Unit Cover Page

1
Backward Design 1
Unit Cover Page
Unit Title The Roaring 20s Grade Levels
11th-12th Subject/Topic Areas Modern United
States History Key Words/People suffrage,
speakeasy, lost generation, talkies, Babe
Ruth, Earnest Hemingway, Susan B.
Anthony, Great Depression Designed by Time
Frame 2 weeks School District Rio Brazos
Educational Cooperative School RBEC
AEP/Credit Recovery
Brief Summary of Unit In this section of Modern
United States History, students will learn about
the 1920s through the study of the eras
excesses, inventions, entertainment, people, and
social advances (or, in the view of some,
retreats). Students will use quizzes, personal
journals, and two final essays to assist in their
understanding of the material. The performance
tasks will consist of an interview by a time
traveler (the teacher). Students will portray
individuals from the 1920s and be able to
realistically and historically answer the
interview questions posed. They will also be
arranged into competing teams which will debate
the accuracies of inaccuracies of the question,
The Great Depression was actually good for the
United States.
2
Backward Design 2
Stage 1-Identify Desired Results
Established Goals
TEKS Objective 5 Students will understand how
the events, issues, and individuals of the 1920s
effected modern American history.
What Understandings Are Desired?
Essential Questions

• 1. How did the role of women change in the
  1920s?
• What new inventions were created to entertain the
  country and how have those inventions changed and
  adapted to our changing society?
• How did the Great Depression stem from the
  excesses of the 1920s?
• Though many considered the 1920s a carefree,
  affluent, easy going time, many had a negative
  view of the era. Why?
• Why do we need to study American History?
• How would history be different if some of the
  events of the 1920s did not occur?

• 1. The 1920s were a time of affluence and
  dissonance.
• The affluence of the 1920s led to an explosion of
  entertainment options.
• Women gained a more influential role in our
  country.
• The Great Depression was both directly and
  indirectly caused by the excesses of the decade.
• That the past is important to study because it
  effects us today.
  

Students Will Know
Students will be able to

• 1. Debate the positive and negative aspects
  of the 1920s.
• Assess the effectiveness of suffrage in todays
  society.
• Compare and contrast modern day entertainment
  options with those of the 1920s.
• Identify music, literature, and vocabulary
  stemming from the 1920s.
• Debate the importance of the Great Depression in
  American history.
  

• 1. Key terms and people of the decade.
• The reasons for the Great Depression.
• The reasons entertainment was more in demand and
  the different forms of entertainment and
  entertainers.
• Why there was a backlash by some to the excesses
  of the time, name some of the dissenters, and
  explain how they showed their disapproval.
  

3
Backward Design 3
Stage 2-Determine Acceptable Evidence
Performance Task
The Time Machine Students will imagine
themselves residents of the 1920s with the
anticipation of a time traveler (the teacher)
coming to interview them. Students will choose
from a set of characters (a liberated 1920s
woman, a stock broker that sees the crash coming,
a self proclaimed member of the Lost Generation,
bootlegger, or an actor/musician/athlete of the
1920s) and be able to both realistically and
historically answer the interview questions posed
to them. Students will have time to study their
character, events relating to their character,
and more personal information (name, job,
parents, political affiliations, etc). The Great
Debate Students will debate the two sides of
the question, The Great Depression was actually
good for the United States. Each team will be
subdivided and allowed time to investigate the
pros and cons of the above question. The
subdivisions will them be formed into a larger
debate team in which will appoint a leader to
represent them in a live debate (with the chosen
leader able to illicit help from teammates.
Other Evidence

• Quizzes over vocabulary, important events, and
  influential people of the era.
• Daily reflective journals
• Pre and Post unit tests
• Two end of unit essays Why did some women feel
  comfortable with being called flappers What
  changed in the 1920s that allowed for a more
  liberated woman? And How was affluence embraced
  and rejected by society in the 1920s?

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

• Pre and post self evaluative tests which are not
  graded. They are for teacher and student
  guidance.
• Daily journal reflections.

4
Backward Design 4
Stage 3-Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
Consider the WHERETO elements.

• Begin classes with music from the 1920s and ask
  what it makes them think off and how the
  different types of music are different. Present
  pre-test of the 1920s (for self-knowledge and
  teacher frame of reference), rubrics for
  performance tasks, final essay questions. Have
  students write what they know about the 1920s,
  what they dont know about the 1920s, and what
  they might learn or want to learn about the
  1920s.
• Question and Answer about student knowledge of
  the era. General overview of events, people,
  vocabulary of time. Allow for group and class
  discussion. Have students pick their character
  for the interview.
• Class discussion/small group discussion of
  womens rights, the Lost Generation, and
  entertainment of the 1920s. Provide topic
  questions and for group debate/discussion
• Provide class time for investigation into time
  travel characters. Discuss/small group work on
  the Great Depression.
• Quiz on vocabulary, events, and people of the era
• Class interviews conducted. Teacher as
  reporter. Students respond in character.
• Choose 2 teams to debate why the Great
  Depression was good or bad. Have students begin
  investigation in groups for debate strategies.
  Allow teacher, computers, text, etc. to be
  resources.
• Choose group leaders, divide into smaller groups
  to discuss/investigate pros and cons of Great
  Depression. Allow leader of group and group to
  work together and practice (allowing access to
  teacher, text, computers, other resources).
• Class debate. Class divided in halves facing each
  other. Spokespersons from each group are brought
  to the forefront. The class begins with a
  positive response to the question, The Great
  Depression was actually good for the United
  States. The opposing team is allowed a
  rebuttal. This continues through a series of
  teacher made questions about the Great
  Depression. At the end, the students will
  secretly critique the groups and declare a
  winner.
• Have students grade themselves and their team
  members in the debate. Teacher give constructive
  criticism/ideas about future debates.

5
Backward Design 5
Performance Task Blueprint The Time Traveler
What Understandings and Goals will be Assessed
Through this Task?
Students will see the myriad of views about the
1920s and the present.
Students will see how personal biases and
different points of view can influence history
and the telling of history.
What Criteria are Implied in the Standards and
Understandings regardless of the task
specifics? What Qualities Must Student Work
Demonstrate to signify that Standards were Met?
1. Basic understanding of the era 2. Compare
modern day with the 1920s. 3. See
through someone elses eyes.

• Meet a deadline.
• Use correct vocabulary.
• Use knowledge of popular figures and events of
  the era.

Through What Authentic Performance Task will
Students Demonstrate Understanding?
Since we began studying the 1920s a time machine
has been invented. Students from the class will
see through the eyes of someone from the 1920s.
Teacher questions must be anticipated beforehand
noting the differences in language, dress, and
ideas about culture. Both students and time
travelers must be knowledgeable about their
respective eras and try to find some areas of
commonality and/or links between the 1920s and
modern day.
What Student Products and Performances will
Provide Evidence of Desired Understandings?

• Class presentation of interviews.
• Individual team transcripts of interviews
• Quizzes

• End of unit essays
• Personal journals
• Individual evaluation of groups and teams.
• Brainstorm ideas

By What Criteria will Student Products and
Performances be Evaluated?

• Students keep deadlines.
• Interview answers and questions are accurate and
  historically accurate.
• Students participate in group work.

• 4. Students keep up with personal
• journals.
• Accurate facts, correct syntax and mechanics in
  presenting questions and answers.

6
Backward Design 6
Performance Task Blueprint The Great Debate
What Understandings and Goals will be Assessed
Through this Task?
Students will see there were both positive and
negative effects to a seemingly very negative
event.
Students can see both sides of an argument even
if they dont agree with both. Students can work
in a group for a common goal
What Criteria are Implied in the Standards and
Understandings regardless of the task
specifics? What Qualities Must Student Work
Demonstrate to signify that Standards were Met?

• Basic understanding of the Great Depression
• See how the Great Depression was caused by
  excesses of the 1920s.

• 3. Meet a deadline.
• Use correct vocabulary.
• Use correct terminology and vocabulary.
• Work in a group.

Through What Authentic Performance Task will
Students Demonstrate Understanding?
The students will investigate the Great
Depression, causes, and ramifications. They will
either support or oppose the question, The Great
Depression was actually good for the United
States. The 2 class groups will be broken into
subgroups which will further analyze the question
and possible debate strategy of the other team.
The subgroups will then reform the larger group,
choose a spokesperson, and debate the other team
(the spokesperson can and should use the
assistance of his teammates).
What Student Products and Performances will
Provide Evidence of Desired Understandings?

• Team debate strategy and preparedness.
• Logical and historical answers to debate
  questions.
• Quizzes

• End of unit essays
• Personal journals
• Individual evaluation of groups and teams.
• Brainstorm ideas

By What Criteria will Student Products and
Performances be Evaluated?

• Students keep deadlines.
• Interview answers and questions are accurate and
  historically accurate.
• Students participate in group work.

• 4. Students keep up with personal
• journals.
• Using team members as resources, adequate
  preparation and study of subject