The American Dream in the 1940s and 1950s
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can assess the extent to which the American dream was experienced in the post-war period.
Key learning points
- American incomes rose during the post-war period.
- Americans began to buy more consumer goods after the end of WW2.
- Government policies were introduced in the 1940s to support economic growth.
- Many people were unable to live the American Dream.
- There were significant inequalities in 1940s and 1950s America.
Keywords
GDP - GDP is the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year
Consumerism - consumerism is a situation where growing amounts of non-essential goods are sold and purchased
Tariff - a government tax on imports into a country is called a tariff
Inequality - inequality is a situation in which some groups in a society have more advantages than others
Common misconception
Women experienced no economic improvements in the post-war period.
Female employment fell and women suffered from lower pay than men but average incomes for women did still rise.
Teacher tip
Before completing the last question, students might benefit from having different stakeholders identified (i.e. African Americans, women, average worker, veterans, poor white workers, etc) and then ask them to place them along a loss-gain spectrum to conceptualise different experiences.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Write the missing word. A is a government tax on imports into a country.
Q2.Who introduced the New Deal in the USA?
Q3.How did the USA react to the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939?
Q4.Which statement is most accurate?
Q5.Which propaganda figure was used to encourage women in the USA to contribute to the war effort during WWII?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each keyword with its correct definition.
the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year
where growing amounts of non-essential goods are sold and purchased
schemes where consumers buy products without full upfront payment
Q2.How did average family incomes in the USA change between 1945 and 1954?
Q3.What was the name of the idea that all Americans could become successful through hard work?
Q4.What was the name of President Truman's plan to support those in poverty and tackle racial discrimination?
Q5.Which statement is most accurate about government aid in post-war America?
Q6.In what way did female wages change between 1945 and 1951?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The American Dream in the 1940s and 1950s, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The American Dream in the 1940s and 1950s, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
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