Great Depression Homework Assignments and In-class Journal Entries
Journal: Stock Market: 1/18
List anything you know about the stock market; what it is, how it works, etc.
HW #1: (Assigned 1/19; Due 1/20)
Read p. 464-471 and complete the following questions in your journal.
1. The text describes five economic troubles that were going on during the 1920s. Which of these
five do you think was most responsible for causing the depression? Why?
2. List causes of the stock market crash. Which of these do you believe was most responsible for
causing the market to crash? Explain why.
Journal: Stock Market Activity: 1/20
What emotions and thoughts did you have as you watched the prices go up and down during the
activity? How do you think you would have reacted had you been an investor in the 1929 stock market
crash?
HW #2: (Assigned 1/20; Due 1/24)
Read p. 472-477 and answer the following question in your journal.
1. After reading this section, what do you think would have been the most difficult part of living
through the Depression? Explain why.
HW #3: (Assigned 1/24; Due 1/26)
Read p. 478-483 and answer following questions in your journal.
1. What did Hoover believe was the government's role in society?
2. How did this belief coincide with his philosophy of rugged individualism?
3. Think about Hoover's belief in rugged individualism. Do you personally agree with this
philosophy (in today's times)? Why or Why not? How do you think people would have felt
about this view during the Depression era?
4. Look at the political cartoon on p. 481. Hoover was very unpopular and received a lot of blame
during the Depression. What action (or lack of action) do you think was most responsible for
the people's negative views toward Hoover? Explain.
Journal: Cinderella Man: 1/31
List changes in Jimmy’s life from the very start of the movie in 1929 to the rest of the movie in 1933.
What impacts of the Depression are seen in the movie?
HW #4: (Assigned 2/8; Due 2/10)
Read 488-494 and answer following questions:
1. What do you believe was the most important action/program that Roosevelt took/proposed to
help with the Depression? Explain why.
2. Roosevelt used deficit spending to try to help fix the economy during the Depression. Do you
agree with this philosophy of Keynesian Economics? Explain (also see p. R39 for deficit spending
and R42 for Keynesian economics in back of book)
HW #5: (Assigned 2/10; Due 2/14)
Read 515-519 and answer the following questions:
1. What do you think is the most important lasting effect of the New Deal? Explain why.
2. Do you think FDR's New Deal was a positive or negative event for our country? Explain why.
Journal: Dust Bowl Video: 2/14
List impacts of the Dust Bowl seen in the video. After watching the video, what do you think would have
been the most difficult part of surviving the Dust Bowl? Why?