In this presentation, we will discuss and demonstrate our collaboration, between EDUC 220 and HIST 301 students on the creation of chapter for a digital textbook in US Women’s History. Our chapter, entitled Consumer Culture and the Perception of Women: A comparison of the 1920s and present day, explores the topic of the way in which advertising and our culture of consumerism plays a major part in the way in which our culture views women and even in the way women view themselves from a a variety of mediums and technologies. We utilized primary source documents and time period advertisements, current day academic articles, educational video, and the PB work page to be able to tell a broader and more accessible story of the way in which consumerism values have affected our culture- specifically women’s roles- and how women’s perceived roles have in turn affected our consumer culture. Some of the materials we used are multiple ads from 1920s and present day, “The Story of Stuff” video, The Dove “Campaign for Real Beauty” advertisement, and “Sexism and Sexuality in Advertising” by Michael Jacobsen and Laurie Anne Mazur. Combining conventional academic sources with digital tools allows students to experience a fuller engagement with these topics in US Women’s History in addition to developing preservice teachers pedagogical content knowledge. Our presentation will include a rational for the chapter, a historical overview that provides context, a central historical question that guided the research and creation of the project, and NC State Standards for 8th grade social studies. The audience will also be guided through several aspects of the digital chapter and provided a forum for questions.
