Section outline

  • Weeks 4-5: The Analysis of a Fad Success Criteria Students will become familiar with a famous fad, how it started, grew and declined. Make sure you pick a fad where there is enough information to sufficiently describe the 4 phases. 

    Go to the following website: http://www.badfads.com/ and choose from the following categories: 

     Activities, Collectibles, Events, Fashion, Health, Hobbies, Music, Recreation, Technology and Television/Film. 2 Students are encouraged to work in pairs online. Fad Powerpoint Project Students are to choose a fad from the following list that you will find at: http://www.badfads.com/ – this is a fantastic site. You can also use additional sources. 

    You will create a Powerpoint as follows: 

    1. A title page with your name, class, the name of your fad, and an interesting catchy title. 

    2. Provide at least 4 images for your fad. Each image must contain a caption (a short description of what is in the image is about). 

    3. Write a brief summary of what happened during the 4 phases of your fad. 

     A. Describe the Hidden Phase. 

    B. When did it start to catch on and build in popularity? Why was it so appealing? Give examples (The Breakout Phase) 

    C. When did it peak in popularity. How can you tell this was the peak period? (The Peaking Phase). Can you provide examples of just how popular it was during the peak phase? 

    D. Why did people suddenly begin to lose interest in it? (The Decline Phase) Addition questions to answer: 

    a. What function do people think the fad served? Why were people so attracted to it? 

     b. Is the fad still alive today – or has it completely died out? For instance, people can still buy a yoyo, but it is not nearly as popular as it once was. The same is true of the hula hoop. 

    c. Is there any information on how much money was spent on it or if it was an item, how many were sold? 

    d. What some interesting or little-known facts about your fad? Possible Sources of Information 

    1. Google ‘Fads and _______’ (the fad you are researching) 

    2. EPIC database on the school’s Library website 

    3. Try ‘Google Books’ then type in the name of the fad.