Whose City Is It?
Overview
This project challenges
the student to investigate two themes, progress and the American Dream. Here
are some essential questions for you to consider:
The following is a group assignment. Each group will be assigned a particular role. Students will utilize Microsoft PowerPoint to present their findings. Each presentation should include between 20 and 25 slides.
Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will:
Show Me Standards 1.1,1.2,1.4,1.5,1.7,1.9,2.1,2.3,2.7,3.1,3.3,3.4,3.6,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5,4.6
Teacher Instructions
1. Provide background information on the decade of the 1950s.
2. Introduce the St. Louis Virtual City website to the students.
3. Make certain that students are familiar with PowerPoint presentations.
4. Prepare a rubric, then distribute lesson plan and assign members to groups.
5. Provide ample time in computer lab for assignment. (Some work may also be done at home)
Group One: Members of Civic Progress
In the 1950s, the city of St. Louis was faced with many challenges. Two of the problems mentioned in the Virtual City St. Louis website were:
1. the city of St. Louis was losing population and business to outlying suburbs.
2. an outdated physical infrastructure that indicated that the city was experiencing serious signs of decay.
To address these, and other problems the editors of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a series of articles entitled, Progress or Decay? In the opinion of the newspapers' editors, the key to success lay in promoting awareness of the city's problems and persuading lawmakers to adopt the right policies. The choice between progress and decay was one that St. Louisans had to make for themselves.
Your group's presentation should take the form of a TV infomercial. (Yes they had TV back in the 1950s, although it was in black and white) Your infomercial should address the following issues:
1. What are some specific problems facing downtown St. Louis?
2. What strategies does Civic Progress endorse for dealing with these problems?
3. What is your vision for St. Louis in the future? Does your vision include all St. Louisans?
In the 1950s, there was a small Chinatown known as Hop Alley in downtown St. Louis. Your group will present a description of that community through the eyes of a fictional Chinese American citizen. In your presentation be sure to address the following questions:
1. How did the residents of Hop Alley try to achieve the American Dream?
2. What obstacles did Chinese Americans face living in St. Louis?
3. In what ways did Hop Alley try to carry on Chinese traditions?
4. How were the experiences of first generation Chinese different from second generation?
5. What happened to Hop Alley?
Group Three: African Americans
The decade of the 1950s was one of an awakening of sorts for African Americans in the United States. The battle for civil rights was being fought on a national as well as a local level. The African American community in St. Louis was involved in this struggle. Your group is to prepare a report for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on St. Louis's African American community. Your report will focus on the social, economic, and political conditions facing African Americans in the city of St. Louis. Make sure to explore the website to find examples where discrimination and injustice occurred. Include in your report a "blueprint" for community action to overcome and rectify these conditions.
Group Four: Women
During World War II, many women had entered the workforce for the first time as replacements for men who were serving in the Armed Forces. With the war over, many in American society expected women to return to a more traditional role. Your group will take the role of a typical married woman in the 1950s. Make sure to focus on the following questions in your report:
1. What were some of society's expectations for women in the 1950s?
2. Describe daily life for St. Louis women.
3. Describe employment opportunities for women.
4. What did the future hold for you and your family?
5. Were women realizing their dreams?
Group Five: Journalist
This group will take the role of a journalist working for a leading travel agency. Your group will prepare a travel guide on St. Louis. Your guide is intended for prospective tourists both within the United States and around the world. You are to explore what St. Louis has to offer as well as its drawbacks. You are to report on potential tourist attractions such as entertainment, shopping, and local points of interest. You should also prepare to inform the tourist about any problems they might incur while visiting St. Louis. Traffic and crime problems might top your list. Discuss the future of the city of St. Louis as well. Remember, you are writing a guide to prospective tourists, so you want your guide to be informative, while also providing a positive description of St. Louis.
Jay Buck
American History Teacher
Lafayette High School
636-458-7200