American Studies Third Marking Period Presentation Topics

By ______, write your 3 favorite topics on an index card and explain why you and your partner would like to present on each. Indicate the nature of the presentation you would create (traditional, skit, documentary, etc.) and why. Individual topics are in bold below.

Note: For 3rd marking period presentations, you will be writing a 4-5 paragraph essay incorporating your 3 analytical quotes. This means the entire project is worth 180 points, a significant percentage of your marking period grade.

At this point, you are well aware of the importance of creativity in these presentations. Also, the concept of the sliding scale applies. Each marking period we have seen improvement in the overall quality of presentations. We expect you to continue to be creative and imaginative--bring something new to this quarter’s presentations and understand that the scale will continue to slide as our standards continue to rise. We also expect that both partners will be equally engaged in all parts of the process: research, teacher conferencing, presentation, and essay writing.

Topics and date by which to be prepared to present: Monday, 2/2: D-Day Invasion (Andres Pinon) The Atomic Bomb Debate Picasso’s Guernica

The Homefront (Variety Show) -Rosie the Riveter -Rationing -Big Band (USO and Canteens)

Monday, 2/9: America and The Holocaust (This is not a presentation choice, but we will be asking for volunteers to participate in a scripted presentation.)

VJ Day (Victory in Japan) Yalta and Potsdam

Tuesday, 2/17: The Korean War -Containment -Gen. MacArthur Fear of Annihilation- The End of Days (Ben Keller & Marjanna Smith) -Literature -Broadcasts & TV -Fallout Shelters -Duck and Cover

Monday, 2/23: Nuclear Arms Race and Testing (Joey Chalhoub & Sam Niman) -Sputnik -U2 -Einstein -Oppenheimer

Rosenberg Execution

McCarthyism -Good Night and Good Luck (Edward R. Murrow)

HUAC -Hollywood Ten Trials

The Cuban Missile Crisis (See Simulation) (Steve Duncan & Justin Barcusky)

Monday, 3/2: Folk Music (Music with a message)- -Pete Seeger “Little Boxes”

Pop Culture of the 50’s Celebrities: -Elvis -James Dean Buddy Holly

Recreation: (Alex Casey & Emily Yeung) -McDonalds -Drive-Ins -Poodle Skirts (Dress) -The Automobile -Etc.

Dr. Jonas Salk (polio vaccine) (Matt Turetsky & Kris Zoubroulis)

Dr. Spock and the Baby Boom (Chloe Berger & Kaylee Yam) Monday, 3/9: The Beat Generation (Harisa Martinos & Joey Monaco) -Jack Kerouac -Allen Ginsberg

Jackson Pollack and Abstract Expressionism

Michael Harrington and The Other America

Monday, 3/16: The Civil Rights Movement (Opal Gur & Kiarra Cottman) -Emmett Till -Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Julianna Magazenni & Hannah Hausen) - Selma March- Edmund Pettis Bridge - Voting Rights Act of 1965

March on Washington (Rhea Isaac & Faustina Nguyen) -Organizers -SCLC -MLK “I Have a Dream”

Church Bombing Birmingham, Alabama (Nick McCreesh & Joe Lee)

SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) and Sit-ins

Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali (Victor Tang &Nick Tresnan)

Assassination of MLK “I’ve been to the Mountain Top” speech “I was a drum major for peace” speech D.C. Monument Debate

Malcolm X (Gabby Janofsky & Cobe Wiggins)