U.S. Between Wars
8th Grade U.S. History
Colby Peterson, Kyle Webb, Joe Olivier, and
Greg Perleberg
Order of Things
• The unit will be done in a chronological order.
We will start with life post World War I and
work gradually to the start of World War II.
The unit, using block scheduling teaching a
class for 90 minutes every other day, will take
3 ½ weeks of instruction.
Unit Rationale
• It is important to learn and understand the
economic, social, and political changes that
occurred in this short span of time. Today’s
society has been shaped by what occurred in
this time period, and it is critical to see what
happened between two of the most
memorable wars in history.
Essential Questions
• Why is this unit important?
• What led to the Stock Market crash of 1929? Why
was it important in society?
• What were some of the social and economic
changes that occurred between World War I and
World War II?
• What legacy did FDR leave behind? Was the New
Deal successful? What effects did it have on the
country?
• What was the Dust Bowl? Why is it memorable?
What were its societal and psychological effects?
Unit Objectives
• SWBAT formulate reasoning for changes in
society during the 1920s and 1930s.
• SWBAT list problems Americans faced during the
Great Depression and Dust Bowl.
• SWBAT gather a feeling of empathy for the
people living through the depression after such a
prosperous decade.
• SWBAT understand how developments from this
era have had a lasting impact on society.
• SWBAT analyze and know the difference between
primary and secondary sources.
NCSS Themes
• 2) Time, Continuity, and Change
– Studying the past makes it possible for us to understand the human story across time.
The historical experiences of societies, peoples and nations reveal patterns of continuity
and change.
• 3) People, Places, and Environments
– The study of people, places, and environments enables us to understand the
relationship between human populations and the physical world. Students learn where
people and places are located and why they are there. They examine the influence of
physical systems, such as climate, weather and seasons, and natural resources, such as
land and water, on human populations. They study the causes, patterns and effects of
human settlement and migration, learn of the roles of different kinds of population
centers in a society, and investigate the impact of human activities on the environment.
• 4) Individual Development and Identity
– Personal identity is shaped by an individual’s culture, by groups, by institutional
influences, and by lived experiences shared with people inside and outside the
individual’s own culture throughout her or his development.
• 8) Science, Technology, and Society
– Science, and its practical application, technology, have had a major influence on social
and cultural change, and on the ways people interact with the world.
1920s (Week 1)
• Spend one week covering the 1920’s up to the
Stock Market Crash of 1929.
– Life Post WWI & Jazz Age. With this day we will
talk to students about proper ways to research for
a paper as well as how to cite sources.
– Prohibition, Political Stances, Teapot Dome,
Harding’s Death
– Societal changes leading up to the Stock Market
Crash
Early 1930s (Week 2)
• Causes of the Great Depression
• Election of 1932
Mid 1930s (Week 3)
• New Deal Programs, Fireside Chat, Increased
Role of the First Lady
• Life in the Great Depression, Dust Bowl
• Research Day for Papers/Assessment
1930s (Week 4)
• 1st half of class time - Review of the Unit
• 2nd half of class time- Present Papers (½ with
teacher, ½ with principle)
Unit Assessment
• Students will write a 2 ½- 3 page research
paper over one of the topics presented in the
unit. Time will be designated at the beginning
of the unit to tell students how to effectively
research topics and show how to read and
understand primary documents.