Social Studies - United States History II
Lesson Plans

U.S. II Strand 4: TRADITIONS AND SOCIAL CHANGE

(Ca. 1920-1970)

Traditions and cultural norms help bind people and nations together; sometimes, those holding fast to traditions find themselves in tension with others who push for reform. The 20th century was a time when these tensions were evident in many aspects of American culture, including the changes in social mores in the "roaring '20s" and the subsequent emergence and ascendency of social change and civil rights movements. Various counter-cultural movements have similarly questioned traditional values and governmental policies. Balancing tradition and reform continues to challenge Americans into the 21st century.

Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:

• How have opportunities and personal freedoms changed over time for different groups of Americans?
• How do historians determine causal factors that lead to social changes?
• What functions do traditions serve in communities and cultures?
• Why do historians refer to the 1920s as "roaring"?
• To what degree have the main objectives of the various civil rights movements from this period been attained?
• Why did the Vietnam War inspire counter-cultural movements?

U.S. II Standard 4.3:

Students will identify the civil rights objectives held by various groups, assess the strategies used, and evaluate the success of the various civil rights movements in reaching their objectives, paying specific attention to American Indian, women, and other racial and ethnic minorities.

• A Civil Rights Investigation: Mississippi Burning
  In this lesson, developed by and included with the permission the LBJ Presidential Library, students will use primary source documents to investigate the disappearance of three civil rights workers during the Freedom Summer of 1964.
• A Movement in the Right Direction (Infographic)
  State by state and federal approach to women's suffrage. Women's suffrage organizations. Tactics used to protect women's suffrage.
• A crash course on voting and the US political system
  Ted-Ed videos on 'Does Your Vote Count? The Electoral College explained', 'How do US Supreme Court justices get appointed', 'There's no such thing as not voting', 'Why do Americans vote on Tuesdays?", Gerrymandering: How drawing jagged lines can impact an election", "How is power divided in the United States government?", "How to understand power", and "What's needed to bring the US voting system into the 21st century"
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
  Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education. Dealing with the principle of Equal Protection, this lesson asks students to assess the role played by the Court as the protector of individual rights against the tyranny of the majority.
• Cesar Chavez: American Civil Rights Activist
  In 1968, Cesar Chavez led a boycott that resulted in a collective bargaining agreement guaranteeing field workers the right to unionize. Learn more about how Chavez grew from migrant farm worker to civil rights champion in this video
• Competing Voices of the Civil Rights Movement
  When most people think of the Civil Rights Movement in America, they think of Martin Luther King, Jr. Delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. But "the Movement" achieved its greatest results due to the competing strategies and agendas of diverse individuals.
• Free and Fair Elections
  This is a great explanation for teachers and students about the standards that governments need to meet before, during, and after an election to ensure that the election is "free and fair".
• Organizing the Farm Worker Movement
  In this lesson plan drawing on material from Latino Americans, students explore the conditions faced by farm laborers in the mid-20th century and meet the advocates who led efforts to improve those conditions. Students view a clip on the emergence of the farm worker movement and respond through discussion questions. Students can respond individually or in small groups, in writing, or through discussion. Two extensions offer additional activities and investigation.
• The Farm Worker Movement
  Farm workers play a crucial role in feeding the nation and ensuring the viability of commodities, yet they have suffered extremely poor working conditions for many years. Explore the early days of the United Farmworkers under the guidance of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. See the conditions that led to the organization of a farm labor union and the initial challenges to its work.
• The protest song “El Picket Sign” (Lyrics on handout) (written by a farm worker in 1965)
  A song documenting the strategies that farm workers use to gain civil rights such as picketing, fighting, striking, and organizing.
• Women's Suffrage: Their Rights and Nothing Less
  Lesson plan and primary sources from the Library of Congress about Women's Suffrage in the United States
• World War I, African American Soldiers, and America’s War for Democracy
  This lesson provides an opportunity to analyze written texts and political cartoons in order to both understand the
  participation of Black soldiers in World War I and sharpen literacy skills related to the distinction between imply
  and infer, an essential skill tied to both historical thinking and literacy.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Robert  Austin and see the Social Studies website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.