Tom Burba
Dr. Burns
Tch Ed. 3312-Lesson Plans
12/10/09
Topic:
The Subject for this lesson will be the Conservative and Counterculture movements in American History from the year 1960 to 1972. This will be an introductory/overview lesson of this time period. I want my students to become familiar with the politics of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. I also want my students to be introduced to the issues of civil rights, music, drug use, counterculture, the conservative movement, art, and literature of the era. This lesson is designed for a High School setting. I think that this would be a good introduction for an AP U.S. History or a higher learning track class, probably in grades 10-12.
Day 1: Overview/ Preparation
I will begin this lesson with the preparation framework. Once the class has come together, I will instruct them to complete the preparation activity of writing down the first things that pop into their head when they think of the time period of the 1960’s through 1972. I will give the students about a minute to complete this exercise. Once they are finished, I will ask for some volunteers to read some of their responses aloud. I will expect to hear terms such as “hippie,” “Vietnam,” “Civil Rights,” etc. At this point I will make connections to diversity considerations within my classroom. I will then tell the students that I was expecting to hear terms such as these. I want to make the point that when most people think about this era of American History, they only think of the revolutionary and anti-establishment actions in society. I will explain that although most of these events were the ones that truly defined the era, there was still a deep seeded conservative sentiment and tradition throughout much of the country.
To continue my preparation, I will show them a short video clip (see powerpoint) about some of the more radical and what I believe have become mainstream views of this era. The clip will discuss sex and drug use, as well as the influence of music on the era. After the video clip, I will ask the class what they thought of it. I will note that at the beginning of the clip they show statistic regarding confessed drug use before this era and the amount of people that admit to using drugs today. I will ask the class if they feel this quote is accurate; I will say that drug use has a strong history in one way or another since the inception of our nation. I will also ask the class if anyone noticed the source of this clip. It is from the VH1 Network. I will ask them if they can draw any parallels between modern media and the mainstream perception of the 1960’s.
Next, I will draw upon the background knowledge of my students. Since this is most likely a U.S. History II class, covering 1865-present, I will assume that in the prior weeks my class has discussed the first half of the twentieth century up to the Eisenhower years. I will note the general conservative tone of the nation and the overall prosperity following WWII. We will briefly review the U.S.’s change from isolationist policy, the reconstruction of Europe, and the aftermath of the Marshall Plan. By reviewing this information, I will set the stage for the rest of my lesson.
Next, I will engage the class in a fun preparation activity for the lesson. I will pass out a sheet with pictures of relevant people from the time period. I will challenge the class to identify and write down the names of as many of these people as they can. I will give them a few minutes to do this. I will tell them they can work with people next to them and use their textbook if they would like. Then, I will go through the pictures and see if the class as a whole could identify all of the people on the sheet. I will tell them that several are fairly obscure, so it’s okay if they didn’t get them all.
I expect my students to be in the upper echelon developmentally. This lesson plan is designed for an upper level course, so students should be able to push themselves within their zone of proximal development to make critical connections about the topic. I will be using motivational techniques by presenting the class with some material they might be familiar with, as well as cultural icons of Americana. I think that this will spike my class’ interest for the remainder of the lessons.
Day 2: The “Counterculture”
Now that the class has had some fun on day one, I will move into my direct instruction and assistance portion of the lesson. I will start with some material that characterizes the era of the 60’s and counterculture to most people. I will discuss the rise of acceptance regarding drug use, the anti-war movement, the “hippie” and free-love movement, and the effect the post-beat generation. I will point out the contrast between these lines of thought and the more conservative national attitude in prior decades.
Next, I will move to artwork. I will show the students some samples of famous art and artists from the era. I will show works by Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali. I will implement media during this phase of assistance; I will use powerpoint and the internet to display these pieces of work. (see powerpoint)
Following art, I will discuss some literature and philosophy of the era. I will introduce the students to authors like Tom Wolfe, who followed Ken Kesey and his “Merry Pranksters” across the country documenting their drug induced exploits. I will tell them about Dr. Timothy Leary, a college educated psychologist and Harvard Professor who advocated the use of LSD. I will explain the influence of books like On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, that helped create the cultural desire for freedom from societal norms. I will also discuss the influence of the pseudo-Marxist takeover of Cuba by Fidel Castro, and the subsequent assassination of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. I will explain that sympathizers to these causes could be found in America and fit nicely into the umbrella of “counterculture”. I want students to be aware of the popular literature and schools of thought during this time period. To further this point, I will move on to the music of the era.
During my class lecture, I will play audio clips and show several movies from artists of the era. I want my students to hear artists such as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, etc. I will explain to the students that it is important to begin looking at music like this from an anthropological point of view. Some critics would say that the goal of these artists was simply to get as intoxicated as possible and then get on stage to make a spectacle of themselves. I will concede the fact that some did, but by putting oneself in the position of someone from that era, many simply thought they were making art.
I will take this opportunity to try to impart some deep level understanding of this era, and how modern historians are trained to think. I want my students to understand that this period of time, nor any other, can be thought of transhistorically and be judged by today’s societal values and mores. To think like a historian requires empathy toward the time period and the schools of thought that were present. I will also suggest that my students need to employ metacognition in their everyday thinking about history. I will ask them to always question why they think the way that they do. I will tell them to keep in mind their own background and who has influenced their perspectives. Through this aspect of teaching, I believe I can help prepare my students for the elements of higher level thinking that they will confront when they reach college. I hope that through this lesson my students will see the value of being a historical thinker.
Day 3 & 4: Introduction to Politics of the Era (copied from pbs.org)
Lesson: The People, the Places and the Things that Happened
Overview
In this lesson, students will think about why the '60s were considered the “Years that Shaped
a Generation.” They will watch video clips that describe major events and issues, create a
comprehensive list of issues and events; and consider causes and effects of political
struggles, cultural changes, and key individuals and their actions. They will consider how all
of these issues fit together and shaped a time of passion, rage, creativity and great change.
Grade Level: Grade 6 -12
Time Needed for Completion: Two 50-minute class periods
Materials Required
World Map
Sixties Timeline: http://dipsy.pbs.org/opb/thesixties/timeline/index.html
Video Clips: (Note: the video clips contain strong images and content which may not be
appropriate for younger students. Teachers are reminded to preview the clips before showing
them.)
• Black Pride, Black Militants (15:00 approx)
• Vietnam (20:00)
• Revolution (28:00)
• Civil Rights (35:00)
o Martin Luther King Assassination (40:00)
o Student Rebellion (44:30)
o Uprising at Columbia (46:40)
• Global Revolution (50:00 – 54:00)
• 1968 Primary Elections (58:00)
o McCarthy
o Robert F Kennedy
o RFK Assassination
o RFK Funeral Train (58:45)
• 1968 Democratic Convention (60:00)
On the Website:
War & Peace: Two Nations Divided
http://dipsy.pbs.org/opb/thesixties/topics/war/index.html
Pop Culture: Eric Burdon's Reflections on Woodstock:
http://dipsy.pbs.org/opb/thesixties/topics/culture/reflections_1.html
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Identify numerous issues and events that shaped the 1960s both nationally and
globally
• Identify newsmakers and other people whose actions impacted the decade
• Consider the impact of the exceptional ways in which people expressed their views,
such as riots, demonstrations and marches
Teaching Procedure
To help students understand the global effects of the events of the '60s, have students locate
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Russia, Czechoslovakia, France and Mexico on a world map
before showing the video clips listed here. Have students look at the Sixties Timeline
(http://dipsy.pbs.org/opb/thesixties/timeline/index.html) on this site to better understand
the scope of the time period, the order of events, and other influences.
Then (after previewing them yourself), show the video clips to the class. Although this may
take time, presenting all the clips to the whole class will provide a broad overview of the
decade and set the tone for further conversation. keep in mind that the video presents
powerful and often disturbing images.
Discuss the video clips and the students’ perspectives on what happened in the 1960s..
Ask:
• What events and issues were most significant?
• In what ways were separate issues and events related?
• What impact did individuals, their decisions, and their actions have on the '60s?
• Who had the greatest impact on the decade?
• How did individual movements and leaders affect the '60s?
• How did events happening in one place affect other places?
• How did the Republican National Convention (and the accompanying riots) affect the
U.S.?
Tell students that in the next lesson, they will choose one issue to research in greater depth.
Encourage students to build on their "1960s Knowedge" lists from earlier lessons.
Extension Suggestion: Create a graphic web to show how different events, issues, people and places mentioned in the videos relate and connect to each other.
Day 5: Politics of the Left and Right
Next, I will move into the organized politics section of my lecture. I want to use this day to elaborate on some issues that I think are important but were not covered in the material from the PBS lesson plan. I will talk about JFK’s role in entering the Vietnam Conflict; Civil Rights Activists, such as Dr. Martin Luther King; and LBJ’s “Great Society” and its effect on the coming era. I want to then focus on the conservative presence during this period of time. I will comment that the presence of conservative thought did not simply go away, but it was placed on the backburner for a period of time. I will then show a campaign clip of Barry Goldwater’s 1964 ad. I will ask students to comment on what they saw (see powerpoint). They will experience a very bleak and old style message that spouts doom and gloom upon the public. Next, I will show a clip of one of Richard Nixon’s 1968 ad campaigns. This ad only came out four years later, but the tone and message couldn’t be more different. Nixon’s is much more upbeat and hip. The students will see two very different ads, and I will take a break from my lecture to give them a couple of minutes to jot down some of the differences they noted. We can take some time now for some class discussion of material up to this point. I want to use the constructivist method of creating a community of learners; therefore I want the students to have lively discussion of why they think these two campaign ads were so drastically different. By promoting classroom dialogue, the students should retain the information they learned that day much more effectively and accurately.
I will then discuss the election of Richard Nixon, and the implementation of his conservative policies. I will talk about his successes in foreign affairs, and of course about the Watergate Scandal of 1972. I will also bring up the topic of the recent release of Nixon’s Oval Office tapes. I will ask the class if anyone has ever heard these tapes or is familiar with their content. Much of Richard Nixon’s true feelings regarding race and diversity were not well known at the time, but came out a little later. I will pose a critical thinking question asking students if they think Nixon would have been elected had the nation known about his at times closed minded views regarding race and the global community. This teaching strategy will implement elements of Scaffolding Theory Construction. Students will have to account for the why, how, and what if questions of history. I think that this is a great way for students to really understand history. If they are able to think about the possible effects of hypothetical events and decisions throughout history, then they will have a deeper understanding of the material itself.
Day 6: Reflection and Extension
Since scaffolding knowledge in a constructive manner and building connections to future material is so important in learning, I want to spend the final day of my lesson focusing on the legacy of 1960-1972.
I will end my lecture by discussing some things to think about for the future of America. I will tell my students that this era greatly influenced some issues that we deal with today, and had a profound effect on the next 40 years. I will give them two questions at the end of the lecture that I want them to answer for their reflection piece. The first question will be, “What attitudes shaped during this time period effected the next thirty+ years of American History?” The next will be, “Were the events of this time period beneficial or detrimental to the nation as a whole? How?” This is a critical thinking exercise; students will have to make historical connections and relate the information to the current time. I will give the students a few minutes to get started on this assignment at the end of class, but tell them I want a full page answering these questions for homework.
This assignment addresses several different literacy components. First, specialized vocabulary will be learned and used regarding this period of time, such as “hippie”. Students will also have to be familiar with terms within the American Government. Comprehension of prose will be used in Arlo Guthrie’s lyrics. Finally, the act of writing will be used throughout the lesson.
The reflection exercise will also help me to determine where my students are in terms of moral reasoning. I want them to be able to examine the politics of the time and determine from a moral standpoint what was happening. I would suspect that many of my higher level students had reached levels of postconventional morality in that they see how societal rules can sometimes be bent and broken. This is especially evident when dealing with conflict and war. I will be looking for my students to begin developing their own social contracts in their responses.
