2. Your group’s task… Music Cars Media Politics Fashion Economy Culture
Your group/team will research the year 1965 in order to present information to the class. This will better help us understand the historical context when we read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.
Your group will be assigned one topic or category from the following list:
Music
Cars
Media
Politics
Fashion
Economy
Culture
Technology

3. 1960s Music
Research the following topics and present this information in a creative way. If you want to play a portion of a song or tell us why a certain band was so popular, have fun showing us – not just telling us!
Popular genre(s) of music
Popular themes/topics/lyrics in songs
Popular singers/bands
#1 songs in 1964, 1965, 1966
Popular dances (dance moves)
** The 1960s definitely had some “free and rebellious” thinking, so choose to play songs that are school appropriate. 

4. 1960s Fashion
There is SO MUCH to research about the fashion in the mid 60s. You may dress like you are a teen of the 60s the day your group presents for fun! 
Men’s Fashion:
Women’s Fashion:
Hairstyles
Clothing (brands, styles)
Clothing (items)
Accessories

5. 1960s Media
You can stream your photos in one place using Google, Flickr, or another media source, so you can show examples of what you are going to talk about.
Televisions
What was different about televisions in the early 60s?
How much did a color TV cost?
TV Shows
What is a sitcom and why were they popular?
What were popular TV shows (especially for teens)?
Radio
What is a transistor radio, and how did it change the way people listen to music?
Movies
What was a common place to go see movies in the mid 60s?

6. 1960s Culture
It was a very “youthful” culture back then. People in the teens and early 20s were considered the “now” generation. Here are a few topics to research regarding the culture of these kids!
Slang: popular words or expressions used by teens
Smoking: viewed as cool or bad?
Significance of wearing a guy’s high school ring or his jacket
The youth movement

7. 1960s Cars
Cars were a big part of the culture in the 60s. It was a big deal if a teen had a car of their own because there were not usually multiple cars in one family.
What were the most popular cars during this time?
Were foreign-made cars as wide spread as they are today? Why or why not?
How much would new car cost?
How did cars change in the 1960s?

8. 1960s Politics
The world was in a state of change in the 60s, especially in America. The Vietnam War was being broadcasted on TV, and people could see coverage of battle on a daily basis. Tell us more about the war and how our society was changing, especially due to politics at the time.
What historical events helped to shape our society in the 1960s?
What major war/wars were occuring and how did the citizens feel about them?
Who was the president and what did he stand for?
Who were other major political influences and figures during this time?

9. 1960s Economy
The economy will always have ups and downs. Help us understand where we stood as a nation in the mid 60s in terms of various costs and our status economically among other nations.
What industries were booming during this time? Which ones suffered?
What was the cost of living like in the 1960s? (income, cost of home, food, gas, etc.)
Was there economic prosperity or decline?
What were the prices of certain “staple” items: a school lunch, a small carton of milk, a postage stamp?

10. 1960s Technology
Technology is always a topic of excitement! Things were much much different in the 60s than they are today. You are accustomed to cell phones, whereas a rotary phone was the phone used during this decade. How was technology growing and changing in the 60s?
What inventions were created in the 1960s?
How were new ideas and creations spread?
What was the “Space Race” and how did it impact society?
Example: what is a manual ribbon-typewriter?