Oklahoma Academic Standard 6. The student will investigate how post-war social, political, and economic events continued to transform the state of Oklahoma from the 1950s through the present.  

Objective 6.8  Describe the changing perceptions, both internal and external, of the state and its citizens, as reflected in the Grapes of Wrath, the musical Oklahoma!, Route 66, and the professional basketball team the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

In a Nutshell

Teacher Action 

Student Action 

• Provide opportunities for students to analyze information from visual, oral, or digital to draw conclusions in order to understand how Oklahomans were viewed through different mediums and across time. 

• Develop a self generated theses or claim related to independent research regarding the local and national perception of Oklahomans and compose an argumentative written product to explain the legacy of such perceptions.  

Key Concepts 

Misconceptions 

• national and local perception of Oklahomans 

• Route 66, "Mother Road", "Main Street of America"

• stereotypes of farming and ranching cultures presented in the musical Oklahoma!

• origin of the stereotype of the "Okie"; impact of author's perspective on society

• economic impact and cultural identity developed through association with professional sports team

• evolving image of Oklahomans on a national and international arena through music industry 

• Some students may mistakenly associate Oklahomans as poor, backward people due to media portrayals of the past and stereotypes that prevail from decades ago. 

Instructional Resources