Roaring Twenties project causes stress, elation
Roaring Twenties project causes stress, elation
The Roaring Twenties project in AP Block is a veritable legend among former, current, and prospective students, and members of the class of 2020 just completed the project. Each year, students are divided into groups to create an interactive class presentation about an aspect of the 1920s, and preparation includes prop building, group meetings, and extensive research into each group’s topic. Following two weeks of anticipation, students presented during the week of Feb. 12.
At the start of class on the first day of presentations, the classroom was chaotic as students rushed to confer with their group one final time while busily arranging props, food, and notes. “My group was really freaking out,” said sophomore Meg McCartney, “my friend was having a panic attack.”
As students began to present, however, their stress gave way to excitement.
“Everybody got really creative with their topics,” said sophomore Grace Martin, “which was really fun to see.” Groups incorporated music, food, skits, games, and short films to keep the audience engaged and included interactive elements in their presentations.
The Twenties project is known for making (or breaking) friendships, and many students bonded with their groups. Sophomore Page Wheeler said of her experience, "I loved how I got to make friends and felt more comfortable with the topics."
"It was a challenge to take something that is kind of boring to talk about and make it very interesting," said sophomore Madison McKinniss, adding, "although it was the hardest part, it was probably one of the best parts as well."
Students taught others about social, economic, and political events of the 1920s to gain more knowledge about the broader historical context and make connections among topics.
Despite the stress, students had an overwhelmingly positive impression of the Twenties project in retrospect. "I felt that the Twenties project was a great and fun way to quickly get an idea of the Roaring Twenties," said sophomore Kayley Terry.