INQUIRY 3

THE DECAMETER

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INQUIRY PROBLEM:

Can you find the time? Inspecta Detecta has obtained pieces of evidence that appear to be from previous decades. She needs you to recreate the scenes of the time by assembling Decameter images into appropriate decades to match the evidence. Each team will be given one piece of evidence. Your job is to find and recreate its decade. Can you do it?

DESCRIPTION

Introduction Activity:
This activity uses the Decameter program on the History Lab CD-ROM to examine the stylistic indicators of different decades. Students will be challenged to assemble clothing, vehicles, street scenes, and ephemera typical of the last ten decades.

History Lab Exhibit:
The Decameter

TOPIC AREAS

• Material Culture
• Popular culture
• Costume history
• American history

MATERIALS NEEDED

• History Lab Outreach Kit
• Internet access
• Decameter Images
• Envelopes for Ephemeral Evidence

IMPLEMENTATION

1. Explain that a decade equals ten years and a century is equal to 100 years or ten decades. Each decade had its own popular styles.
   TIME: 10 minutes
2. Students use the History Lab CD-ROM to construct different decades based on the pieces of evidence distributed. To prepare for the activity, print out the poster images from the Decameter menu in the Time Resource Kit and place in envelopes for the students. There will be ten posters total.
   NOTE: This can be a group or an individual activity. 30 minutes - 1 hour
   TIME: 30 minutes - 1 hour
3. Distribute the envelopes of "Ephemeral Evidence." Students can try to obtain an initial date by doing research or they may try to match them to the menu in the Decameter program. When they have dated the item, students then build the scene from that decade using the Decameter program. Students can turn in print outs of their on-screen collages for grading. You will have to verify all of the components of the students' screen images to make sure they are representative of the appropriate decade.
   TIME: 30 minutes - 1 hour
4. Have student teams present their evidence and decade scene to the rest of the class. Students should justify their decade decisions as they present their screen images (either via projector or print out) and explain the significance of the Ephemeral Evidence to the decade.
   TIME: 1-2 hours

REFERENCES

BOOKS
The 20th Century: An Illustrated History of the Our Lives and Times. Lorraine Glennon (Ed.). North Dighton, MA: JG Press, 2000.

Washington: Images of a State's Heritage. Schwantes, Morrissey, Nicandri, Strasser. Spokane: Melior Publications, 1989.

Smithsonian Visual Timeline of Inventions. Richard Platt. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1994.

WEBSITE
www.historylab.org
   "Time Resource Kit"

OTHER RESOURCES
Historic Newspaper Set
   Available from WSHS; email web@wshs.wa.gov to request a set

Author: SL
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