Why was the 20's the decade to live in?

On November 17, 2011, in our Social Studies class we did a Decades Project. There were several groups who did research and portrayed the decade in which they felt was the best decade to live in. The decades covered were 1920's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's. Every group did a really good job and we enjoyed looking at each decade, how people dressed, and things from that time. This was a project that was fun to do and has many educational benefits. The research that is done gives a glimpse into what was like during different decades. Students are able to see how things are similar and/or different, inventions, disasters, etc. Another interesting things students will be able to find is the lingo that was used in different decades compared to now. The decade that Courtney and I chose was the 1920's.

If you wanted to live in a decade without war then the 20's is that decade. In the 1920's a lot of new and interesting things happened. The following are just a few:

• Women were allowed to vote via the 19th Amendment.
• Women were allowed to wear clothing above their knees for the first time.
• Kool-Ade was invented.
• Band-Aids, Traffic Lights, The Polygraph, PEZ Candy, Q-Tips, and much more.
• The Very FIRST Miss America Pageant was held. (By the way it was completely different from today's standards.)
• Prohibition happened which played a factor in organized crime.
• Al Capone
• Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Lou Gehrig, Shoeless Joe Jackson
• The First EVER Talking Movie -- The Jazz Singer
• Teachers made roughly $900 +/- a year
• Clark Gable, Clara Bow, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and many more
• First Trans-Atlantic Flight

There were so many neat and interesting things that happened in the 20's before the Stock Market crashed and the Great Depression. As with any decade there were also incidents that happened that were not so great. The Women's Suffrage Movement paved the way for the following decades for women's rights and possibly the rights of others (this is my opinion).

Here is the research we did and just some of the reasons why we felt the 20's was the best decade to live in. Enjoy the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNjLzEiz2b4&feature=youtu.be

Out of Resources

We all have those days when we would like to plan a hands on field trip, but become overwhelmed with the strict regulations on school travels. Fortunately we are teaching in a virtual age. There are so many resources online for teachers to take advantage of. Instead of whining about the places we cannot go, I suggest we redirect that energy into finding ways to bring the field trip into the classroom, virtually.
Most libraries and museums now feature online exhibitions. Just a few of those are the New York Public Library and the Smithsonian. The links should take you straight to the online exhibition resource homepage.