Unit 7: Lesson 4: Activity 3

“The Times They Are A-Changing”: Pop Culture and the American Dream

^[1]

Listen to the lyrics: The Times They Are A-Changin'-Bob Dylan^[2]. 

Benchmarks:

11.5.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.

11.9.6.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts, audiences, tasks, and feedback from self and others, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11–12 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 75 for specific expectations.)

11.11.3.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Learning Targets:

I can recognize and explain examples of how language functions in different contexts, demonstrate effective choices regarding language, and adapt language for purpose and audience needs. (9.6.6, 11.3.3, 5.6.6)

Essential Questions:

How does an author use and adapt language to fit the cultural values and norms important to a time period/region?

Summary:

In this activity, you will identify examples of pop culture to show how American values have changed over time, which influenced the writing styles of modernist and postmodernist writers.

You Will Need:

One 50-minute class period

Internet access

Activity Instructions:

Step 1.

Listen/watch Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire^[3].” This website^[4] explains the references in the song.

Step 2.

Create a collage of at least 35 images that show how you see America changing during the generations between 1920 and 2014s. These images should reflect popular culture--things the general public was talking about and paying attention to--and should reflect a variety of decades during this time period. Use Storify.com^[5], Tumblr.com^[6], or another similar tool that allows you to collect and share images in one place. This link^[7]can be useful in getting ideas for images to search for.

Step 3.

Submit your collage to your eportfolio as an artifact and provide a link that can be shared with other class members.

Step 4.

Answer these questions in your eportfolio journal:

1. What do you notice about how pop culture has changed over the past 70 years? What do you think has influenced these changes?
2. What values are suggested by the current pop culture?
3. How do you see pop culture being used in your self-selected texts? How do you think pop culture influences the writing style of your self-selected texts?