Part 2 of our Interactive Whiteboard Educational Video Series comes from a 1951 film about what to do on a date. It’s on the longer side at 10:46 in total, but it has some memorable quotes and moments. Also, note that at ~5:44, Nick gets his inspiration for his next date from the community center bulletin board. That was like the Internet of the 20th century and it’s still pretty useful today, especially if you’re looking for the date of the next Weenie Roast.
So how can you make the most of this old school video? First off, you can discuss how dating and other social conventions have changed in the last 60 years. And if you want to break up any potential monotony, you can freeze it at certain points and have students guess what’s about to happen. For example, does Kay go on a second date with Nick? What’s Nick doing right or wrong from the perspective of someone from the 1950s compared to today? You could also ask students to translate the lingo from back then into what modern high schoolers would say. Whatever you do, this video resembles the Civil Rights Rap in that it shows a candid snapshot of what America used to look like. Contrast it with what our country looks like today and you have an engaging lesson in history and sociology.
Posted by Taeho Lim
