Return to TAH Lesson Plans
UMBC Center for History Eduction
Resources for Teachers Timeline
Site Credits
UMBC Home Page |
| Post-War Suburbanization: Homogenization |
| [Download a printer-friendly version] |
 |
 |
Author: Bruce Lesh, Franklin High School, Baltimore County Public Schools
Grade Level: High
Duration: 1 period |
Overview:
 |
The years after World War Two saw a massive movement of people into new suburbs. The growth of suburbs resulted from several historical forces, including the social legacy of the Depression, mass demobilization after the War (and the consequent "baby boom"), greater government involvement in housing and development, the mass marketing of the automobile, and a dramatic change in demographics. As families began moving from farms and cities into new suburbs, American culture underwent a major transformation. Race and class dynamics began to shift; the longer distance between home and work generated a highway and housing construction boom; and older community institutions began to disappear as the family turned inward.
In this lesson, students will critically evaluate primary and secondary sources of the period, in order to discern the causes for suburban development after the Second World War. They will determine whether this cultural trend created more opportunity for living the "American Dream," or whether suburbanization led to the homogenization of American culture and political life. In exploring the extent to which certain historical trends were inevitable, students will learn that historical interpretations are tentative and often competitive.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
