Steps:

Before the lesson review the steps and determine how long this might take your group. Times and days have been estimated due to the need for flexibility. It is recommended you make transparencies before hand of the following four items listed in the Teacher Resource section:

Levittown-aerial view
Student Worksheet 2-Cause and Effect-Levittown
Student Worksheet 5-Levittown Matrix
Student Worksheet 7-Myers Discussion Guide


In addition, if you have the capabilities, each of the primary sources would be great to have as transparencies or somehow projected.

Day One

1. Distribute Student Worksheet 1-Activating Activities
Students are to read the quote and write a reaction. After two minutes ask students to share their reactions. After a few reactions are shared, reveal to your students that the quote was found on a clay tablet in Persia dating back to 539 BC and was referring to the city of Babylon.

2. For the second section of Student Worksheet 1 display or distribute copies of Levittown-aerial view Allow students three minutes to observe the image and write a reaction. After responses share with students that this is a view of Levittown, Pennsylvania, with the shopping center in foreground.

3. Next ask students to read the statements in the third section of Student Worksheet 1. They should decide whether they think the statements are true or false. They should note their responses in the BEFORE column. Remind them that since they are doing this, it is expected that they guess at several. Quickly read each statement and have students give "thumbs up" for true and "thumbs down" for false so that they can see their classmates disagree and therefore encourage them to find the correct answers as the lesson progresses. Remind them that they will review these statements and the correct responses at the end of the lesson. (10-15 minutes total)

4. Now you will introduce the lesson to the students. Tell them that they will be learning about Levittown, Pennsylvania. Levittown is unique and important to Pennsylvania history and their lives because it was the first true suburb in Pennsylvania. Not only that, but it was the first time that middle class Americans (albeit white) had an opportunity for new homes with luxury items that were brand new. This set the stage for the development and growth of a strong middle class in Pennsylvania. They will be learning about some events that lead up to the construction of the 17,000 homes at Levittown. Tell students we will look at what it was like to buy a home in Levittown, to live in Levittown, and some of the challenges that presented themselves to Levittown. (2-5 minutes)

5. Distribute Student Worksheet 2-Cause and Effect-Levittown and display the transparency of Student Worksheet 2-Cause and Effect-Levittown Explain to your class that they will be reading some background information and that they will be figuring out some reasons (causes) why a massive housing development (effect) was built in Levittown, Pennsylvania, right outside of Philadelphia.

6. Split class in half, then split into manageable groups. Half the groups will receive information and a worksheet on Philadelphia– Student Handout 3-Philadelphia and Student Worksheet 3-Philadelphia The other half will receive information and a worksheet on Pittsburgh: Student Handout 4-Pittsburgh and Student Worksheet 4-Pittsburgh Give groups enough time to read handouts and answer questions. Remind them that their purpose for reading is to find information that relates to why Levittown was able to happen. In addition, they should use items from the text to support their answers to the worksheets" questions.

7. Once groups are finished ask for groups to share how they thought the text related to Levittown in terms of the causes or reasons for it. Write the class responses onto the displayed transparency of Student Worksheet 2-Cause and Effect-Levittown and ask students to have their own copies filled out. Use Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 2-Cause and Effect for reference. (30-40 minutes) If needed, cut short class responses time.

Day Two

1. Tell students that now they will learn about Levittown, the builders, the buyers, and some specifics about the development project through primary and secondary sources. Distribute Student Handout 5-Levittown and Post War Student Handout 2-Revisiting Levittown Either distribute to each student or display/project:
Levittown Advertisement
Levittown Features
General Electric Advertisement

2. Split up class into groups (2-5 members). Give each student AND GROUP a Student Worksheet 5-Levittown Matrix and Student Handout 2-Revisitng levittown. Students should first read the handouts (individually or in groups). Then they are to examine the primary source materials and fill in the matrix AS A GROUP. Remind them it is fine to have differing views and that this process is part of being a member of group. Afterwards they should complete the bottom of the worksheet. Share as a class, fill in the Student Worksheet 5 transparency, and allow students time to fill in their own matrixes (see Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 5-Levittown Matrix. (20-30 minutes)

3. Ask students to share positive aspects of Levittown and note this on chart paper (Possible responses: That it was an opportunity for homeownership by the middle class and lower-middle class. That it was modern and planned, and provided residents with a community centered and focused on its residents.). Tell students that they are about to read about a controversial side of Levittown. They are about to see how different our state and nation were in the 1950s.

4. Distribute Student Handout 6-A Sign of the Times Part 1 and Student Worksheet 6-Controversy . Allow students to work in pairs if they want and they should read the text and answer questions 1-4 on their worksheet. Remind them that they should cite support from the text. Review and discuss answers as a class.

5. Next, distribute Student Handout 7-A Sign of the Times Part 2 Anti Myers Letter, Pro Myers Letter , Photo of Myers" Home , and Student Handout 8-Letter Transcripts. In groups (2-5 members) allow students time to first read Student Handout 5, then look at the letters to the governor, and the picture of residents and possibly outsiders at the Myers" home. Students should then answer question 5-8 on Student Worksheet 6.

6. Discuss and share reactions as a class (see Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 6-Controversy. (25-35 minutes) Students may need to finish this for homework.

Day Three

1. Distribute Student Worksheet 7-Myers Discussion Guide. Either individually or in groups, ask students to examine the statement in the middle and find support for the statement (On the "Yes" side) or support against the statement (On the "No" side). Ask students to put themselves in the shoes of the people living in Levittown at the time. It may be uncomfortable for students to support the statement, but if they think about it historically, maybe they will understand the people who would today be considered racists. Share and discuss the issues relating to the statement (see Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 7-Myers Discussion Guide. (5-10 minutes)

2. Now students will be asked to take a side in this debate. (Possible "twist": Randomly assign a side to each student using the Discussion Guide Sides cards. This way they are forced to think about both sides!) The side they choose does not necessarily need to be the one they themselves agree with, but the side that they feel would be historically accurate.

3. Now students are going to write their own letter to Governor Leader. Distribute Student Worksheet 8-Persuasive Letter and review with them the requirements of this assessment. Their letters will be graded on five categories: 1) focus (Is there a clear point?) 2) organization (Is it in the proper format of letter?); 3) content (Are their relevant and accurate details and supports?); 4) style (Does the letter include rich vocabulary and varied sentence structure?); and 5) conventions (Are there many errors in punctuation, spelling, etc.?). In addition, review the rubric included. (10-15 minutes)

4. Give students remainder of class time to work on their letters for the remainder of third class.

5. For the summary of the lesson, ask students to revisit their activating activity 3 on Student Worksheet 1. Ask them to re-read the statements and decide if they are true or false. This will check to see how much they learned from the lesson. Review and discuss (for reference see Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 1-Activating Activities. (10-20 minutes)