The Century: America's Time

Reporter Peter Jennings hosts this important series that chronicles the events and experiences of America in the twentieth century, the century that Henry Luce dubbed

Episode 15, Machine Dreams: Then and Now

The last episode in this series examines several major events of the 1990s and places them in a context that amplifies their thematic relevance. Included in this episode are the proliferation of computers, the Internet, communications revolutions and the technology of today poised to enter the world of tomorrow. Some of the highs and lows of the decade such as the Oklahoma City Bombing and The Million Man March are also examined, as is the contrast between military technology from World War I and the Gulf War.

Machine Dreams: Then and Now fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: Chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, historical issues-analysis and decision-making for Era 7.

• Abstract
• Antithesis
• Averted
• Cavalcade
• Celestial
• Demographic
• Demonize
• Exploitation
• Extrapolated
• Fervently
• Flux
• Fundamental
• Genuflect
• Haphazard
• Icons
• Ideological
• Obscurity
• Obvious
• Omnipotent
• Prestige

Discussion Questions

1. Is the world today a

2. The Internet is one of the most radical advances of the twentieth century. How does the Internet influence your life? How has it changed American life in the past decade?

3. Henry Luce, co-founder of Time, Inc., labeled the twentieth century

4. Discuss the advances of military technology in the twentieth century. How is war different because of the new technology? How would you compare the Gulf War with World War I or World War II?

5. Why was the Oklahoma City bombing so devastating to the American psyche?

6. Government is very different at the end of the twentieth century than it was at the beginning of the century. What should the role of government be in America? What are your predictions for changes in government for the 21st century?

7. W.E.B. DuBois predicted that the problem of the twentieth century would be the problem of the

8. Why has the Ku Klux Klan been popular in America despite its violent actions and intentions?

9. Discuss African-American history in the twentieth century.

10. What has been the impact of television on the twentieth century?

Extended Activities

1. Create a timeline of the twentieth century.

2. Create a poster that illustrates some of the technological breakthroughs of the twentieth century.

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Air Dates

• January 24, 2005