By Dr. David Childs, Ph.D.
Northern Kentucky University
Introduction
In our present day there is a wide variety of entertainment sources available. From television to feature length films twenty-first American citizens have come to greatly rely on using media for entertainment. Out of all of the choices for electronic media today the radio has been a consistent source of news, information and entertainment since its inception. Before television and movies became popular the radio was the primary source of electronic entertainment for many families in the US.
The Golden Age of Radio
A time in history when the radio was very popular was entitled the Golden Age of radio. The Golden Age of Radio was as an old-time radio era when radio programming in the United States was the primary electronic entertainment medium in nearly every home. The Golden Age began in the 1920’s and lasted through the 1940’s, when the appeal of television –offering both sound and imagery– began to become more affordable and took the place of radio.
Using Online Resources to Teach Effectively
People who experienced radio in the early to mid-twentieth century did not have easy access to archives of their favorite shows from childhood or young adulthood. But modern technology through the Internet, computers and online resources such as Youtube allow us to have access to countless media, in such a way that was not at all possible in the past. We now have access to thousands of classic radio broadcasts that offers an invaluable resource for middle school and high school teachers. Educators can use radio broadcasts to teach about certain time periods and ways of life during the early to mid-twentieth century. Teachers can help students have a more rich understanding of American history, civics and democracy via old radio archives.
Examples of Lessons and Units Using Classic Radio Broadcasts
- Using historical speeches to teach American history and historic political ideas.A big part of good social studies teaching is the use of effective and meaningful primary sources. Primary sources do not only consist of print resources. In fact, nearly all radio archives can be considered primary sources. Teachers can use speeches to understand certain historical events or key figures in history. For example, students can listen to audio of US presidents from the past such as Herbert Hoover, Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Harry Truman to help students understand the political climate of certain years or decades. The Internet offers many of the transcripts of these speeches that can allow students to do a text analysis of them for a closer read and understanding of the concepts.
- Using radio programs to teach students how people lived in certain time periods. Students can listen to radio shows of various genre’s such as westerns, mystery, suspense, thrillers, science fiction or comedy to create projects that give students a glimpse of what life was like in the early 1900’s. For example, students can listen to episodes of the western entitled Gunsmoke to supplement a unit on the American West and Native American culture. They can explore American perceptions of the west and how Native American’s were portrayed and how stereotypes persisted.
- Using radio programs to teach students how people viewed life in certain time periods. The 1950’s was often idealized and projected an American utopia and innocent way of life through radio and television. Wonderful discussions and lessons can be built from these radio sources. For example, teachers can use sitcom radio programs such as I Love Lucy, The Aldrich Family or The Ozzy and Harriet Show to supplement a unit about what everyday life might have been like during the 1940’s and 50’s, verses how it was portrayed on the radio. In this same way, science fiction radio programs such as Orson Welles’ The War of the Worlds can be used to explore American perceptions of science and outer space during the 1940’s.
- Using historic radio news programs as primary sources to teach American history. Radio news archives can offer a treasure trove to students studying the early to mid-twentieth century America. For example, when teaching a unit of World War II teachers can integrate the audio archives of the news report of the attack on Pearl Harbor to get a sense of how the attack affected the American public.
Below I have offered a number of links to various radio broadcasts that can be used in the classroom. I have also provided sites that offer lessons on incorporating some aspect of radio in one’s teaching.
Lesson Plans and Classic Radio Program Archives
Science Fiction/Horror/Thriller
Golden Age of Radio: Program #51 (Oct 1, 2017)
Old Time Radio Drama Playlist
Orson Welles – War Of The Worlds – Radio Broadcast 1938
CBS Radio Mystery Theater, 487, Ghost Town
Escape “Man from Tomorrow” – Old Time Radio Science Fiction!
Hall Of Fantasy AUTOMATON – Old Time Radio Science Fiction Horror!
Dimension X “Almost Human” – Old Time Radio Science Fiction!
“The Lodger” 1946 CBS Radio – Vincent Price
Dracula Starring Orson Welles- Mercury Theater
Westerns
Gunsmoke, Robin Hood
The Lone Ranger, Old Time Radio, 560509 In the Name of Justice
The Roy Rogers Show, Old Time Radio, OTR, 521023 Wrong Cowboy
Suspense/Mystery
Perry Mason: Case of the Deadly Double
Suspense: The Shelter – Classic Old Time Radio Horror Drama
Sherlock Holmes – The Camberwell Poisoning Case 1943 – Old Time Radio
Suspicion Alfred Hitchcock: One Hour Audio Drama / Classic Radio Theatre
Comedy
The Aldrich Family – “Moving Day” 10/14/43 (HQ) Old Time Radio Comedy
The Ozzie and Harriet Radio Show December 26 1948 HD
I Love Lucy (pilot for proposed radio series)
Amos ‘n’ Andy Show – Missing Persons Bureau (February 4, 1944)
Abbott & Costello, Old Time Radio 400320 Lion Hunting
News, Speeches, Sports.
Compilation of World War II Radio Broadcasts: Part 1
Joe Louis vs. Jack Sharkey over KHJ Radio, August 18, 1936
1949 World Series Game 1 Dodgers at Yankees Classic Radio Broadcast
Franklin Roosevelt – Fireside Chat #1, On the Banking Crisis (1933)
Franklin D Roosevelt – Four Freedoms Speech – January 6, 1941
1949 Inauguration Speech of Harry Truman (Full)
A Conversation with Herbert Hoover
JFK Secret Societies Speech (full version)
Pearl Harbor Attack Emergency Radio Broadcast
The Only Live News Report from the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Documentaries on History of Radio
Oldtime Radio Documentary “The First 50 Years” The History of Radio Part One
Amazing Short Film on Old Time Radio Sound Effects: “Back of the Mike” (1938)
Teaching Resources/Lesson Plans
Radio Curriculum
Radios in the Classroom: Curriculum Integration and Communication Skills
A Lesson Plan and Project on the Invention of the Radio
References
Golden Age of American radio American Radio Industry
Golden Age of Radio
The History of Radio
A Short History of Radio
I thought this article was a really interesting topic on how radio broadcasts can be used to teach history. Having the different clips from several time periods is a great resource to have today. Actually listening to what was happening instead of only reading about it allows you to feel more immersed in the event.
I honestly think the radio does a better job at describing and telling how things are in a situation because people cannot see what is going on. My grandpa use to watch the baseball games by turning on the TV, turning the sound off, and then turn on the radio because they did a better job and broadcasting.
I was excited when I read this article because I had never before considered the possibility of using old radio broadcasts and shows to teach history. Radio broadcasts (such as the radio announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor) would be a great way to help students learn history. Instead of just reading about World War II in their history books, the students would be able to hear the announcement and have an idea of what it was like to hear it and realize the country was actually under attack. Using the radio broadcasts would thus make learning social studies more meaningful for students.
I feel that radio clips from the past can, as cliche as it sounds, “breathe life” into the topic that students can learn. By giving them an opportunity to hear what people of that time thought or believed about the lesson it can give insight in how life was like for the era. What is especially amazing to me is how much of the archives are being digitized and saved for future generations to hear.
I like the idea of using radio clips to study people form specific time periods. In my classroom, i can have my students listen to a radio clip from, lets say the 70’s, to get a better understanding of how life was lived for the average person back then. As a class we can have a discussion, and draw comparisons from what we heard on the radio to what we would have been learning in the unit. We could draw political comparisons, social comparisons and probably many more that could all tie back to a unit of the text.
Media has been and continues to play an integral role in today’s world. With the growing popularity of podcasts, I feel that the golden age of radio is sort of coming back. People are listening to “talk shows” through podcasts. I’ll even listen to them in the car with friends or with my coworkers while we work. I really liked the idea of being able to use radio clips in the classroom. I could even do this by building schema with podcasts first.
I think it is important for students to listen to radio clips as a way of studying certain time periods in history. Listening to these radio clips can give an insight on how life was like in a certain time period. These radio clips also give another way for students to learn instead of always reading out of the textbook or being lectured by teachers. I think radio is important to reintroduce to these students nowadays because a lot of students may not be familiar with radio given the technological advance within the last couple of years.
Having access to archived radio is an amazing primary source to use in a classroom as it is a unique media to share important information about said period with students. Students when required to use primary sources typically resent them for their long winded language and long texts, however allowing student to access to educational and entertaining primary sources could revolutionize history classes, and how history is taught.
The radio is much more than just music. The radio used to be the only source of entertainment and a way for people to be updated in events. Now we have television, internet, and phones as resources, and we use the radio to learn about the past that we couldn’t capture on video. Listening is just as important, if not more important, than watching something on TV. This is mainly because we’re still able to hear emotion when listening to these podcasts and radios, minus the added bonus of being able to see reactions. We’re able to focus on what the speakers are saying, and I think that’s important.
I find it really interesting that the radio was used for entertainment back in the day. I remember watching an old TV show with my dad and the family on the show would gather around the radio at night to listen. I also had no idea that I could possibly use these radio clips in my future classroom! I love the examples of these lessons provided in this article! I will definitely look deeper into radio broadcasts and incorporate them into my classroom.