Unit 8 The Great Depression and the New Deal (2.5 weeks)
Big Picture Questions:
To what extent were the laissez-faire policies of the U.S. government in the 1920s responsible for
the Great Depression of the 1930s? How did the events on black Tuesday eventually spiral
throughout our economy and affect all Americans?
Business cycle
Depressions
The Great Depression
Overproduction
Speculation
Buying on Margin
Shaky Banking Practices
Hawley-Smoot Tariff
1929
New York Stock Market Crash
Black Tuesday
Bank failures
Human Impact of Great Depression
John Steinbeck
Oakies
Dorthea Lange
The Dust Bowl
Mexican Repatriation Act
In what ways did Hoover’s actions or lack thereof escalate the Great Depression?
Herbert Hoover
Aggregate demand
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
“Hoovervilles”
Bonus Army
To what extent did Roosevelt’s presidency and his new deal policies change America?
FDR
Brain Trust
Fireside chats
Role of Women
Eleanor Roosevelt
Frances Perkins
New Deal Legislation
Relief
The Banking Crisis
Bank Holiday
Federal Emergency Relief Act
Civilian Conservation Corp.
Public Works Administration
Works Progress Administration
Recovery
“Priming the pump”
National Recovery Administration
Agricultural Adjustment Acts
Reform
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Tennessee Valley Authority
Securities and Exchange Commission
Social Security Act
Monetary Policy
Money Supply
Federal Reserve Act
Inflation
Gold standard
Fiat money
Impact on Labor
Norris-LaGuardia Act
National Industrial Recovery Act
Wagner Act
What were some of the criticisms of the New Deal?
Liberty League
Francis Townsend
Huey Long
Father Coughlin
Supreme Court and the New Deal
National Industrial Recovery Act
Agricultural Adjustment Act
Schechter Poultry v. U.S.
Roosevelt’s Court Packing Plan
Effects on state and federal governments
Instructional Focus: In this unit we will examine how the prosperity of the 1920s was suddenly cut off by
the Great Depression. The first items we will examine are the causes of the Great Depression, including
those from the 1920s and the more immediate stock market crash that led to a chain reaction that toppled
the American economy and quickly spread to the rest of the world. As part of this you should examine lots
of photos, especially those of Dorthea Lange and perhaps read brief excerpts from Steinbeck’s “The
Grapes of Wrath”. You will then briefly discuss President Hoover’s response to the Great Depression and
the public responses to Hoover. The focus will then shift to studying FDR, the role of women, and New
Deal legislation and the goals of relief, recovery, and reform. Emphasis should be made that not all
Americans agreed with Roosevelt’s plan and this would be a great opportunity to pull in political cartoons
that criticize Roosevelt’s policies. Students should understand the long term change the new deal made
to the role of the federal government and its legacy of government agencies, regulations, and programs
that remain with us today.
Suggested Resources:
New Deal “snowball fight”- Put New Deal “alphabet soup” policies on pieces of paper. Wad them up and
have a snowball fight. At the end of the snowball fight the students keep one “snowball” and research the
policy on that sheet of paper. then the student categorizes the policy as Reform, Recovery, Relief and
tapes it to the correct category. Students then record (chart or picture) of the categorization.