The Great Depression
Monica
Dinah
Danielle
Abstract
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A study on the Great Depression that focuses on the sights, sounds, and the emotions of the
time. The lesson incorporates lecture, oral presentation, and both visual and auditory primary
sources.
Overview: students will
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Learn about key events of the Great Depression
They will analyze a visual source
They will read in History Alive! The United States.
They will complete a sensory figure to record information
Students will apply their learning in a processing assignment
Standards
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The causes of the Great Depression and how it affected American society.
The causes of the crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.
Materials
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History Alive textbook
CD track “Brother Can You Spare Me a Dime” and “Charleston Party”
Reading notes 28.3 The Economy Sinks into Depression
Transparency Bank Panic in New York City
Poster paper
Research Question
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How do you use primary source materials to invoke feelings of empathy for those living though
the Great Depression
Preview
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Play the CD Charleston Party and Brother Can You Spare me a Dime
Students will complete a musical preview worksheet
Ask students to share work in groups. They might describe the dance music from the 1920’s as
“fun and exciting” and the folk song of the 30’s as “sad gloomy and depressing”
Explain that they will learn how this music reflects the attitudes and feelings of the two decades
they will be studying
Lesson Study
1. Project transparency of the source Bank Panic in New York City
a. Ask questions
i. What do you see?
ii. What type of business is this?
iii. What might the people be doing here?
iv. Why might people crowd around a bank?
v. This bank is failing. What might cause a bank to fail?
vi. How do the depositors feel if they think that the bank might not be able to pay
them their money?
vii. How might bank failures affect a country?
2. Have students read section 28.3
a. Complete corresponding reading notes
b. Have the students share out their responses
c. Provide feedback on their answers
3. Have the students reexamine the source Bank Panic in New York City
a. Now ask more detailed questions like….
i. What might these people be saying to each other?
ii. If people lose their money or are afraid of losing their money what happens to
consumer spending?
iii. How do companies respond if fewer of their products are being bought?
iv. How do consumers respond if they are laid off of work?
v. What, if anything, should the government do to try to stop this downward
spiral?
4. Have students a short paragraph in groups
a. Place students in mixed-ability groups of four
b. Assign each group one of the following characters
i. Bank manager inside the bank
ii. Farmer trying to withdraw money
iii. Business person trying to withdraw money
iv. Observer standing across the street
v. President Hoover
c. Give students time to discuss and then compose a short paragraph that will bring to life
a scene from the Great Depression
d. Make sure students understand that each group is responsible for writing from the
point of view of the person on their card
Assessment
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Students will compose an essay from the point of view of one person from the depression era
How well did they express the hardships of the Depression in their essay
Ongoing assessment of the oral answers given throughout the lesson
Assess the follow through assignment of the poster the students compose