Name: ________________________________ Date: ________________ Period: _______ #-_______
“The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”
Understanding Historical Context
Directions: BEFORE READING ROD SERLING’S “THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET” ON PAGES 666684 IN THE LITERATURE BOOK, COMPLETE THE PACKET TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORICAL
CONTEXT OF THE SELECTION.
55 TOTAL POINTS
BEFORE READIN G
• SET A PURPOSE
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1. What is the purpose of reading the information contained in this packet?
To gain knowledge of the historical events that were happening at the time the
screenplay was written
2. What should you expect to be able to do after reading the material in this packet?
To understand the events that shaped the plot of the screenplay
~”Because I had to” type of answers are not acceptable—THOUGHTFUL responses
are worth one point each = 2 points
●
PREVIEW THE READING
In the space to the
right, list anything in
this pre-reading packet
that might give you a
sense of what you can
expect to learn.
Vocabulary, article titles—“Communism” or “America’s First Teenagers: Youth in the
Fifties,” rumors, Cold War graphic organizer, cartoon
~ Should have 3 similar items listed = 3 points
●
PLAN A READING STRATEGY
While you complete this pre-reading packet, you will:
● Define key terms
● Relate personal
● Complete a graphic
experiences
organizer
● Make inferences
Compare
informational text
to a cartoon
●
Name: ____________________ # ____ Period: ____
Date: _______________
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DURIN G THE RE ADIN G
● Read with a purpose and look for information to fit your purpose.
Directions: Define the following three bolded vocabulary words found in the encyclopedia article titled
“Communism.” Then, identify two words you found challenging. Write the words on the blank and define all
words using a dictionary.
Communism
1a : a theory advocating elimination of private property
b : a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
2a : a doctrine based on revolutionary Marxian socialism and Marxism-Leninism that was the official ideology of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
b : a totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production
c : a final stage of society in Marxist theory in which the state has withered away and economic goods are distributed
equitably
alliance
1a : the state of being allied : the action of allying
b : a bond or connection between families, states, parties, or individuals <a closer alliance between government and
industry>
2: an association to further the common interests of the members; specifically : a confederation of nations by treaty
3: union by relationship in qualities : affinity
4: a treaty of alliance
sympathizers
1a: individuals who keep accord, or harmony
2: individuals who react or respond in sympathy
3: individuals who share in suffering or grief : commiserate <sympathize with a friend in trouble>; also : to express such
sympathy
4: individuals who are in sympathy intellectually <sympathize with a proposal>
~ Must have one of each of the listed dictionary definitions = 3 points
~ Two additional words and definitions = 4 points
Communism
The Cold War
After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union
competed with each other for international influence and allies
in the Cold War. Both countries attempted to gain international
power by influencing other governments in their favor, often
Name: ____________________ # ____ Period: ____
Date: _______________
Alarmed by Communist expansion in Eastern Europe and in China,
the United States and its allies began giving military and
economic aid to non-Communist countries. They also pledged to
help nations threatened by Communist take-overs. In 1949,
Western nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO). This alliance provided its members with mutual defense
against a possible attack by the Soviet Union or any other
aggressor. In 1955, the Soviet Union and its Eastern European
allies signed the Warsaw Pact, a treaty to provide for their
common defense. The signers claimed they drew up the pact in
response to the creation of NATO. Each side invested in a
massive arms race, a competition to acquire nuclear weapons
and other arms.
In the 1950's, fear of Communism in the United States led to
widespread accusations and investigations of suspected
Communist activities. This pursuit of Communists came to be
called McCarthyism, after Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, a
Wisconsin Republican. McCarthy charged that many individuals
were Communists or Communist sympathizers, usually with little
evidence to support his charges. Nevertheless, many people
lost their jobs or suffered in other ways after being labeled
a Communist.
Vontz, Thomas S. "Communism." World Book Student. World Book, 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.
MAKE PERSON AL C ONNECTIONS
Directions: Consider a situation where you (or someone you know) have encountered a situation in which
a rumor has had a negative impact. Explain your experience.
~ Must describe a situation in which a rumor has had a negative impact
and an explanation = 3 points
Name: ____________________ # ____ Period: ____
Date: _______________
Directions: Use the encyclopedia entry to complete the graphic organizer. This should help you organize the
most important details of the encyclopedia article “Communism.”
CAUSES OF THE COLD
WAR:
~ competition for
international influence
and allies after WW2
~ providing military
aid to other countries
~ providing economic
aid to other countries
~ the United States and
Soviet Union supplied
military aid to opposing
forces in the Korean
War
~ Communism
expanding to Eastern
Europe and China
~ Soviet Union secretly
installed nuclear
missile stations in Cuba
~ MUST include at
least 3 reasons = 3
points
COUNTRIES INVOLVED IN
THE COLD WAR:
~ United States
~ Soviet Union
~ Cuba
~ Korea
~ China
~ Eastern European
countries
~ MUST include at
least 2 countries = 2
points
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COLD
WAR:
~ mutual distrust between
United States and Soviet
Union
~ suspicion
~ misunderstandings between
countries
~ occasional confrontations
between countries
~ MUST include at least
2 characteristics = 2
points
COMMUNISM
from World Book
Encyclopedia
NATO’S GOALS:
~ provide members with mutual
defense against possible attack by the
CREATE
PERSO NAL CONNECTIONS
Soviet Union and its allies—or any
other aggressor
~ compete against the Soviet Union to
acquire nuclear weapons (and
weapons in general)
~ prevent the expansion of
Communism
*implied*
~ MUST include at least 2 goals =
2 points
EFFECTS OF MCARTHYISM:
~ widespread accusations and
investigations of being a Communist or
a Communist sympathizer
~ many people lost their jobs
~ many people suffered negative
consequences after being accused of
being a Communist or a Communist
sympathizer
~ general mistrust and atmosphere of
suspicion developed among people
*implied*
~ threatened to limit freedom in the
United States
*implied*
~ MUST include at least 2 effects
= 2 points
Name: ____________________ # ____ Period: ____
Date: _______________
MAKE INFERENCES
Directions: Use Herbert Block’s cartoon and the information from the World Book article titled
“Communism” to answer the following questions.
1. List two important objects in the cartoon and describe what each represents.
Object
Symbolizes
man
Mass hysteria in the United States
Fire
Statue of Liberty
McCarthyism/accusations of Communism and
Communist activities
Freedom
Pail of water
Attempts to limit freedom
* other options are possible, but explanations of symbolism must be clear*
~ Must include 2 objects and 2 reasonable explanations of symbolism = 4 points
2. What issue or event does the cartoon portray?
The second Red Scare in the United States during the 1940’s and 1950’s
~ 1 point
3. What is the purpose of the text in the cartoon?
To describe the feeling (hysteria) of most Americans at the time
~ 1 point
4. What message is Block communicating through the cartoon?
The paranoia of Americans regarding the spread of Communism/communist
beliefs/communist activities has led to ridiculous behavior of citizens and the government.
~ 1 point
5. What groups would have agreed with the cartoon’s message? Why?
Those who were labeled, suspected, and accused of being Communists or participating in
Communist activities OR those whose freedoms were limited or lost because of the paranoia
They were negatively impacted by the paranoia (lost jobs, reputations damaged, etc.)
~ 1 point for group(s) and 1 point for explanation = 2 points
Name: ____________________ # ____ Period: ____
Date: _______________
Directions: As you read the essay, “America’s First Teenagers: Youth in the fifties,” by Barbara
Diggs, complete the t-chart. Identify details from the article that characterized life for teens in the
1950’s in the column labeled “1950’s.” Then, use your personal experiences and knowledge to list
details about teenagers today in the column titled “Today.” Be sure to list a minimum of five (5)
details in each column.
1950’s
~”teenager” first introduced as a common
term
~teens have distinct interests, fashion,
music tastes, and economic power
~hung out at malt shops
~go to drive-in movies
~watched TV with families/family-oriented
activities
~interested in sporty cars and celebrities
~parents appalled by music taste
~listened to 45s
~danced at parties
~Wore saddle shoes, penny loafers, swing skirts
~took home ec and shop in school
~Small percentage attend college
~encountered bullying related to race
~separate facilities and events for different racial
groups
Today
~”teenager” a common term
~teens have distinct interests, fashion,
music tastes, and economic power
~hang out at mall, friends’ houses, etc.
~go to movie theaters
~watched TV with families or selves
/family-oriented activities; activities with
friends
~interested in sporty cars and celebrities
~parents appalled by music taste
~listen to CDs, IPods, etc.
~dance at parties
~wear a variety of fashions
~take computers, gym, work and family, art, etc.
in school
~Larger percentage attend college
~encounter bullying for a variety of reasons
~combined facilities and events for different
racial groups
*other details may be included for the “TODAY” column
~ MUST include at least 5 details in each column = 10 points
Name: ____________________ # ____ Period: ____
Date: _______________
An Excerpt from “America’s First Teenagers: Youth in the Fifties”
Barbara Diggs
The term “teenager” was scarcely heard at the start of the 1950’s, but
by the decade’s end, the word rolled off every American tongue with ease.
The teens of the ‘50’s were the first teen-aged youths to stand out as a
distinct group with interests, fashions, musical tastes and economic power
of their own. Their rise to prominence was largely because, unlike the
youth of previous generations, the youngsters of the 1950s were
unencumbered by responsibilities brought by world war and economic
depression. In the 1950s, America was as prosperous as it ever had been;
the morale of the white middle-class was high, and parents, smilingly
indulgent. For the first time, young people had both the money and the
freedom to do what every generation of teens since has expected as its
right: have fun.
And fun, they had.
The average white middle-class teen in the 1950’s often engaged in
the type of wholesome activities for which they are so well remembered.
They hung out with their friends at malt shops, “necked” at drive-in
movies, and gathered around the television with their families – only one
set per household in those days – to watch respectable programs such as
“I Love Lucy” and “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Teenage boys – from slickhaired “greasers” to cardigan-wearing preppies – spent ample time
salivating over the increasingly sleek and sporty cars that were being
churned out each year. Girls swooned over pin-ups of teen idols like Troy
Donahue and Fabian, and consulted newly inaugurated teen magazines for
advice on dating or fashion.
Perhaps if the teens of the ‘50s had gone no further with their
exploration of fun, perhaps the world would be a different place. But
America’s first teenagers clearly wanted more than wholesome fun. And
when rock ‘n rollers such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis Presley
burst onto the scene, teens were ready. They latched onto rock ‘n roll’s
reckless, thrilling beat and refused to let go. With the advent of rock ‘n roll,
and a spate of movies featuring disaffected teens (most notably being
James Dean in “Rebel Without A Cause”), America got its first taste of
teenage rebellion.
Most parents were appalled. Rock ‘n roll, with its powerful beat,
gyrating singers, and suggestive lyrics, was considered to be utterly
unsuitable for children. The fact that such music also had strong roots in
the African-American blues and gospel traditions made it all the worse. It
was denounced by conservatives as “jungle music” or “Satan’s music” –
which made the teenagers, in true teenage form, crave it all the more.
Record producers were happy to oblige them. Teens flocked the record
stores, dropped millions of dimes in the jukebox, and joyfully jitterbugged
Name: ____________________ # ____ Period: ____
Date: _______________
But, overall, Happy Days wasn’t outrageously far off the mark. Few
teens stepped far beyond their social boundaries, and life for a white
middle-class teen was good fun.
The average black teen, although painfully aware – and often brutally
reminded – of the pervasive racism in America, had their own happy days.
Like their white counterparts, black teenagers of the ‘50s, laughed with
their friends, wore saddle shoes, penny loafers and swing skirts, listened to
45s, and watched wholesome sitcoms with their families. They danced at
parties, took “home economics” or “shop” in school, and a small percentage
applied and went to college.
Rock and roll was well-liked among black teens, but many teens, especially
those in big cities, often preferred the smooth, harmonious sounds of black
“doo-wop” groups such as the Clovers, the Platters or Frankie Lymon and
the Teenagers. Doo-wop was a recent permutation of rhythm and blues, a
form of music that originated in the black
community and had been long enjoyed by parents and kids alike. However,
doo-wop in particular was a teenage thing, as it began with groups of
young inner-city black males gathering on street corners or on front
porches to make up songs and sing a cappella for their friends.
Although white and black teens shared many similarities in pastimes,
fashions and musical taste, the two situations were not “separate but
equal.” The ‘50s are often characterized as an age of ‘youthful innocence’,
but black teenagers were all too aware of their vulnerability to the ugliness
in the world. Fourteen year-old Emmett Till was brutally murdered and
mutilated in Mississippi for whistling at a white woman. Nine courageous
teenagers endured taunts, violent threats and gobs of spit, for daring to be
the first blacks to integrate an all-white high school in Little Rock,
Arkansas.
Popular dance programs, such as American Bandstand and the Milt
Grant Show, would not, at least initially, allow black and white teens to
dance in the same studio. Black teenagers could not help but be aware
that white America considered them vastly inferior, and that straying over
racial boundaries could have humiliating and/or devastating
consequences. Nevertheless, a flutter of rebellion was growing in the hearts
of many black teens. And in the sixties, this rebellion would converge with
the discontent of white middle-class teens, to explode into a revolution that
would alter the course of America’s history.
Diggs, Barbara. "America's First Teenagers: Youth in the Fifties." America's First Teenagers: Youth in the
Fifties. N.p., n.d. Web. Dec. 2012
Name: ____________________ # ____ Period: ____
Date: _______________
RESPOND TO THE RE ADIN G
Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph. Cite facts, examples, and/or details from
the essay, "America's First Teenagers: Youth in the Fifties," and the t-chart in your response.
How was life for teenagers in the 1950s compared to today?
~ Must include a minimum of 3 accurate comparisons describing teens in the
1950’s to teens today
~ 2 points for each comparison = 6 points
~ Must be written in paragraph form, including 5-7 sentences
~ 2 points
~ Must begin with a topic sentence that restates the prompt
~ 2 points
* 10 total points
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AFTER READ ING
●
Pause, reflect, and look back to See if you found information to fit your purpose.
Can you explain how the Cold War led to McCarthyism? Are you able to describe life in the 1950s?
If not, you must go back and reread.
●
Reread to find things you may have missed the first time.
Have you answered all of the questions? If not, take a second look at the text and skim for key
words and phrases. Review your responses.
●
Remember what you have learned.