Going Ape and Having a Cow:

School

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For this first activity, ask your school’s yearbook sponsor for multiple copies of your high school’s yearbooks from the 1950s—most yearbook clubs have an “archive” somewhere in the school building. Getting multiple years from the 1950s can add an interesting component to the activity. Also ask the yearbook sponsor for multiple copies (if available) of the most current yearbook. If you choose to do this activity in class, you will need the yearbooks for multiple days.

If no yearbooks are available from the 1950s from your school, there is one Champaign Central High School 1950 yearbook in the EAM 1950s Discovery Kit.

Activity #1

Activity can be done individually or in small groups, dependent on yearbook availability and time

1. Give each group/duo/individual a 1950s yearbook and a recent yearbook from your high school.

2. Hand out the Yearbook Analysis Worksheet and go over it together as a class.

3. Allow students time in class to complete yearbook analysis worksheet (calculators may be helpful in determining the number of students in the school at the time).

4. Once yearbook analysis is complete, have students write a timed in-class essay on how school has changed since the 1950s, citing three (3) pieces of specific evidence from the yearbooks.

Activity #2

1 pair of Lady's gloves (white) (would be worn when “dressing up”)

1 pair of nylon stockings (Karlene) (would be worn when “dressing up”)

1 woman's pink feathered hat with mod hat box (would be worn when “dressing up”)

1 man's grey fedora w/ black band and red feather (would be worn when “dressing up”)

1 purple & white plaid women’s dress w/ matching belt

1 men’s shirt, size M, blue/grey mod pattern

1. Divide students into 6 groups.

2. Give each group 6 Artifact Analysis Worksheets and go over the worksheet together as a class.

3. Give one item from the above list to each group for them to analyze. The group will complete one analysis worksheet as a group per item.

4. When one group is finished analyzing an item, they should trade their item with another group for an item they have yet to analyze.

5. Each group will complete one analysis worksheet for each item.

6. Trading will continue until all the groups have analyzed all the items.

7. Each group should then complete a Clothing Compare/Contrast graphic organizer.

8. Each group will then produce a poster, illustrating the differences in teenage clothing between the 1950s and today.

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