Myths and heroes : gangsters in the 1920s
Key questions : What can explain the fact that the figure of the gangster is now seen as a hero? / Were gangsters only criminals or also heroes and why?
Supports étudiés :
Extract from Lawless, 2012 : to show what bootlegging consisted in.
Webquest on a website about the prohibition to explain the context
Poster "WANTED" against Al Capone issued by the FBI : shows that he was wanted for many illegal activities (bootlegging, racketeering...) and many violent crimes (the Saint Valentine Day massacre)
Video about Al Capone's life and career : shows that he was a brutal and ruthless criminal, but also a good family man and a generous philanthropist who opened soup kitchens during the Great Depression (even though some says he only did that to get good publicity)
Extract from the Godfather, by Mario Puzo : shows that the Godfather was a Sicilian immigrant who became a businessman, then a bootlegger, then the Don of the mafia = who climbed the social ladder. Was admired by people as such. Was known for his generosity towards his employees at the time of the depression. Tried to right the wrongs of the government at a time of economic and political crisis.
Video extract from the Godfather, by F. F. Coppola : Bonasera's request : shows that the Godfather is almighty and doesn’t hesitate to have peoplel killed for his friends but never gets his hands dirty.
Evaluation : audio document about Roy Olmstead, ‘the good bootlegger’ : a bootlegger who was famous for his respect and non violent attitude
Projet final : Rédaction d’un plaidoyer pour condamner ou défendre Roy Olmstead
In a nutshell, il faut parler de l’ambigüité des gangsters (criminals violents, hors la loi mais aussi hommes de famille fideles, qui ont donné des emplois, ouverts des associations caritatives, lutté contre la crise quand le gouvernement ne faisait rien) et de comment cette image est illustrée dans les livres/films étudiés.
The idea of progress: the swinging sixties
Key questions : To what extent can the sixties be seen as a decade of change and progress and what are the limits?
Supports étudiés :
Couverture de Time Magazine : London the Swinging city (Meeting Point p. 32) : shows that the new generation of the 60s, the baby boomers, clearly swept aside the old generation (the conservative and the establishment) and tried to impose new values, new codes
Poster for Twiggy’s clothes (Meeting Point p. 37): about the new fashion (short skirts, flashy colours…)
Video about Mary Quant : about the fashion business: the beginning of mass production and of exportation
Extract from NPR about pirate radios (Meeting Point p. 34) : about the development of offshore pirate radios
Songs (the Beatles, David Bowie, the Who, Bob Dylan, …) : about the songs of the 60s and the subject they dealt with : anti war movements, drug consumption, independence of people, rejection of values… Explain why they were censored by the BBC and broadcast on pirate radios.
Extract from Made in Dagenham (Meeting Point p. 38): the fight of women for equal rights at work
Text about the new laws (Meeting Point p. 39): abortion, contraception
Evaluation : doc audio ‘why I hate the 60s’ about the limits of the myth of the sixties
Projet final : Présentation orale d'une exposition de musée sur un aspect des années 60.
In a nutshell, ils faut parler de tous les changements qui ont eu lieu dans les années 60, de ce que ça a changé de façon positive mais aussi de leurs limites
Spaces and exchanges: immigration at the Mexican American border
Key questions : What exchanges take place at the border between Mexico and the US? What impacts do they have? How do people react to these exchanges?
Supports étudiés :
Poster Embracing illegals (Meeting Point p. 131) about the fact that the US actually depends on the buying power of immigrants
Audio document : interview of Alejandro Perez : about the reasons why immigrants come to the US
Extract from Texas, by J. A. Michener (Meeting Point p. 120) : about the travelling conditions of the Mexican immigrants.
Audio documents : Crossing Over et Crossroads : about the different exhcnages (legal and illegal) that take place at the border
Cartoon New American Gothic (Meeting Point p. 124) : about the attitude of American people towards immigration.
Evaluation : doc audio ‘I inflitrated a group of Mexican immigrants'
Projet final : rédaction d'un article de journal engagé en réaction à ce reportage.
In a nutshell, ils faut parler de tous les échanges qui ont lieu à la frontière (échanges commerciaux, humains, légaux ou illégaux, des raisons de ces échanges, de la réaction des Américains et des impacts sur la frontière.