History and Politics



1. Name five key events from the 1960s (including their year), and explain why they are important in your opinion. Then, pick another few events that are also interesting to know (but maybe not that important).

The following pages may help you:
History - 1960s
Wikipedia - 1960s
About History - 1960s
American Cultural History 1960s
The Sixties - Timeline

2. Which presidents governed America during the 1960s?
Pick one of them and find out more about him.

3. Explain what the "New Frontier" and the "Great Society" proposals were, which difficulties they faced and to what extent they were put into action.


Civil Rights Movement



2. Two prominent civil rights activists, Martin Luther King and Malcom X, were both active in the 1960s, and both of them were assassinated.
What did each one of them want to change, and what message did they try to convey? In which ways did their teaching differ?

Martin Luther King - Biography
Martin Luther King - Wikipedia
Malcom X
Malcom X - Wikipedia

2. Can you also see differences in their rhetorics?
(watch "I have a dream" and "Who taught you to hate yourself?")


Socio-Cultural Background



1. What role did San Francisco play with regard to the socio-political developments of the 1960s? Can you explain the lyrics of the song "San Francisco" (1967) by the Mamas & the Papas?

2. What were the reasons why there were a lot of protests on college campuses in America?
Watch this video.

3. Which toys became popular in the 1960s, and how does this reflect the socio-cultural background of the period?


Music



1. 1960s Hits

Listen to the following songs from the 1960s. Which is your favorite and your least favorite one, and why? Where do you see aspects of the time in which they were written?

The Shirelles - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (1960)
The Beatles - She Loves You (1963)
The Beach Boys - Fun, Fun, Fun (1964)
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone (1965)
Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walking (1966)
The Rolling Stones - Paint it Black (1966)
Aretha Franklin - Respect (1967)
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love (1969)
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (1969)
Beatles - Here Comes The Sun (1969)

2. Woodstock

Can you explain why Woodstock such a big deal?
In which ways was it different from modern open-air music festivals?

Have a look at this video and the following life performances:

Joe Cocker
Janis Joplin
Jimi Hendrix


TV and Film
(descriptions partly based on IMBd and Wikipedia)

Watch some trailers and scenes from movies made in the 1960s or taking place in the 1960s. What image do the give us of the time period? What image do they convey of men and women’s roles? What can you say about the fashion and hairstyles of the time after watching them?

The ones marked with an asterisk (*) are movies we could watch, so pick your favorites!



1. TV Series and Movies Made in the 1960s

*Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) - Party scene

A romantic comedy that follows a young writer who falls in love with his neighbor: an independent young woman who wants to be well known in society and enjoys high-fashion and wild parties.

*The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Theme

An Italian spaghetti western film that revolves around three gunslingers competing to find a fortune in buried Confederate gold amid the violent chaos of gunfights, hangings, American Civil War battles and prison camps.

Easy Rider (1969) - Original trailer

An American road movie that tells the story of two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South. Easy Rider explores the societal landscape, issues, and tensions in the United States during the 1960s, such as the rise and fall of the hippie movement, drug use, and communal lifestyle.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) -
First episode opening

An American science fiction television series that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and its crew. The show is set in the Milky Way galaxy, roughly during the 2260s.

>> Other well-known examples are Psycho (1960), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), *Goldfinger (James Bond) (1964), For a Fistful of Dollars (1964), The Flintstones (1960-66)


b. TV Series and Movies Set in the 1960s

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) - Trailer
First radio broadcast (without music)

Set in Saigon during the Vietnam War, this film stars Robin Williams as a radio DJ on the Armed Forces Radio Service, who proves hugely popular with the troops, but infuriates his superiors with what they call his "irreverent (=disrespectful) tendency".

*Catch Me If You Can (2002) - Trailer

An American biographical crime drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale, who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a parish prosecutor.

Down With Love (2003) - Trailer

This romantic comedy takes place in New York City in 1962; love is blooming between a journalist and a feminist advice author, who's falling head over heels despite her beau's playboy lifestyle.

Dreamgirls (2006) - Trailer

A film about the history of the Motown record label and one of its acts, The Supremes. The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s.

*Mad Men (TV series, 1912 - present) - Promo Season 1

A drama about one of New York's most prestigious advertising agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.

>> Other well-known examples are *Forrest Gump, Hair, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Austin Powers, *Big Fish, Brokeback Mountain, Dirty Dancing.