The Radio in American History
By this period in American history, the radio was becoming very important to the entire nation. People would spend their evenings sitting in their living rooms listening to programs, being entertained and gaining a greater understand of the world around them.
For this assignment, find an Internet link to a popular radio show from the time period that we are studying (nothing modern; the show should be from the 1920s-1940s)*. YouTube (Links to an external site.) is often a good source, as is Old Radio World (Links to an external site.).
Listen to an episode of the show, then create a PowerPoint presentation about it (5 Slides). You should include a link to the show you listened to, a visual image about the show, and a brief description of what the show was about. You should also tell me why this show was important, and what it can tell us about American society at the time. If the show you find still has its original commercials, those can be very informative too! For your last slide, write a paragraph explaining the importance of radio programming to the development of American culture.
AGAIN, THIS UNIT COVERS THE PERIOD LEADING UP TO WORLD WAR II: YOU SHOULD NOT USE ANY CURRENT RADIO PROGRAMS AS A PART OF THIS WORK.
Your textbook is NOT a valid Internet source.
Here are some of the radio shows you may encounter, but feel free to use other ones from the time as well. There’s something for everyone: comedy, suspense, true crime, superhero adventures, news, hard-boiled detective stories, westerns, and adaptations of movies and classic books**.
“Abbott and Costello”
“Amos ‘n Andy”
“Fibber McGee and Molly”
“Jack Benny”
“Dragnet”
“Gang Busters”
“Fireside Chats”
“Lights Out”
“Suspense”
“Flash Gordon”
“Superman”
“The Shadow”
“The Lone Ranger”
“The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”
“The Adventures of Philip Marlowe”
“Lux Radio Theatre”
“Mercury Theatre on the Air / Campbell Playhouse” (it changed its name)
