Introduction

What was life like in Scout and Jem Finch's time? Step into the Time Machine that is the Web and travel back to the 1930s! What did kids do for fun? What were the 'hit' songs and movies? Who were the Britneys and Justins of that time? What was happening in America and the wider world? Find out the answers to these questions and more AND gain an even better understanding of Harper Lee's classic novel!

Questions

1. Identify and briefly define the following terms: Dust Bowl, hobo, 'American Gothic', 'Dick and Jane', 'Porgy and Bess', and 'Fireside Chats'.
   
   
2. Find three things on this list that you know the price of today or have recently purchased. How much does it cost now? How much did it cost then? Think of your parent or guardian's occupation: what do they do and about how much do they make per week? Judging from the salaries doctors, accountants, etc were paid in the 1930s, how much do you estimate your parent or guardian would have earned then? (If you know the yearly salary, you will need to multiply the figures on the list by 52.)
   
   
3. Name three common themes found in visual art of the 1930s. For each theme, name one painting which contains or expresses that theme.
   
   
4. Name three famous buildings finished in the 1930s, where they are located, and for what they are used.
   
   
5. Identify three women's fashion fads and three men's fashion fads of the 1930s. As far as you know, do people still wear these fashions today?
   
   
6. Browse through the allusions and idioms identified on one of these sites. Choose three allusions and three idioms with which you are unfamiliar and define each. Remember to tell in what chapter and context each is found.
   
   
7. Name three songs from the 1930s that describe the harshness of life for some Americans. Who wrote or recorded the songs and in what years? What is each song about specifically?
   
   
8. What were the laws restricting African-American rights and behavior called? Who enforced them and how were they enforced?
   
   

The Internet Resources

• Great U.S. Buildings of the 1930s
• Early 20th Century Fashion Links
• Compare Prices During the Great Depression to Prices Today
• 1920s & 1930s: THE DEPRESSION & THE NEW DEAL--Songs
• Kingwood College Library--American History 1930-1939
• A New Deal for the Arts--National Archives
• The History of Jim Crow Home Page
• 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Student Survival Guide

The Big Question

Can you look at the people, values, and events that make up YOUR culture in 2004 and find out how things have changed in 70 years?