The Roaring '20s:
Myth or Reality?
Women's roles in 1920s America
11th Grade Accelerated American History
Model Lesson for AHTC Summer Institute 2004
Michael Pollock, Harold Dean, Tim Lybarger
To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.
Content Goal
Students will be able to identify to popular culture aspects of the
“flapper age” and, using primary documents
and artifacts, compare it to the lives of young women in a more
traditional lifestyle.
Essential Questions
- Was the persona of the flapper an accurate portrayal of
women in the 1920s?
- How “roaring” were the ‘20s in Champaign County?
Process (2-3 days)
- Evaluate prior knowledge using true/false questions. Correct
responses will be reviewed with the entire class.
- Provide background information with a handout followed by class
discussion.
- Teacher will model the investigation of a primary document and
demonstrate the use of a document analysis sheet.
- Small group activity: Class will break into teacher-designated
groups and evaluate significance of various primary documents using
document analysis sheets.
- Small groups will begin to complete graphic organizer with
information found within primary sources.
- Class will spend one period in the computer lab investigating
additional primary sources to further respond to essential questions.
- Small groups will reconvene, complete graphic organizers, and
begin an outline in preparation for an individual, two-page essay
answering the question: “Was the persona of the flapper an accurate
portrayal of women in the 1920s?”
Assessment
- Evaluation of completed document analysis sheets.
- Evaluation of completed graphic organizer.
- Evaluation of the two-page essay.
Primary Documents and Handouts
Handouts
Primary Information Sources