New Zealand Society: the Fifties

 

Learning Intentions students are learning to...

• Understand and account for some of the reasons behind the optimistic attitude seen in the 1950s footage.
• Understand the development which occurred during the 1950s which is still of importance today.

Success Criteria how do students know they have achieved the learning intentions?

• Students will be able to describe some of the conditions which caused the 1950s to be a time of growth and development
• Students will be able to identify projects begun in the 1950s which are still of importance to New Zealand today
• Students will be able to describe the changing significance of developments begun during the fifties.

Relevant Footage

Disk One
Progress

Lesson Outline

• Put some generalised statements on the board which get students to think about what the fifties might have been like (eg. The fifties were a time when: almost everyone had a job, there was a population explosion following World War II, the government saw the need to develop New Zealand’s economy, many ambitious projects were begun) Discuss the positive and negative aspects of these ideas.
• Watch Progress: Ask students how they think a clip like this would be received today (ie. The patronising tone)? What do they think this tells us about society in the 1950s?
• Have students contrast this, perhaps in the form of a T Chart, to modern film in terms of style? (eg. Unbroken monologue little variety in terms of footage)
• Down one side of a page with a few lines between each idea, get students to note down the technologies and issues seen in this footage which are still important. (eg. The family unit, Hydroelectric plants, housing, railways, roads, defence, forestry, rabbit control)
• What has changed? Besides each of the things listed, note down possible ways in which they have also changed (eg. Is there still such a focus on the family unit? Increased pressure and new issues with roads, railways and forestry? Why isn’t milk and butter still subsidised? Is hydroelectric power even more significant now given environmental concerns?