Great Depression Diary Assignment
Many people during the Depression were faced with extreme hardship and solitude. Often people expressed
their emotions in a diary. Your task is to illustrate the various events that affected the lives of Canadians
during the 1930’s. Complete 3, short diary entries (about ½ page each) spanning the period between the stock
market crash and the beginning of the Second World War. (1929 – 1939)
Choose one of these persons to represent:
Prairie farmer
Factory Worker
Transient single male (drifter)
Middle-class female
Bank manager
Politician
WWI veteran
Immigrant
wealthy business owner
teenager
Mother/father
Explore and depict how problems of the Depression affected the life of the Canadian that you chose from the
above list. Describe the thoughts of the person and show how his/her life might have realistically changed
over the years. Things to consider: lifestyle, food, clothing, work, family, way of life, eating habits, etc.
Requirements - Your diary entries must:
Show your knowledge of the situations you are writing about in the diary entries; do NOT just write a diary
entry. Your diary MUST acknowledge your sense of what life was like during the Depression: how did you
wake? eat? dress? spend the day? who did you live with? how did you travel? etc.
Effectively express and communicate the characters’ point of view. Take on the persona of the person you are
writing for - how did he/she feel? think? live? love?
Each entry must be dated. Your first entry should be dated after October 29, 1929. No date should be later
than 1940
Convey an authentic sense of the period in which the entry is written. Include relevant historical details!!!
Example
Dear Diary, August 22, 1933
Life has changed since the day the stock market crashed. My daily routine is drastically different from what it
was a few years ago. Before I used to watch my siblings during the day and hang out with my friends during
the night. Now I get up very early to get to work. I hardly ever eat breakfast anymore because I want to make
sure my siblings have something to eat. I only work part time at the textile factory because the owners can’t
afford to higher us full time. But I'm glad I work there at all because I know plenty of people where no one in
their family has a job. On my way home, I pick up my brother and sister from the Jackson's. They were very
wealthy before the stock market crash and they are kind enough to give my brother and sister a few pennies
for doing odd jobs around the house. At home, I try to keep them busy, keep their minds off the hunger that
claws through their stomach. I know because that beast is within me too. We go without lunch these days. We
can't afford it. Only breakfast and dinner for us. Just dinner for me. My parents both were lucky enough to keep
their full time jobs, so they come home late. It's my job to make dinner. By the time my parents get home, I've
already put my siblings to bed. With my parents I share whatever they didn't eat. It's not the best life, but we
are one of the lucky few to be eating at all. Let alone underneath a roof we can call our own.
- Mary Anne Smith
Evaluation:
Criteria
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Evidence of
thinking
from
different
perspective
Diary entries do not
reflect perspective of
selected person;
there is no evidence
of critical thinking.
Few diary entries
reflect perspective
of selected person;
there is little
evidence of critical
thinking.
Diary entries
sometimes reflect
perspective of
selected person and
show some
evidence of critical
thinking.
Diary entries clearly
reflect the
perspective of
selected person and
show evidence of
critical thinking.
Inclusion of
facts about
life during
this time
Student does not
include appropriate
facts about
selected times in
diary entries.
Student includes
few facts about
selected times in
diary entries.
Student includes
several facts
about selected
times in
diary entries.
Student includes
numerous facts
about the times in
diary entries.
Language
Student does not
communicate clearly.
Some entries cannot
be understood.
Student does not
always
communicate
thoughts clearly.
Some entries are
difficult to
understand.
Student writes
sufficiently well that
the reader is able to
understand the
message of each
entry.
Student writes clearly;
the message of each
entry is clear and
sophisticated
Diary entries are
missing details and
lack clarity or focus.
Diary entries focus
on content only;
details may be
repeated or missing
Diary entries have
appropriate details
and show variety and
clarity.
/10
Total:
/40
Detail in
writing
Comments:
Diary entries
include only
random details.
/10
/10
/10