A FACS teacher reached out about a new course she was teaching called Middle to Late Lifespan Development. Her textbook explores how becoming an adult during specific periods in history impacts a person’s life and was looking for help in developing a lesson around it. After brainstorming some ideas and making sure it was what she was looking for, Teen Life Through the Generations was created. Maybe it will be helpful for one of your classes too!

Set

• Intro: Ask students: Do you think every generation has their own major world events that shape their teenage years? Have them share their responses and ideas.
• Test the idea through music. Give students the lyrics to Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” song. Have them annotate the lyrics as they listen to the song via Youtube. (Note:You may want to play the song twice. The first time, students will want to watch the video of events. The second time, just play the song with the projector off so they can focus on the annotations.) Note: Here’s a YouTube link to the historically accurate footage that corresponds to the song lyrics. Please view it prior to showing students to be sure it’s appropriate for your school and students.
• Discuss their annotations to see their results and then have them complete some follow-up prompts.
• Since Billy Joel’s song explored events occurring from 1949 through 1989, repeat the song activity, but this time give students the lyrics to “We Didn’t Start the Fire–2.0 by Fall Out Boy. Have them annotate the lyrics as they listen to the song via YouTube. Note: You may want to play the song twice. The first time, students will want to watch the video of events. The second time, just play the song with the projector off so they can focus on the annotations.) Note: Here’s a YouTube link to the historically accurate footage that corresponds to the song lyrics. Please view it prior to showing students to be sure it’s appropriate for your school and students.
• Again, discuss their annotations, and then have them complete the follow-up prompts.
• Discuss all of the follow-up prompts at this time.
• Discuss and connect the concept of “fire/fires” that shaped each generation. All “fire/fires” can/do have an impact on individuals, families, communities and even the world.
• Help students “step into” the shoes of a generation. To get a feel for each generation, show students this clip or this one.

Materials

• iPads or Laptops
• Projector & Screen

Activities

• Explore each generation in more detail by placing students into small groups and assigning them a generation to research. Once students know their assigned generation, have them create a poster or slide presentation around it that includes specific prompts and criteria within the guide sheet. Note: Depending on the size of your class, you may not need all of the generations. Pick and choose accordingly.
• After groups have completed their presentations, have them share them with the class. It’s up to you as to whether you want your students to take notes on each generation.
• Once the presentations are done, assign the Then vs Now Scenarios. Again, you may not wish to use all of the scenarios so pick and choose accordingly.  These could also be set up as stations around your room if you want to get your students up and moving around. There are two scenarios for each generation. Students read through the scenario and answer the prompts. I like this because it helps students to put themselves into another’s life/situation and compare it to their current lives. This activity encourages them to think critically or “outside the box” This could also be done as a partner or small group activity.
• Discuss the scenarios as a class to see how students responded to each before assigning them the Then vs Now Reflection Prompts.
• The reflection prompts are completed individually but encourage interesting discussion in how they respond to the answers.
• Optional Extension Activities: If you need more project ideas for this topic, you could have students…
  • Create a “Teen Time Capsule”: Include 5 items that represent what it means to be a teen today and explain why future teens would find them meaningful.
  • Curate a Generational Playlist: Pick one song that captures the essence of each generation’s teen years and explain their choices.
  • Rewrite the Past: Imagine how a major event from a past generation would look, feel, and impact teens if it happened in the modern world with today’s generation’s technology, culture, and social norms.

Attachments

• We Didn’t Start The Fire Annotation Assignment for Both Artists/Versions
• Generation Profiles
• Then vs Now Scenarios
• Then vs Now Reflection Prompts

Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash