The 1940s:Decade of Change

The past exists in the record of what people endured in other places and other times.

Enduring Understandings:

• Voices of the past speak to us of other times and places
• Learning about the past illuminates our understanding of the present

Essential Questions:

• How do good writers bring the past to life?
• How do readers make connections to voices from the past?

Information Literacy Objectives:

• Students will demonstrate the ability to locate and use information resources, equipment and other technologies effectively and efficiently.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to review, evaluate and select media.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to learn and apply reading, research and critical thinking skills to organize, and synthesize information in order to communicate new understanding.

Part I

Activating Background Knowledge/Visual Literacy
A visually literate person is able to discriminate and interpret the visual actions, objects, and symbols that they encounter in the environment enhancing their ability to communicate with others.

Students will look at the following famous photo from WWII. Using their visual literacy skills, they will analyze the photo by completing the form below. Here are some hints of ways to look at the photo:

How Things Are Arranged

Angle: From what vantage point was the photograph taken? Imagine the photograph taken from a higher or lower angle or view. How does the angle affect the photograph?

Framing: Describe the edges of the view. What is included? What does the framing draw your attention to in the photograph? Can you imagine what might have been visible beyond the edges of the picture?

Dominance: Close your eyes. When you open them and look at the photograph, what is the first thing you notice? Why is your attention drawn there? Are there other centers of interest? How are they created? How do the focal points help move your eye throughout the photograph?

Contrast: Are their strong visual contrasts--lights and darks, textures, solids and voids, etc.?

Repetition: Repetition of visual elements can create unity--a sense of order or wholeness that holds the work together visually. What elements are repeated? Do they contribute to a sense of unity?

Variety: Variety often creates interest. Can you see a variety of visual elements such as values, shapes, textures, etc.?

Balance: Is the visual weight on one side of the photograph about the same as the other? How about top to bottom and diagonally.

 

Photo Analysis Worksheet

A visually literate person is able to evaluate media for credibility and understands how words, images, and sounds influence the way meanings are conveyed and understood in contemporary society.

Part II

Voices From the Past

We will look at Biographical Encyclopedias in the media center and review techniques to access information about a famous person from the 1940s. Students will then prepare and deliver a short presentation sharing research on their assigned famous figure. Remember the following information about Biographical Encyclopedias:

• Dewey # 920 REF
• Most sets are subject specific
• Some sets are arranged in ABC order
• Some sets are arranged in Chronological Order
• Some sets have a supplemental yearbook each year, so you must look at the latest index
• Using the index, the volume number is bold, the page number is light
• Always look up a person by their last name

Using the AGOPP Method

RESEARCH PROCESS	DIRECTIONS FOR STUDENTS
Ask and Clarify Questions	What questions do we need to ask in order to gain information on our famous figure? What is the person famous for? What do we know about their background ? Why is he/she significant to our knowledge of the 1940s? Forty Famous People From the Forties
Gather Information	Gather Information from a wide range of Sources We will be using print biographical resources and selected Online Resources for this part of the project. Books (sample selection) Please use the Patron's Catalog and the Reserve Shelf to find more titles. 920 REF CON Contemporary Black Biography 920 REF GRO Grolier Science Biographies 920 REF CON Contemporary Musicians 920 REF WOR World Book of America's Presidents 920 REF ART UXL Artists 920 REF GRO Grolier Library of North American Biographies 920 REF GRE Great Athletes 920 REF CUR Current Biography Selected Online Resources Encyclopedia Britannica Online World Book Encyclopedia Online Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Issues and Controversies Student Resource Center SIRS Knowledge Source Galenet U.S. History eLibrary You must also be able to cite your sources and write a Bibliography for your project. Below is a worksheet you can print and use to help you with this task. Be sure to write down the correct Bibliographic information as soon as you use a source. Check your NBMS handbook and your science divider for correct form. Bibliography Worksheet Finished Bibliography Model
Organize Information & Draw Conclusions	Graphic Organizers can help you organize the needed information by focusing on what you really need to answer your questions. Voices From the Past Graphic Organizer Putting It All Together: Synthesis Once you have collected many good pieces of information about your person, the next step is to combine those pieces in such a way as to cast light upon your questions. Have you been "culling" the information as you went along? Have you been sorting your findings so they are lined up under the questions you posed at the beginning? Now that you have gathered your files . . . Which information will help support new insights? Which information has potential? Which information will be thrown away? Synthesizing is like moving puzzle pieces about until a picture emerges. Instead of cardboard pieces, you are moving ideas and facts.
Prepare Materials to Present	Tips for Good Oral Presentations Present your information in a logical order Include an appropriate visual or auditory aid that enhances the audiences understanding of the person and their importance Use standard English Address the audience directly Relax! and be in control Speak clearly and audibly
Present & Assess Information	Rubric Summarizer: Ticket to Leave Write one question about today's content on your ticket- something that has left you puzzled.

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