Individual Development & Identity:  Personal identity as shaped by an individual’s culture, by groups, and by institutional influences.

Performance Expectation:

b. identify, describe, and express appreciation for the influences of various historical and contemporary cultures on an individual's daily life

Results:

    1.The students will come up with at least three characteristics of the generation assigned to them in their small groups.

    2.The student will write three ways that Generation Y will come to be defined by the end of that generation.

Assessment/Essential Questions:

Each student will be given a short essay quiz that asks the following essential questions:

1.What main event and cultural characteristics define the generation assigned to you?

2.How do you believe Generation Y will be defined in the end? 

Evaluation:

     In question 1, students will have to mention the main event defining the assigned Generation and give at least two characteristic of that generation (such as patriotism for the Greatest Generation).

     In question two, the student will be evaluated on whether or not at least three characteristics of Generation Y are given that could help define this generation.

Curriculum:

This lesson plan would be perfect to fit into a social psychology class or a history course studying U.S. History, 1930s to the present.

Procedures:

     After handing out a study sheet, teacher will present music from a generation, starting with The Greatest Generation. Students will be divided into four groups, each group working on a specific generation. Included will be the Greatest Generation, Baby Boomer Generation, Generation X, and Generation Y. Students will discuss their generation and identify defining characteristics of their generation. They will also describe the most important events that occurred during the generation. Student groups will have packets of information compiled by the instructor in order to answer the questions and write their essay.

Questions:

1.What classifies significant or defining events?

2.What types of events “define” generations? Political? Social? Technological? Ideological?

3. What were the different events that defined your assigned generations?

4. What events will or could define your (the students’) generation?

5.What are some of the major differences between generations? Why do you think these differences occur?