Fabulous Fifties Kit

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FABULOUS FIFTIES PATCH PROGRAM --All age groups need to only complete 3 requirements

1. That's Swell! Hang out at your home and learn some new slang from the 50's and find out what it means. Try to use it in a sentence. Examples include: cooking', dolly, earthbound, frosted, pad, radioactive, burn rubber, or paper shaker. http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/slang.htm

2. TV was a new item of the 50's and primarily watched in black and white until 1959 when color TV became popular. The first portion of the 50's offered variety shows while the later portion of the 50's brought westerns. You can view some of these shows on syndicated TV or DVD's. Learn more about one of the main characters and their role on a show OR watch one of these shows, act it out, sing the theme song, dress up OR create a skit about one of the shows. Examples are I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith, Ed Sullivan, Jack Benny Show, Leave it to Beaver, Mickey Mouse Club, Price is Right OR American Bandstand. http://www.fiftiesweb.com/tv50.htm

3. From tapered pants at the knees to poodle skirts and saddle lock shoes. The girls in the 50 have always had to wear dresses or skirts to school and daily occasions. Tapered pants with a cotton shirt tied at the waist were something they wore for casual attire. Some other items that were popular in the 50's were: striped tops, dotted dresses, wide skirts, petticoats, princess dress, Hawaiian print swimsuits, or knee length shorts. Design your own swell outfit from the 50's, design a pair of socks, or cut out pictures in magazines that may depict the fashion guide of the 50's. http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion

4. Elvis Presley was considered the "The King" of rock and roll and is the best selling solo artist in music history. Get your groove on with some tunes from the 50's. Listen to some music, dance to the beat, visit the rock and roll museum, OR have a sock hop. Some examples include: Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Little Richard, Platters, The McGuire Sisters, and Frank Sumatra. http://www.fiftiesweb.com/58tunes2.htm

5. Common products found in homes in the 50's were plastic chairs, boomerang shaped tables, starburst clocks, wrought iron accents, wallpaper, canopy beds, and matching bedroom suits. Design a room from the 50's or explore examples of houses and rooms from that time period.

6. View the hairstyles and cosmetics of the 50's. Make-up was natural looking or muted tones. Make-up styles include pastel lipstick, liquid eyeliner on the lid, fine-arched eyebrows. Hairstyles ranged from short and curly to being pulled back in a ponytail. Create a hairstyle from that era of time, pull your hair back in a ponytail and tie it with a scarf, learn more about perms, create some pastel colored lip gloss, OR give yourself a makeover and use only natural looking tones for coloring. For extra name your lip-gloss with the 50's colors, which include: Lilac, Apricot, Honey, Pink, Peach, or Strawberry. http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/makeup.htm

7. Food advertisements in the 50's encouraged families to cook all of their meals from scratch, no pre-packaged foods were suggested as in the 60's. The introduction of the Betty Crocker cookbook made this easier to prepare a variety of meals. Common foods and snacks of the 50's were: Hamburgers, hot dogs, rock candy, cake mixes, pez, pixi sticks, Jell-O, soda, ice cream sundaes and banana splits. Have a taste testing of different snacks or foods, OR make an ice cream sundae or banana split OR Design a swell label for one of the 50's items using slang and colorful displays. http://www.groovycandies.com/

8. Family was very important in the 50's and time was set aside so activities were completed as a family. Popular games and toys of the 50's included Hula Hoop, silly putty, musical chairs, bowling, roller skating, drive in movies, socializing at soda shops, Monopoly, dance hops, pogo sticks, bikes, swimming, and watching football games. Do you complete activities with your family on a weekly basis? Do you have family game or movie night? Play with a game or complete a common activity from the 50's. www.hasbro.com

9. Pricing on everyday items has changed since the 50's. Choose two items and compare them to the prices of today. You can use the Internet, nostalgic books, or interviewing someone that resided in the 50's. Examples are McDonald's hamburger(.15), milkshake (.20), fries (.10), coke (.10), gas per gallon (.50), etc.

10. Think pink and poodles! Accessorize yourself with cat eyeglasses, scarves, pearls, bobby socks, gloves, barrettes, saddle shoes, stiletto heels, or penny loafer shoes. Try on or wear a accessory from the 50's OR decorate a pair of roll down socks with appliqués, make a piece of jewelry, flower hair barrettes, design your own bowling league logo, monogram for your shirt, or any other fun accessory.

11. Put it all together in a swell journal or book format. Place all information you learned about the 50's such as clothes, slang, TV shows, in book format or display. Add self-drawn pictures, clippings from magazines, clip art or website addresses to create a great project. (Book format and clip art are located in the kit)

12. Compare something from the 50's to what we use today. What is something that we use everyday that they didn't have in the 50's? Examples of items from the 50's are electric typewriter, 45 record singles, record player, black and white TV, drive in movie theater, slide projectors to view family trips, or phones that have a dial.