John Nistler

Standard Assessed: I. Culture e. demonstrate the value of cultural diversity, as well as cohesion, within and across groups

Results

• Students will be able to understand the key events in entertainment that occurred between 1890 and 1920.
• Students will be able to understand different facts surrounding the holiday of Thanksgiving

Evaluation

Students will complete a Thanksgiving Trivia worksheet and will take notes on the changes in entertainment from 1890-1920.

Curriculum

This lesson would fit in a high school American history course. This lesson would preferably be done on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break. It would also need to coordinate with the unit on Immigration that occurs in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This lesson is important because it will inform students about historical facts surrounding the holiday of Thanksgiving and why it is important. It also gives them information on how entertainment changed throughout the late 1890s and early 1900s and how technology might have played a role in that change.

Instruction

1. Take Attendance
2. Deliver an interactive lecture on entertainment during the period of 1890-1920 while students take notes in their notebooks. See below for copy of notes.
3. Introduce the Thanksgiving Day Trivia worksheet by explaining to students why it is important to learn about our nation’s holiday. It is also a fun activity to end a short week before vacation. Explain that students will use the word bank on the back of the sheet to help them fill out the crossword puzzle. Remind students that not all of the words in the bank will be used.
4. Pass out worksheet and use the rest of the class period to help students with the worksheet. The worksheet will be due on the following Monday or earlier if they finish.

Discussion Questions

What importance do you think traveling shows had besides entertainment?

How did technology change entertainment in this period?

Why do you think the phonograph became so popular?

Why is it important to learn about the history of national holidays?

Should Thanksgiving be considered a national holiday?

Entertainment

1.  By the late 1800’s cities were supporting a wide variety of cultural activities

2.  Entertainment brought Americans together

a.   Different cultures sang and enjoyed the same songs

b.  With the expansion of railroads, circuses, acting companies and “Wild West” shows toured the country

3.  Vaudeville

a.   Variety show that included comedians, song-and-dance routines, and acrobats

                                                           i.      Mainly for the middle and lower classes

b.  provided an opportunity for people from many ethnic backgrounds

                                                           i.      George M. Cohan (Irish American dancer-singer)

                                                        ii.      Marx Brothers (Jewish comedians)

                                                    iii.      Will Rogers (Cherokee performer)

1.  used gentle wit to comment about American life

4.  Popular Music

a.   Phonograph sparked a new industry

                                                           i.      By 1900 millions of phonograph records had been sold

b.  Ragtime

                                                           i.      New kind of music with lively, rhythmic sound

                                                        ii.      Made popular by African American composer Scott Joplin and his nationwide hit “Maple Leaf Rag”

c.   Marching Band Music

                                                           i.      Marching bands played military music

                                                        ii.      John Philip Sousa wrote more than 100 marches including “The Stars and Stripes Forever”

1.  his marches became favorites at 4^th of July celebrations