Goals & Objectives
In this multi-day, project-based lesson, students will learn about how World War I affected culture as evidenced by music,
literature, and art. Students will analyze and then present to their peers postwar works of music, literature, and art, explaining
World War I's influence on culture. Students will apply postwar influence to original works of literature and art.
literature, and art. Students will analyze and then present to their peers postwar works of music, literature, and art, explaining
World War I's influence on culture. Students will apply postwar influence to original works of literature and art.
California STate Content
and Common Core Standards
CA History-Social Science 10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War.
4 Discuss the influence of World War I on literature, art, and intellectual life in the West
(e.g., Pablo Picasso, the "lost generation" of Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway).
ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.9 Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and
secondary sources.
4 Discuss the influence of World War I on literature, art, and intellectual life in the West
(e.g., Pablo Picasso, the "lost generation" of Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway).
ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.9 Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and
secondary sources.
Lesson Introduction
Students will address a Quick-Write prompt in their Daily Journals:
What do today’s music and style say about our culture? What factors shaped our culture?
Students will have five minutes to address this prompt, after which a five-minute discussion of student answers will follow.
What do today’s music and style say about our culture? What factors shaped our culture?
Students will have five minutes to address this prompt, after which a five-minute discussion of student answers will follow.
Vocabulary
The vocabulary for this lesson is mostly nomenclature for styles of different forms of art. The vocabulary will be addressed
during the content delivery portion of the lesson in an interactive read-aloud of the textbook section and primary sources.
dadaism propaganda abstract art
surrealism modernism stream of consciousness
during the content delivery portion of the lesson in an interactive read-aloud of the textbook section and primary sources.
dadaism propaganda abstract art
surrealism modernism stream of consciousness
Content Delivery
The teacher will conduct an interactive read-aloud of “Section 4: Cultural and Intellectual Trends” in their textbook,
World History: Modern Times (Jackson J. Spielvogel, New York: McGraw Hill, Glencoe, 2006). Students will follow along
in their textbooks as the teacher reads the section, pausing for questions and discussion throughout the reading.
Then, the teacher will present to the students examples of the period’s artistic works:
• “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” a song by Louis Armstrong, 1929
• a selection from “The Waste Land,” a poem by T. S. Eliot, 1922
• “The Persistence of Memory,” a painting by Salvador Dalí, 1931
The class will collectively discuss each work, relating its characteristics to the contemporary context of historical events.
World History: Modern Times (Jackson J. Spielvogel, New York: McGraw Hill, Glencoe, 2006). Students will follow along
in their textbooks as the teacher reads the section, pausing for questions and discussion throughout the reading.
Then, the teacher will present to the students examples of the period’s artistic works:
• “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” a song by Louis Armstrong, 1929
• a selection from “The Waste Land,” a poem by T. S. Eliot, 1922
• “The Persistence of Memory,” a painting by Salvador Dalí, 1931
The class will collectively discuss each work, relating its characteristics to the contemporary context of historical events.
STudent Engagement
After the content delivery portion of the lesson, students are paired, and each pair is designated as “music,” “literature,”
or “art” and given an instructions/requirements/grading rubric sheet specified to their designation (linked below). Then
the pairs are grouped in threes (making six people total per group). The teacher reviews the project assignment and
instructions with the students, and shares project examples (linked below). The students on each team will help their
teammates present a body of artistic work to the rest of the class at the end of the project, to be further described:
After being grouped, the class goes to the school’s library for the rest of the period. Each pair’s instruction sheet provides
a list of musicians, authors/poets, or painters/artists contemporary to the post-World War I period. The partners may use
the library’s computer stations, books, and music stations – or their smartphones, even – to research works by those people, analyzing their style and how it relates to the period. Each partner will collaborate to write a 1-2-page analytical report on
a piece of work of their choosing from the time period (must be registered with the teacher to eliminate duplicates per class).
Day 2: Students will have the entire period to research and write in the library.
Day 3: The second part of the project is to produce an original piece of work (or share a song from another period), and
the students will be given a full class to work on this. The “literature” and “art” people will create their own original piece
of work (poem/story or drawing/painting/sculpture) influenced by the period’s styles. The “music” people will select a song
from any other time period, and explain its reflection of its own time period in another 1-2-page analytical report (but if
the students are musically inclined, they can absolutely compose a song instead!).
Day 4 (and 5 if needed): The third part of the project is to present the contemporary pieces and original/other pieces to the
class, explaining their meanings and relations to their time periods. But there’s a twist: To ensure that everyone learned about multiple works/mediums, each partner couple will present from their team another partner couple’s work, to be chosen at
random by the teacher. The teams must collaborate and educate each other about their works/designations!
or “art” and given an instructions/requirements/grading rubric sheet specified to their designation (linked below). Then
the pairs are grouped in threes (making six people total per group). The teacher reviews the project assignment and
instructions with the students, and shares project examples (linked below). The students on each team will help their
teammates present a body of artistic work to the rest of the class at the end of the project, to be further described:
After being grouped, the class goes to the school’s library for the rest of the period. Each pair’s instruction sheet provides
a list of musicians, authors/poets, or painters/artists contemporary to the post-World War I period. The partners may use
the library’s computer stations, books, and music stations – or their smartphones, even – to research works by those people, analyzing their style and how it relates to the period. Each partner will collaborate to write a 1-2-page analytical report on
a piece of work of their choosing from the time period (must be registered with the teacher to eliminate duplicates per class).
Day 2: Students will have the entire period to research and write in the library.
Day 3: The second part of the project is to produce an original piece of work (or share a song from another period), and
the students will be given a full class to work on this. The “literature” and “art” people will create their own original piece
of work (poem/story or drawing/painting/sculpture) influenced by the period’s styles. The “music” people will select a song
from any other time period, and explain its reflection of its own time period in another 1-2-page analytical report (but if
the students are musically inclined, they can absolutely compose a song instead!).
Day 4 (and 5 if needed): The third part of the project is to present the contemporary pieces and original/other pieces to the
class, explaining their meanings and relations to their time periods. But there’s a twist: To ensure that everyone learned about multiple works/mediums, each partner couple will present from their team another partner couple’s work, to be chosen at
random by the teacher. The teams must collaborate and educate each other about their works/designations!
Lesson Closure
After all the teams have presented, the class will have a discussion about their thoughts and opinions toward the
artistic/cultural styles and attitudes of the time period, their favorite contemporary works, their favorite student
original works, and also review the style genres and other vocabulary terms.
artistic/cultural styles and attitudes of the time period, their favorite contemporary works, their favorite student
original works, and also review the style genres and other vocabulary terms.
Assessment
As an informal formative assessment, the teacher will circulate around the library to guide partner couples with their
writing, checking on their progress and senses of comprehension and direction and coaching as needed.
The students will be summatively assessed on both their written submissions and their presentations according to
grading rubrics (linked above as part of the "________ partners info" files).
writing, checking on their progress and senses of comprehension and direction and coaching as needed.
The students will be summatively assessed on both their written submissions and their presentations according to
grading rubrics (linked above as part of the "________ partners info" files).
Accommodations for ENglish Learners,
Striving Readers, and Students with Special Needs
English Learners, Striving Readers, and Students with Special Needs will be partnered to other students appropriately
to offer maximum scaffolding and positivity. The freedom to explore works by people of many nationalities/languages
may give English Learners an advantage over others and foster their participation and interest. The assignment is
explained with clear directives, and the students are given a grading rubric to gauge their work. During the student
engagement portion of the lesson, the teacher supervises especially those students with special needs. Finally, the
multimedia, freedom-of-choice, and grouping aspects of this project assignment appeal to a wide range of students,
accommodate a wide range of learning styles, and keeps the interest of a variety of student/personality types.
to offer maximum scaffolding and positivity. The freedom to explore works by people of many nationalities/languages
may give English Learners an advantage over others and foster their participation and interest. The assignment is
explained with clear directives, and the students are given a grading rubric to gauge their work. During the student
engagement portion of the lesson, the teacher supervises especially those students with special needs. Finally, the
multimedia, freedom-of-choice, and grouping aspects of this project assignment appeal to a wide range of students,
accommodate a wide range of learning styles, and keeps the interest of a variety of student/personality types.
Lesson Resources
• class textbook: Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History: Modern Times. New York: McGraw Hill, Glencoe, 2006.
• a song: Armstrong, Louis. "Ain't Misbehavin'." 1929.
• a selection from a poem: Eliot, T. S. “The Waste Land.” 1922
• a copy of a painting: Dalí, Salvador. “The Persistence of Memory.” 1931.
• usage of the library for texts, music, Internet access, and word processing/printing
• a song: Armstrong, Louis. "Ain't Misbehavin'." 1929.
• a selection from a poem: Eliot, T. S. “The Waste Land.” 1922
• a copy of a painting: Dalí, Salvador. “The Persistence of Memory.” 1931.
• usage of the library for texts, music, Internet access, and word processing/printing