1920s WebQuest
The decade was called the "Roaring '20s" or The Jazz Age, and Hollywood movies glamorized it! For historians and journalists, however, the 1920s are often seen as the beginning of modern America, a decade that helped set the tone for the rest of the century. You will visit a number of Web sites. As you visit each site, answer the questions below (short answers!).
Step 1: To get started, get an introduction to the 1920s at Learner.org by viewing the five Web pages there. Just click on the links Roar or Yawn to continue to the next page at the site, Learner.org. Answer the following questions as you view the information. (http://www.learner.org/biographyofamerica/prog20/feature/index.html)
· (1) How does Hollywood portray the 1920s?
· (2) Workers had more money to spend in the 1920s. What were they spending it on?
· (3) What was the 18th Amendment? How did people find ways to still drink?
· (4) List some of the ways popular culture evolved in the 1920s.
· (4) What happened to women in 1920? What is a flapper?
· (4) What does the site say about Fitzgerald’s lifestyle in contrast to his novels, specifically The Great Gatsby?
· (5) What were some of the effects of the invention of the automobile?
Step 2: The average annual salary in 1925 was $1,236. How does this compare to the U.S. average salary today? Complete a Yahoo search to find out the average salary today, and then go to the link below to calculate how the 1925 salary compares to today's. Write your thoughts below. (http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Calculators/Inflation_Rate_Calculator.asp#results)
Step 3: Find out a bit more about the 1920s and Fitzgerald at the Lawless Decade. View the timeline and click on the years and topics indicated below. Answer the following questions as you view the information. (http://www.lawlessdecade.net/)
· On the left, look at the list of years throughout the decade. Scroll over 1920 (don’t click on anything yet!); in 1920, what was invented that we still use today?
· Now scroll over 1925 and click on the link about Fitzgerald. Read the first two paragraphs. In a few words, indicate what his life was like during his earlier years (through the time he went to war).
· Now scroll over the year 1927. Who became The Home Run King?
· Now scroll over the year 1929 and click on the link titled, “Everybody Ought to be Rich.” Read the first five paragraphs.
o Since 1924, what was happening in the Big Bull Market?
o Who was the president during this rich time in America?
o The era of the 1920s had another name, which related to money; what was it?
Step 4: Find out a little bit more about Jazz and the Harlem Renessance– Go to the site below and answer the following questions:
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/time/time_roaring.htm
o Name five bands from the 1920’s.
o What two inventions helped jazz reach even remote locations of the U.S.?
o Did everyone enjoy jazz music? How do you know?
Now go to this site and answer the following questions http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5657
o What was the Harlem Renaissance? (You may need to look elsewhere to find a good definition)
o Why did African Americans move north?
o Who created the term “The New Negro?” What did it mean?
o List the names of at least three black authors:
Step 5: Almost Done! Fear and Radicalism of the 1920’s. Go to the following site to connect WWI and isolationism to the culture of the 1920’s
http://www.vintageperiods.com/index.php
Click on “1919 Red Scare”
o Name a couple of groups of people that many people in America were fearful of during this time.
o What was the Sedition Act?
o For what reasons would you support forbidding disloyal language about the military during wartime? For the reasons would you object to such a law? Make sure you discuss both sides of the issue.
o What is an anarchist?
o What specific events led to thousands of anarchists, socialists, and communists being arrested?
Click on “Sacco and Vanzetti”
o What crime were Sacco and Vanzetti charged with?
o What evidence was presented that spoke to their innocence?
o What do you think is the most important factor for why this murder case became so famous in the 1920s?
Extra Credit:Fashion in the 1920’s, Go to http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/games/18 Play the game and write a brief response about the fashion of the 1920’s on a separate sheet of paper.