Life+on+the+Homefront

American Studies Instant Messenger: American Life During Wartime In-class mini-project

Introduction

Imagine that some members of the so-called “Greatest Generation” have gotten back in touch online and have begun to reminisce about the old days. Some of their memories would be of common, shared experiences, and others would be unique to their own individual backgrounds and identities.

Working in small groups of 3, you will research the general, commonly shared experiences of Americans on the homefront during WWII as well as the ways in which the experience of the war affected different groups in unique ways. Then, working together, you will create a chat transcript (like the one you see when you use AIM or Facebook messenger) that combines creativity and historically accurate content. You will use our American Studies “Wikispaces” Page (to be explained in class). Please keep the “computer speak” to a minimum (LOL, etc.). Integrate as many references to daily civilian life and popular culture as possible. As always, utilize your wit and ingenuity. More than anything else, work hard to put yourself in the shoes of the people who made it through WWII. Imagine and describe what their lives were really like.

Research Goal

Working in a small group of 3 students, you must research information on the following areas:

1. How did WWII change the lives of everyday Americans, in general? Some suggested areas of research are: o Daily routines o Work experiences o Relationships o Family life o Popular culture and entertainment o Sacrifices and lifestyle changes

2. How did WWII change the lives of specific groups of Americans in particular? Each member of your group will be a different person from the list below. While the focus of this project is on the homefront, you will also find it useful to talk about how specific groups contributed to the war directly, too.

Character choices: • Woman/mother/wife (be sure to discuss working in defense factories, the armed forces, dealing with separation from husbands/fathers, gender discrimination, etc.) • Japanese American (internment camps, military service, etc.) • Jewish American (be sure to include anti-semitism in housing, college admissions, professions, etc.) • African-Americans and other minorities in America

Final Product

After you have completed your research and taken many notes, you are ready to move on to part two: writing the chat transcript together. In order to get a good grade, your script must be densely packed with allusions to the WWII era. Your characters must refer to actual events, issues, information, and experiences. Be as creative, clever, and witty as possible. Have fun with this, though please keep your “LOL-ing” to a minimum. Refrain from using stereotypes and racially/ethnically offensive language, comments, or jokes, even if they would have been accepted in that time period. Throughout the whole process, maintain a list of your sources and make sure you turn it a properly formatted MLA works cited list with your final transcript.

Method: Use the Discussion Tab on our new American Studies Wikispace Page (find your group # below and use the discussion tab at the top of your page).

HF Group 1 HF Group 2 HF Group 3 HF Group 4 HF Group 5 HF Group 6

Requirements: Each person should upload a picture to represent him or herself, and choose one person to begin the dialogue. Then, read and respond; each group will essentially be having a "conversation" with people from the "Greatest Generation". Each person needs to post a MINIMUM of 10 responses on his/her page. You will be graded on the quality of your responses (see grade breakdown below).

Recommended sources

Enduring Vision textbook (required- take notes out of the book first) “Greatest Generation” Packets (provided to you- divide them up- trust me, there’s a lot of good stuff in each of them!)

Pop Culture Universe: [] (Pascack Hills Media Center database) Bowling, Beatniks, and Bellbottoms: [|http://go.galegroup.com/ps/aboutEbook.do?actionString=DO_DISPLAY_ABOUT_PAGE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=mont42806&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=GALE|9780787692902&contentSegment=9780787692902] (Pascack Hills Media Center database) [] [] []

Grading-30 points

_/10 General American experience of war • Historical accuracy (use the packet provided to you, the textbook, and other sources) • Full of interesting and important historical details that applied to all Americans • Wit and creativity

_/10 Specific American experiences (one per each person in the group) • Establishes realistic characters with names and identities • Historical accuracy • Full of interesting and important historical details • Wit and creativity

_/10 Technical details • Appropriate formatting • Proofread • Works cited list in proper alphabetical MLA format • At least three sources