For this activity, our goal was to introduce the question "How have politicians and corporations used the American Dream as a tool to their benefit?" through the lense of 1950s Advertisements and Consumerism. The ads were placed at the center of large frames which we created surrounded by the questions: What do you see in this ad? Any stereotypes? Who is the intended audience? What does this reveal about society at the time? The students then rotated in pre-created groups through a carousel fashion and responded to the questions on each image, ultimately creating a large frame for the classroom wall with thoughtful student responses. After seeing all of the ads and the different perspectives on the 1950's, students were asked to discuss their thoughts on the images through guided questions and prompts.

Please select the following link to see the five other advertisements used in this activity. 1950s Ads.pptx