17.2 Lesson
Essential Questions
1. How do you define the 1920s?
Bellringer #28
Answer the following questions after reading the below readings about the "Roaring Twenties".
1. Why were the 1920s known as the "Roaring Twenties"?
2. What was the reality of the "Roaring Twenties" for many Americans?
3. What problems did farmers have in the 1920s?
The 1920s were characterized by an unprecedented period of affluence, best remembered through the cultural artifacts generated by its new mass-consumption economy. As a soaring stock market minted millionaires by the thousands, young Americans in the nation's teeming cities rejected traditional social mores by embracing a modern urban culture of freedom—drinking illegally in speakeasies, dancing provocatively to the Charleston, listening to the sexy rhythms of jazz music.
The 1920s revealed that a majority of Americans lived in cities, yet well over 40% of the country's population resided on farms and in tiny rural communities. Farms did not enjoy the affluence of the cities; rather, agricultural prices collapsed in the 1920s, making it a time of poverty and crushing indebtedness for many farmers.
For farmers, the Great Depression began with the collapse of agricultural prices in the 1920s. More than 90% of American farms lacked electricity, and the proportion of farms with access to a telephone actually decreased over the course of the decade. In addition, many rural Americans found the modern, sexualized, multi-ethnic culture of the cities deeply offensive to their traditional beliefs.
Lesson Instructions
Step 1- View the following Prezi over the 1920s to gain a basic understanding about the era.
As you view the Prezi, write ways in how the 1920s is defined.
Step 2- Continue to work on your 1920s group project.
Review the rubric here: Roaring 20s Radio Project