Left Side – Process Page- Step #1 Listen to Charleston Party, in Flapper Style. What does this music bring to mind?? Make a list while listening…

Introduction to the “Roaring” Twenties The 1920s are often remembered for the upbeat, boisterous characteristics that earned the decade its nickname, the “roaring twenties” Indeed, as World War I ended, Americans seemed to dive into a whirlwind of changes in technology, fashion and entertainment that created a kind of modernizing “roar”.

Examples… Millions of Henry Ford’s Model T automobiles sold in 1925, mobilizing teenagers to “go out motoring” to experience “talkies” or speaking movies Young women “flappers” went alone to movies and wore hemlines above the knee Jazz musicians dizzied audiences in a cultural awakening called The Harlem Renaissance. Lovers listened to songs such as “hot lips” and read books such as “Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun.”

Consumerism skyrocketed!! Thousands of Safeway and Sears stores advertised Listerine for bad breath, vacuum cleaners to ease household chores, shaving lotion, and hand-held cameras The federal government supported these trends with conservative pro-business presidents at the helm BUT……

The 1920s also had major problems… Economic recession Labor unrest The rise of anti-communist sentiments Anti-immigration legislation Racial violence (re-birth of the KKK)

Left Side continued..Step #2 Create two lists of slang words First list: 5 slang words you or your friends use Second list: 5 slang words parents use (or a older generation) Be prepared to share list! Why do you think groups of people (particularly young people) create slang? What can slang teach us about a certain time period?

Your job….create a short skit using your slang terms… You must create a skit that brings to life a scene set in the 1920s. You must incorporate all slang terms and make the audience feel as if they have stepped back in time to the Roaring Twenties. Then…revise the skit and replace the 1920s slang expressions with equivalent modern-day slang. You will perform both skits!!!

Left Side Continued..Step #3 Why do you think some slang expressions from the 1920s have endured to the present day? What were the topics to which the slang expressions primarily related? What do these topics reveal about the social climate of the 1920s? What do you think future generations will say about contemporary American society based on modern-day slang?