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Interpreting the Evidence

Overdressed, Overconfident, Overloud

Student View

About this Activity

  • Documents in this Activity:
  • Historical Eras:

    Turn of the Century and WWI (1890 - 1930)

  • Thinking Skill:

    Historical Analysis & Interpretation

  • Grade Level:

    Upper Elementary
    High School
    College University

  • Topics:

    Industry
    Labor

  • Primary Source Types:

    Photograph

  • Regions:

    New York State

  • Creator:

    NYS Archives Partnership Trust Education Team

  1. Load Overdressed, Overconfident, Overloud, Job Hunting, 1924 in Main Image Viewer
  2. Load Overdressed, Overconfident, Overloud, Job Hunting, 1924 in Main Image Viewer

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Document Description
A page from a 1924 educational publication on job hunting.
Historical Context
The 1920s was a time of prosperity in the United States.  World War I had just ended.  During the war, Americans had been asked to sacrifice for the good of their country.  Now that the war was over, the attitude of self-sacrifice gave way to a quest for individual success.  It was during the economic boom of the "Roaring Twenties" that this document on job hunting was published.  A young person reading this document in 1924 had no idea that only five years later, the stock market would collapse, and jobs would become much more difficult to come by during the Great Depression that followed.
 
Essential Question
How does industrialization change a society?
 
Check for Understanding
Describe the scene in the photograph and evaluate the impact of industrialization on workers.
Historical Challenges
In 1924 Congress passed a constitutional amendment related to jobs. What was that amendment, and why isn't it part of the United States Constitution today?
 
Interdisciplinary Connections
English Language Arts: Write a list of ten tips on how to get a job in today’s world.
 
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