Tara L. Ehler
This would be a very difficult unit for struggling students to complete. It asks students to synthesize information on many different levels. They must have a clear understanding of the chronology of the 20
th
century, understand changing social conditions and norms, create artifacts, conduct some individual research and be both creative and analytical in their work. Below, I will list some ideas for modifying this unit, while retaining the main idea behind it for developing students:
-
· Create the family for students. Give everyone the same family tree that reflects the most important ideas from the 20
th
century for your classroom. Ask students to create artifacts from this tree.
-
-
- Ask students to work in groups. Each student can create one artifact from the family with analysis, but together the group's work can span the 20
th
century.
-
-
- Focus on one time period (ie the tenement houses and early urbanization in New York). Ask students to create one artifact from this period that they think a historian could use to learn more about life in that time.
-
-
- Focus explicitly on chronology and change over time. Give students a timeline of the 20
th
century with important dates. Ask them to create a poster or presentation that demonstrates how one aspect of society would change over time and how this reflects a changing society (a great example for this would be women's clothing, but it could also include categories like transportation, housing, writing technology, etc.)