select two lyrics from Starr’s song that demonstrate his most effective arguments against armed conflicts.
  5. How would a Green Beret respond to the lyric “Life is too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days?”
  6. What lyrics does Starr use to describe the result of the Vietnam War experience for young men?
  7. How do the words “Good God Y’all” and Good God Now” enhance the message of the song?
 
 
 
Mementos from The Wall
To see how the war affected those who fought and those who were left behind, studets will read excerpts from Letters on the Wall: Offerings and Remembrances from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Link: http://www.lettersonthewall.com/index.htm
 
 Students could also view clips from films such as Unknown Soldier  by John Hulme 
 
 
http://www.unknownsoldiermovie.com/
 
 
Lesson 5 - Music of the 60s: What is the music saying?
 
Potential songs:
“Volunteers” Jefferson Airplane
“Turn, Turn, Turn” The Byrds
“Blowin’ in the Wind” Bob Dylan
“We Shall Overcome” Joan Baez
“Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)" James Brown
“Think” Aretha Franklin
“Abraham, Martin and John” Dion
“Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” Alice Wine
 
Divide class into small groups of 3 to 5 students. Assign one song to each group and distribute the lyrics. Instruct each group to listen carefully to the song and relate it to material covered in class, keeping in mind the following questions: