by Marybeth Farrell, Universityof Southern Mississippi
One easily overlooked resource that teachers might find highly useful inUnited Stateshistory or government classes is the classic television show. By that, I mean the dramas, comedies, and documentaries of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. These are readily available on the Internet; they can be converted and downloaded to your computer by using the free site, www.zamzar.com.
The Twilight Zone series is a rich source of episodes or film clips for those teaching about the Cold War and McCarthyism. For example, “The Shelter” (1961, Episode 68) depicts the emotional devastation that results in a close-knit neighborhood as a family has to decide whether it is going to share its fallout shelter with their desperate (and shelterless) neighbors. “The Monsters are Due onMaple Street” (1960, Episode 89) shows the results of mindless fear and hysteria on a peaceful suburban neighborhood. Episode 74, “Deathshead Revisited,” deals with the return of a sadistic SS captain toDachau concentration camp; it aired in November 1961, a month before an Israeli court sentenced Adolph Eichmann to death for his role in the “Final Solution.”
One would not necessarily think of the old series Gilligan’s Island when teaching John Locke’s social contract theory. However, a clip of any episode of the series can be used as a hook when introducing this content. After introducing the definition of the social contract as Locke saw it, the students can debate whether or not a social contract existed on the island and if so, whether this unwritten agreement was necessary for the group’s survival. One could make a good case that it did! (As one examines the social contract theory set forth in Leviathan, a clip of a series that today’s teenagers are more familiar with, Survivor, could provide a good illustration of how Thomas Hobbes viewed human nature!)
When discussing American society after World War II, the famous sitcoms of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s can be quite useful. A clip of I Love Lucy can provide an insight into what was expected of women in the 1950s. (Lucy’s ridiculous attempts to start a career in entertainment were always doomed to failure, as her husband Ricky insisted that she stay home and fulfill the role of the housewife and mother.) Leave it to Beaver shows the ideal of the American family in the 1950s; it would be interesting to contrast a brief clip with oral history interviews of people who experienced family life during this period.
An interesting show of the late 1960s and early 1970s was Room 222, which gives a glimpse of the changing attitudes toward racial and ethnic minorities through the eyes of students and teachers at Walt Whitman High School. (Contrast a clip of this show with one of Leave it to Beaver‘s all-white, middle class view of family and school to show the evolution of attitudes from the 1950s to the 1970s.)
The Andy Griffith Show, still quite a popular series in reruns, also offers a few gems. The best is the “Preamble Episode,” in which Deputy Barney Fife attempts to recite the Preamble to the United States Constitution. This very funny three-minute clip is available on TeacherTube and is a great icebreaker when covering the document, especially if you are planning to have the students recite it.
On a more serious note, the acclaimed CBS news program See It Now provides a fascinating window into the events of the 1950s. The Museum of Broadcast Communication (http://www.museum.tv/) has a great archival selection of television documentaries, including clips from Edward R. Murrow’s See It Now telecasts from Korean War battlefields. Interestingly, one of the best episodes of MASH, “A Room inKorea” (1976), was inspired by Murrow’s coverage of the war. (See http://www.tvland.com/video-clips/mash/a-room-in-korea)
Last but not least, The Ed Sullivan Show (see www.com) offers the Beatles’ first U.S. television appearance (1964); The Milton Berle Show showcased Elvis Presley (1955) before he appeared on the Sullivan show (see http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1956_june_5.html#HoundDog)
Once you have decided which clips to use, what to do with them? The possibilities abound. When paired with a couple of thought-provoking questions or a short article, they make wonderful hooks to introduce new content. They make great writing prompts as well as starting points for debates or discussions. Instead of doing the legwork yourself, challenge your high school students to find clips for you. (Be sure to state your expectations on appropriateness and review their finds; clips found on YouTube can be altered in unexpected and sometimes startling ways. When covering the cultural history of the postwar era, the addition of television clips can be an effective way to demonstrate the power of the medium to reflect and even shape the American way of life.