History Lesson Plan for Grade 10 CHC2D
Topic: the economy in the 1920’s
Unit: Interwar Years in Canada’s History
Time: 75 minutes, with 20-30 minute wrap up next class
Unit Context and Lesson Concept:
This thematic based unit will find a lot of intended overlap throughout individual lessons so that students can
make widespread historical connections towards understanding what it was like for Canadians during the
interwar years (politically, socially, culturally, ethnically, economically). By examining the economy in particular,
students will be introduced to a number of new skills and face challenges that will ultimately lead to them
answering the critical challenge listed below.
Key Learnings & Skills:
-students will have to examine/learn new vocabulary dealing with the economy
-students will use reason to evaluate changes that took place in Canada's economy after the war, such as the
opening of the stock market to public investments
-as a result of this lesson students will be told that they are examining this time period/subject matter so that
they will understand the causes of the Great Depression which followed the Stock Market Crash, in 1929. As a
result, they will be introduced to the key learning component of cause and effect, which incorporates
evaluation, the weighing of options
-this exercise will also help with the skill of building an argument because students will eventually be asked to
justify their answer from the critical challenge question in part using evidence that they gathered/were given
during the "Economy in the 1920's" lesson
-students will be introduced to global connectivity throughout the period before the Great Depression
-on a similar note to the point above, “global connectivity” refers to a shift in Canada’s relationship from
reliance on England toward a greater dependence on the United States
-the hook for this lesson has its own skills for development:
-students will examine 2 car ads from this time period which will build the skill of awareness of bias within
primary sources, and will help them understand how to draw out relevant information from a primary source
based on the questions I will ask
- The students will develop skills at critically analysing visuals
Frame Critical Challenge:
Question: List some of the factors that were occurring in the years after WWI that led to the stock market crash,
in 1929. Now, looking at these factors, do you think the Canadian government acted appropriately to these
concerns/issues, or were they beyond the control of the ruling body?
Historical Thinking:
-Examining the Evidence. After examining a number of sources including, textbook, internet, library books
(optional), provided primary sources from “mind set” task, students will have been introduced to a number of
History Lesson Plan for Grade 10 CHC2D
different historical points of view. They will be told, during their research/collaboration time, that they might
come across in their examining of sources different opinions from the same events. Their “examining the
evidence” process will be to evaluate what source they think best proves what it argues, and to base their
conclusions accordingly. This “historical thinking” task ties in closely with the “intellectual tool” listed below.
Intellectual Tool:
-managing impulsivity. Although it is often tempting in history to make assumptions about the reasons things
have happened throughout time, this lesson will aim to have students realize the multifaceted nature of causes.
Isolating the 1920’s economy into its own lesson will help students understand the economy as one cause of
many socio-cultural and political elements that contributed to the events of the Great Depression. For this
reason the “economy in the 1920’s” lesson is ongoing throughout the unit.
-another way managing impulsivity will be cultivated is during the “minds on” activity when they will fill out a
“who, what, where, when, why, how chart” based on the two advertisements. This chart will help them draw
out relevant information about the economy, and they will be aided by the economy section of their textbook
(pgs 120-124, and 139). Students will have to edit, thus manage their impulsivity to include irrelevant
information, while looking deeper into the ads and drawing out essentials about what they say about the
economy.
Background Knowledge & Curriculum expectations:
-students will be given the "minds on" task of examining two primary documents and will pull out relevant info
about what the ads tell about the Canadian economy in the 1920s
-there will have to have been a short class lecture that bridges the changes that occurred in Canada when the
soldiers came home after the war. The economy will be addressed within this larger picture as one proponent of
the liaise-faire attitude that dominated the larger Canadian society/culture during that time.
-this will be given previous to the topic of the stock market crash so that the information will be taken as
reasons for the crash and students can have more time for critical thought when they have to re-examine this
lecture when framing their answer to the critical challenge question on the unit test, during their summative
assessment. All other course work will be assessed as learning until the test, when that will be assigned as
assessment for learning.
-students will be taught during the mini lecture the:
-impact of external forces
-the increase in urbanization trend post WWI
-some science and technology developments (with particular reference to the automobile)
-the relationship between invention and the economy
-how various technologies affected Canadians
-Canada’s international economic status
-Canada’s changing relationships with world superpowers: Great Britain and the United States
History Lesson Plan for Grade 10 CHC2D
-social events that shaped the 1920’s economy (ex. Reference to the lecture on Winnipeg Strike)
-the economic recovery after the Great War, and the increasingly consumer society
-reference to text’s economic cycle on page 124.
Criteria for Judgement:
-continuity and change. Students will gage how Canada changed from times of war to times of peace and
regularity and how that affected the economy.
Habit of Mind:
-critically minded. They need to critically assess the information presented to them. This tool is particularly
useful for filling in the chart with relevant information. They will need to draw out the points of view of the
primary sources and establish the desired audiences for each ad.
Thinking Strategies:
-building vocabulary
-students will decipher important information from the primary sources
-during a “think, pair, share” near the beginning of the class, students will compare their work and collaborate in
pairs to think critically about the information so that they can reach their own opinions. This “thinking strategy”
is especially useful for getting students to think critically and use themselves to comprehend the subject matter,
rather than a straight teacher lecture.
-think, pair, share, “who, what, where, when, why” chart
-in class discussion and small group discussion
Preparation:
-make enough handouts, each student gets a copy of vocabulary, one copy for two paired up students for the
car ads, each student will receive a copy of the chart to fill out
-think about pairing up students depending on classroom dynamic
-have mini lecture ready for presentation to students
-keep in mind definitions to vocabulary sheet (source text: Canada, Our Century, Our Story, from the online
resources)
-bring list of question I might want students to consider if they are struggling with the primary source activity
Agenda:
History Lesson Plan for Grade 10 CHC2D
-distribute handouts
-introduce new topic: Economy in the 1920’s
-get into groups
-assess primary documents and fill in chart
-homework, and bring filled in chart tomorrow
Timetable for the Day
Exercises & Timing:
Ex 1: 5 mins
Ex 2: 20 mins
Ex 3: 15 mins
Ex 4: 15 mins
Ex 5: 20-30 mins
Details:
-before class write agenda on board
-go over agenda with class
-distribute handouts
-introduce new topic of “Economy in the 1920’s
-mini lecture for background knowledge on what is not
covered in the text and cover some of the vocabulary
from the handout
-students will be asked to take notes
-ask students if there are terms they do not know and
explain to entire class, throughout mini lecture
-“minds on” activity
-get students’ initial reactions to the ads
-tell them the purpose of this activity so they clearly
understand the assignment when they are working in
pairs
-the purpose is for them to be able to identify and use
primary sources in history classes, which is what
professional historians do
-the purpose is also to get them to think historically
about life in Canada at that time
- the purpose is also to fill out the chart which they will
need to study when preparing for their summative
assessment which is the end of unit test
-this chart will contribute to their answer on the essay
portion of that test
-think, pair, share
-students will break into groups of 2 and then
independently read pages 120-124 of the text
-they will then discuss the readings and lecture
material in reference to how they think it applies to
the two primary sources
-they will work in their pairs to complete the chart,
preferably by the end of class
History Lesson Plan for Grade 10 CHC2D
Ex 6: 20-30 mins
-tell students each person must hand it a copy of the
chart
-if not finished students will to told to finish the chart
for homework
-tell students what they will be graded (assessed as
learning) on: completion and comprehension
-at the end of the class they will be told to bring the
chart for next class because we will have time to finish
and discuss it at the beginning of next class
-NEXT CLASS:
-give students 10-15 minutes to complete their charts
in their pairs
-take up the chart with entire class and have students
make changes to their own before handing it in
-have students hand in their charts
History Lesson Plan for Grade 10 CHC2D
Topic: the economy in the 1920’s
For: Usha James
By: Julia Chmiel
Date: 2010-10-22
Class: EDU 1150Y History