Performance Assessment—1920’s Exhibitions

Congratulations! You have an opportunity to become a star of stage, screen, or radio. In this unit, you will become a member of a cast producing a meaningful learning experience for the rest of the class.

Your Mission: Team up with several other class members to present a product based on life during the 1920’s. Your final production will help the 20’s come alive, and increase your understanding of “The Era of Wonderful Nonsense.”

Background: Draw upon your class experience, videos, the text, and outside research to gain an overview of life during the Jazz Age. Some of the most exciting topics include:

Radio Prohibition Humor

Motion Pictures Flaming Youth Magazines

Sports Figures Appliances Automobiles

Heroes Fads & Follies Music

Harlem Renaissance Advertising Gangsters

Choices: Your investigative team may choose from the exhibitions listed below:

Song and Dance – Research the music and dances of the 1920’s. Sing or play a composition. What was jazz like? Was the Blues really blue? How about demonstrating the Charleston or Tango dance craze!

Construct a skit – Reenact an event during the 20’s by presenting a skit. Be sure to convey the tone of the 20’s through your dialogue, dress, etc. Examples: St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, a scene from the Scopes Trial, etc.

Create a Silent Film – Free time and disposable income led to an explosion in the popularity of motion pictures. Create a silent film (either live or by video) reflecting the style and substance of a twenties era film. Consult twenties stars like Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton to get ideas.

TV News and Sports – Produce your own news and sports program. This may include an anchor person, field reporters, and old news clips of the era.

Radio Program – Use portions of old radio scripts as samples and design your own radio program. Use sound effects to help make it more realistic. Consider popular programs, advertisements, etc.

Humor – Everybody loves stand-up comedy and the humor of the 20’s would make you fall over with laughter. Determine what type of humor was popular and present a routine for the class.

*Fashion Show – Here’s an opportunity to talk with Grandma and Grandpa. What’s in that old trunk in the attic that has been passed on to them? Make an effort to collect clothing and articles from the era for a genuine fashion show. Consider: a raccoon coat, flapper dress, wild jewelry, hats, etc.

The Roaring Twenties – The Board Game--All aspects of an original board game will be created by you. You must develop an overall concept, the board, the characters, the trivia/clues, and most importantly, the written directions to instruct players how to use your game. Use the checklist to ensure you have all necessary components:

Directions – Your game must have a beginning, a process, and a way to end. The process must be clearly written on a direction sheet.

Game board – Develop an original game board that represents the twenties (Be Creative!)

Appropriate Number of Clues – The following must be included:

At least 5 clues related to politics of the twenties
At least 5 clues related to famous news events of the twenties
At least 10 clues related to entertainment, sports, music, etc.

Characters for your game – Develop original characters for your game board that are specific to the twenties

Neatness and playability -- Significant weight in grading will be given to neatness and ease of use.

9. Roaring Twenties – Magazine Project -- The 1920’s were a period of great change, and mass media such as magazines and radio brought that change to all Americans. You will create a magazine such as one that would have been published at the end of the 1920’s as a “decade in review” issue.

You will create articles (your own writing) featuring each of the following topics:

Political News
Sports OR Movies
20’s Fashion
Automobiles or Air Travel
One article/feature on fads of the era or some related item
At least 2 examples of advertising from the era (these can be copies from the era)

10. Headlines in History -- 20’s Newspaper -- Select one major event from the Roaring Twenties. Your group will create a newspaper front page including top and feature stories related to the event, an editorial (opinion piece) as well as an optional article showing some other aspect of life during that time period. Optional articles can include things related to culture, sports, etc.

Any item marked with an asterisk is limited to one group per class.

Final Evaluation: See Rubric