Using postwar America 1945-1965 and the newspaper as a backdrop, this middle school unit weaves not only language arts and social studies together but also technology and the arts. Students will develop writing skills for a variety of expository situations related to the newspaper and also begin a dialogue on important issues dealing with social and political changes from 1945 to the present. Understanding how a wartime climate led to one of seeking individual prosperity, how the civil rights movement took hold and gained momentum, how women became discontented and sought refuge in the workplace, how the cold war with Russia spurred on technological advances, how music went from the Andrew Sisters to rock and roll, to the Beatles and now to rap and hip hop, will hopefully begin a discussion that will lead students to search for more information thus improving not only their literacy and writing skills but also their understanding of important historical issues that shaped our world.
Using information found in a variety of sources, students will create a special edition newspaper entitled, "The Year in Review, 19 __". Their finished newspaper will contain international, national, and local news, an editorial page, relevant pictures, obituaries, weather, horoscopes, comics, sports, advertisements, classifieds, a book review, special interest section, and financial section.
(Recommended for English and Social Studies, grades 7-12.)
