Exploring America in the 1950s

<p><i>Exploring America in the 1950s: Beneath the Formica</i> is an interdisciplinary humanities unit that looks at literature art and music of the 1950s to provide an understanding of how those living through the decade experienced and felt about the world around them. Through the lens of identity it explores life in America and the myriad groups that coexisted in harmony and often with friction. Cultural icons like Elvis and the Beat poets are examined alongside larger issues such as the Cold War conformity and Civil Rights struggles. The unit uses field-tested instructional strategies for language arts and social studies from The College of William and Mary as well as new strategies and it includes graphic organizers and other tools for analyzing primary sources. It can be used to complement a social studies or language arts curriculum or as standalone material in a gifted program.<br><br>Grades 6-8</p>