I don't think it's all about having the right clothes, the right music, the right
car...I think it's more about history, social influence, and the world-wide impact
that we had (both as a generation and a country), which can be expanded to a
variety of reference research for students. The research would not only get kids
"in books" looking for answers but also provide them with the opportunity to talk
with their parents about that period of time when they were growing up. The
parental input could also be used to expand the unit into another project--
PowerPoint presentation perhaps--- that compares the "past to the present" and the
interview process that could be done to link their parents' childhood / teenage
life to their own. Comparisons of the two generations could be a fun way to get
students to working with their parents and other adults, to learn how things "then"
relate to what is happening now. For example the lyrics of:
19 Something--- (research questions to answer in parenthesis--using print
resources available in the library)....
I saw Star Wars at least 8 times ----(What impact did the "Star Wars" movie have on
future NASA exploration and US Space travel in the 1970's and 1980's? Who
initiated this program and how successful or unsuccessful was it?)
Had the pac-man pattern memorized --- (Pac-Man was a popular video game that was
played in arcades. Who invented Pac-Man, what type of video program was it, and
what were the financial profits gained through this video game?)
And I've seen the stuff they put inside
Stretch Armstrong --- (What was inside "Stretch Armstrong" and who invented it?
Was it used for anything else?)
I was Roger Stauback back in my back yard--- (Investigating the Dallas Cowboy's
"tradition," who was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys during Roger Staubach's
reign, what were the statistics gained by Roger "the Dodger" Staubach during his
career with the Cowboys, and where did he gain his first football start? Name his
favorite receiver. What is the "ring of honor" and who is in it now?)
Had a shoebox full of baseball cards--- (What would be the most expensive baseball
card from the 1970's? Who was on that card and what team did he play for? What
print resource would you use to discover this answer?)
And a couple of Evil Kinevil scars--(What was Evil Kinevil's most difficult stunt?
How many bones did he break during his career? What is his son doing to continue
his father's legacy?)
On my right arm
Well, I was a kid when Elvis died --(When did Elvis die and what was the coroner's
report of his death? What unusual phenomena occurred for several years after his
death? What was Elvis' first and last gold record?)
And my mama cried
Chorus:
It was 1970- something
In the world that I grew up in
Farrah Faucett hair-do days
Bell bottoms and 8-track tapes --- (Who invented "bell bottom" pants and when where
they first introduced to the public? What are 8-track tapes and how do they work?
Who created the Farrah Faucett hairdo and name one other famous "big-name
hairstyle" that was requested during the 1970's?)
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh, man did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
It was 1970-something
It was the dawning of a new decade
When we got our first microwave--(When was the first microwave oven invented and
when was the first one sold to the public? What fears did microwave ovens cause
among the general public?)
And Dad broke down and finally shaved
Those sideburns off -- (Long sideburns on men were called what during the 1970's?)
I took the stickers off of my Rubix cube (What is a rubix cube and how is it
played? How many turns did it take to create a perfectly colored rubix cube? Who
was the famous Rubix Cube player during the 1980's?)
Watched MTV all afternoon (When did MTV make its debute? What was the first MTV
video--who performed it? What were the MTV hosts called in the 1980's? Name three
major MTV hosts during the 1980's.)
My first love was Daisy Duke (The Dukes of Hazard drove what type of car? How many
of these cars were available on the set of "The Dukes of Hazard" for use during the
weekly series? What type of engine did this car have and how fast would it
run--speedometer reading at its highest?)
In them cut off jeans
A Space Shuttle fell out of the sky --- (When did the Space Shuttle fall from the
sky? What famous astronaut was killed? What the purpose of the mission for this
astronaut? What was the impact of the Shuttle's destruction to the NASA program?
When did the next shuttle launch after this accident?)
And the whole world cried
Chorus:
It was 1980-something
In the world that I grew up in
Skating rinks and Black Trans Ams--- (Who invented skating rinks? Name three
different skating techniques displayed in rinks during the 1980's. Who invented
the Trans Am? What was the impact of the Trans Am to the automobile industry? How
much did a Trans Am cost in 1982?)
Big hair and parachute pants --- (What were the biggest fashion influences during
the 1980's and name three individuals who introduced these trends. )
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh, man did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
It was 1980-something
Now I got a mortgage and an SUV --- (What is the interest rate for a home mortage
in 1980 and the current mortgage rate today? What is an SUV and what are the top
three SUVs this year based upon Consumer Reports' Buying Guide?)
But all this responsibility
Makes me wish sometimes
Sometimes....
chorus:
It was 1980-something
In the world that I grew up in
Skating rinks and Black Trans Ams
Big hair and parachute pants
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh, man did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
It was 1980-something
1970-something
Aw, it was 19-Something
********************************************
Too much fun...I think I'll do this one with all the resources that we have in our
library (and let the students do this the "hard way" by locating answers as their
parents would have....in PRINT only.... since the Internet wasn't available in the
1970's!)
~Shonda
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
US / Technology Librarian
Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco@fwcds.org
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