In this activity from the Olde English Consortium, grade 5 students develop research and communication skills by creating a presentation that details life in America after World War II. Students will need access to the Internet to research different aspects of American life in the 1950s. They should aim to write one paragraph and include one image on each of the following topics: music, fashion, television, sports and architecture. Have students present their findings to the rest of the class in a five-minute presentation.
In this activity, student learn about the Civil Rights movement through reading and discussing Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. Begin by distributing a copy of the speech that can be downloaded from the Lillian Goldman Law Library website (see Resources). Read the speech together with the students and then discuss the following questions: Why is this speech remembered in history? What is King calling for and what does he want black people to do? Evaluate the speech by debating whether or not King's dream has been achieved today. As a plenary activity, ask students to describe their dreams for American society.
In this activity, students discuss and evaluate the actions of President Kennedy during the Cold War. Begin by dividing the class into three groups and allocate each group one of the following; Bay of Pigs, the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students should use textbooks and the Internet to research the events and Kennedy's responses. Have students present their findings to the rest of the class. Use this as a foundation for discussing Kennedy's strengths and weaknesses as president during the Cold War.
This activity on the Cold War Space Race gives students the opportunity to work with primary sources. Students will need Internet access to log on to the Nebraska Studies website (see Resources) to read an introduction and view contemporary newspaper reports about the launch of Sputnik and the later moon landings. Using A3 paper and colored pens, have students re-create their own Space Race front page. They can choose to report the launch and failure of Sputnik, the first moon landing or the general public reaction to the space missions. Display the newspaper reports on the classroom wall.