Understand how the characteristics and issues of the 1960s were reflected in works of art and music; identify changes in the United States that have resulted from the Civil Rights movement; analyze group and institutional influences on people, events, and elements of culture.

The 1960s in America were marked by political and social turbulence. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement created a highly charged atmosphere in which cultural upheaval became inevitable. With the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the widespread success of Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique, traditional roles for women changed along with sexual mores and societal expectations. Marriage and divorce rates rose as people focused on personal fulfillment rather than conventional obligations. A counterculture was born, characterized by “hippies,” commune living, and a burgeoning drug culture. Music became an essential outlet for a generation’s hopes and discontents, as rock and folk musicians attracted fans to music festivals such as Woodstock, where the message of peace and freedom of expression prevailed

• CA  11.8: 8; 11.10: 6, 7; 11.11: 3 Chronological and Spatial Thinking: 2
• TX  113.32(7): c, d; 113.32(20): a, b; 113.38(2): d
• FL  SS.A.5.4: 7, 8
• NCSS  I(HS): a; II(HS): b, c; V(HS): b

2 class periods

• Activity Sheet, American Culture in the 1960s
• Timeline, Life in the United States, 1960-1990 
• Graphic Organizer, Concept Map
• Multimedia Presentation Rubric

Students have the opportunity to write a Research Report (see Extension below).

What cultural and social changes occurred in the United States during the 1960s?

Present Information Students will create a poster presentation that depicts the cultural and social shifts in 1960s America. Students will research the ways in which changes in American culture were reflected in the art, music, as well as the counterculture generation.

Have students research these topics using the provided links. Encourage them to use the suggested graphic organizer as they read the articles.

Approximately 450,000 people attended the Woodstock Music Festival and Art Fair in August 1969.

To start students thinking about changes in American culture in the 1960s, have them examine the photograph.

Key questions students should answer are:

• What does the photograph reveal about the audience at Woodstock?
• What might this tell you about the cultural and social mores of this generation?

Distribute the Student Activity sheet. Tell students that they will research topics related to the following themes: 1960s rock culture, the changing relationships between men and women, and the emerging counterculture. Have students research the following topics.

• Music Festivals, Woodstock
• Marriage and Divorce, Family
• Women and Civil Rights
• The Feminine Mystique
• Courtship Practices
• Changing Sexual Mores
• Hippies, Counterculture
• Communes
• Drug Culture

Tell students that they will create a poster explaining how these topics affected daily life in 1960s America. Remind students that in addition to presenting written information, their posters should include visual elements. Students will then present their posters to the class.

You may wish to modify the Multimedia Presentation Rubric to assess students’ performance.

Have students reflect on their performance and use the list of expectations to judge how well they met the criteria.

Ask students: What aspect of American culture changed most significantly during the 1960s?

Expository Writing Have students use Daily Life through History to conduct research and write an essay examining how the cultural changes of 1960s America are reflected in daily life today.

Critical Thinking: ANALYZE