This section takes place once we have finished the read aloud of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. By this time students have developed an understanding of the 1930’s along with a curiosity to learn more about the era. The goal of this section is for students to become inquisitive historians as they explore and research via the internet popular trends and life styles of children in the 1930’s. Students will be organized in small cooperative groups in order to research popular trends of the 1930’s and be assigned to create a power point presentation. Students should be in groups of four to five and the role of a teacher will shift to a facilitator. Students will choose topics to explore and research via the internet one of the six themes: popular toys, popular pastimes or hobbies, popular celebrities and sports stars, popular books, clothing, and typical family life of the 1930’s.
Sample Lesson/Activity
Objectives:
Students will conduct a short, collaborative research project in order to create a power point presentation about a popular trend of the 1930’s.
Students will learn how to collaborate with others in order to create a published work using technology skills.
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Model and review how to use power point in order to create a presentation by choosing a famous person of the 1930’s. For example, I will create a power point of Eleanor Roosevelt and show students how to navigate the internet to research and cut and paste photos.
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Tell students that they will need to research their theme and narrow their topic by choosing one of the several options for their power point. Introduce the themes of popular toys, popular pastimes or hobbies, popular celebrities and sports stars, popular books, clothing, and typical family life of the 1930’s. Also be open to other suggestions the children may have to add to possible theme topics.
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Once students have been broken into heterogeneous groups, allow them to choose their theme and roles cooperatively among their groups. Students will be provided with a check list to guide them through this process. Next, students will use two to three 45 minute periods to complete their research and power point. Students’ need for support will vary according to academic levels and technology skills.
Power Point Check List
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We created a power point using many photos and pictures of our theme.
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We showed images and wrote about 4-5 examples of our theme.
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We used a variety of content specific vocabulary words in our power point.
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We organized our power point in a clear and sequential manner.
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We used proper spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure in our presentation.
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Extensions:
The next lesson/activity could be for student groups to share their power points with their classroom peers. In order to promote the concept of being historians each group will take part in question and answer sessions with the class.
Students could choose a theme presented and compare and contrast to our lives today using a Venn diagram.
As a class, research popular food and recipes made during the great depression. Choose 2-3 recipes to make and sample at the power point presentation.
