Course/Grade Level: High School U.S. History

Lesson Title: The Power of Radio Radio as Entertainment part two

“And now a word from our sponsors…See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet!”

Teacher: Cathy VanSickle, Guilford High School

1. Essential Question: What extent did media play in the drama of the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s? And today?

2. Set Induction: Play some big band tunes (Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, etc.) Ask the students if they have ever heard these tunes before. End the segment with an old commercial like Brylcream or Chevrolet. Ask students to describe their favorite commercial in their notebooks. What makes that commercial great? Discuss the characteristics of a good commercial as a class. Explain that the commercials on the radio have to have all these characteristics without the visual appeal.

3. Aims/Objectives and Standards: Students will become familiar with many of the famous radio stars. These stars will be from all arenas of life during the 30’s and 40’s. Students will learn how to put on a radio broadcast. Students will perform a ‘live’ radio broadcast using the vernacular of the 20’s and 30’s as well as assuming the persona of a ‘famous character/person from the time period.

POLITICAL SYSTEMS

· Interpret how geographic, economic, technological, and social forces have affected the politics o the United States. USH-01

HISTORY

· Apply methods of historical inquiry (pose questions, collect and analyze primary and secondary sources, make and support arguments with evidence, and report findings). USH-04

SOCIAL SYSTEMS

· Compare and contrast ways in which social systems are affected by political, economic, environmental, demographic, and technological changes. USH-07

1. Procedures, Assessments and Materials Required:

a. Using the list of people from the pervious lesson, have students sign up to research someone. They will be assuming the persona of that person in the up coming radio performance. Encourage the students who play an instrument to sign up for a musician of the era.

b. The students will research the person’s contributions to the 20’s and 30’s. They will print out this information along with a photo of the person so that it can be put on an 8 x10 paper. They must use their own words rather than a cut and paste job. This placard will be worn when they perform to help the other performers remember who they are. It also helps the student stay in character.

c. When they have completed the placard, have the students move into groups based on the table categories from the previous lesson. The Artists will be together, the Sports personages will be together, etc. These groups will be their groups for the production. The groups will offer support for sound affects, interviewers, announcers, etc. as needed to accomplish their segment of the show. Each person will perform as if they were the personage they selected to research. Each presentation should be about one to two minutes in length. The groups may combine their acts with interviews or they may choose to work with another category to produce an entertaining piece. Extra credit may be offered to students who would like to play an instrument in between groups or would like to be an announcer or producer of the shows. Allow the students a couple of days to come up with ideas, meeting for 15 min. each day.

d. I also give the students a copy of the slang of the 1920’s and 30’s. They can incorporate it into their presentations if they want.

http://www.csd509j.net/CVHS/staff/SherwiM/AP%20US%20Page%20Docs/1920s_Slang.htm

e. Next teach the students jingle writing. Each group needs to have some commercials for in between their presentations, so there is no dead air time. Everyone needs to write a jingle so there are many to choose from. If someone has a propensity for this you can let them be the jingle star.

f. Show the students the first commercial on radio Sept. 29, 1920 http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/09/dayintech_0929

g. Play http://creativedan.com/Pages/Radio_Main_Page.html so that they can hear some radio bits.

h. http://www.howtodothings.com/hobbies/a4312-how-to-write-a-jingle.html This web site give a quick how-to with all the elements they should consider in writing a commercial.

i. You can get them started by giving them these links:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Commercials+of+the+1920's&qpvt=Commercials+of+the+1920's&FORM=Z7FD1#

http://www.adclassix.com/sitemap.htm

http://www.oldradioworld.com/shows/Vintage_Commercials.php

j. Encourage the students to dress the part on the day of the show.

k. Continue listening to vintage radio so that they get the idea.

l. You should be able to get the show done in one class period, although my class of 33 took two days.

4. Resources and Scholarship:

Assorted web sites cited within the lesson

Teacher Created Materials, Inc. “The Roaring Twenties and The Great Depression”pp.H-47 through H-62.

5. Conclusion/Lesson Wrap-up:

a. After the show has been “aired”, have the students award the best segment the Marconi radio award. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAB_Marconi_Radio_Awards

b. Now the students should be able to answer the Essential Question in regard to the 1920’s and 30’s.