The Age of Conformity is the first mini-unit of Unit 11: American Life 1945-1963. This mini-unit is taught after Kennedy and the Cold War (Unit 10) and before Civil Rights Part I: 1945-1959 (part of Unit 11: American Life).  Click HERE to get a copy of my pacing guide.  

Pacing:

Teachers should plan three to five days to teach this unit on a traditional schedule with one-hour class periods. However, for those on a block schedule with 1 1/2 hour classes, teachers should plan for 2-3 days. An effective way to structure this unit includes:

1. Begin each class with an opener question. Opener questions can be found on this webpage as an image or free on TpT (see link). Give students 3-5 minutes to complete the opener question and allow 5-10 minutes for class discussion. 
2. OPENER TOPICS
   1. Veterans and the GI Bill
   2. Baby Boom
   3. Consumerism
   4. The Media
   5. McCarthyism and the Red Scare   
3. After the opener, begin the Google Slides lesson. Students can take notes on paper using the note-taking guide provided with the Google Slides lesson, or they may take notes digitally with the electronic version (also included with the Google Slides). 
   1. TEACHER TIP: I post a PDF version of the Google Slides to Google Classroom so that students can review their notes if they are absent. To do this, click “File, Download, PDF” on the Google Slide.   
   2. TEACHER TIP: Some teachers post Google Slides in their Google Classroom and digital note-taking guides for students to complete as homework.
   3. TEACHER TIP: When pressed for time, I will edit the note-taking guides to include answers for some boxes or delete boxes and slides entirely. Teachers should feel free to modify the lesson to meet their students’ needs and individual learning targets.
4. After teaching a concept, take a break from the lecture and show a quick review video to reinforce the concepts. Suggested videos to enhance the lesson are on this webpage.  
5. Mix up your unit by having the students complete the PROP (Point, Reason to lie or distort, Other sources, Public/private) analysis. For a free resource that reviews PROP, click HERE.   
   1. TEACHER TIP: Group students together to complete this activity. This strategy sparks conversation and encourages critical analysis. Discuss as a class. 
6. Review additional suggested activities found on this webpage:
   1.  FREE:  Civil Liberties and McCarthyism from the Bill of Rights Institute.  Free resources with an account.
   2. FREE:  Kennedy vs. Nixon: TV and Politics from the Bill of Rights Institute.  Free resources with an account.
   3. FREE:  Women in the 1950s.  Free resource from SHEG’s “Reading Like a Historian.”
   4. TpT: Warren Court Major Decisions, Summaries and Activities
7. Print the Prove It activity included in the Google Slides lesson at the end of the unit. Students read statements and determine if they are true or false. If the statement is false, they correct it. This lesson encourages students to review their note-taking guides.