Major Concept: The Great
Depression (1929-1933) The
prosperous times of the 1920s had
never reached into all sectors of the
economy. A great deal of the
prosperity rested on unstable
foundations. In 1929 the
economy’s underlying weaknesses
were exposed. The stock market
collapsed and the nation plunged
into the worst economic depression
in its history.
US II Learning Standards:
USII.11 Describe the various causes and consequences of the global depression of the 1930s, and
analyze how Americans responded to the Great Depression (H, E)
o
o
o
o
Restrictive monetary policies
Unemployment
Support for political and economic reform
The influence of the ideas of John Maynard Keynes, and the critique of centralized economic
planning and management by Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich von Hayek, and Milton Friedman
Pacing Guide: January 7—January 16 (8 days)
Key Questions:
Skills and Outcomes:
Introduce the Chapter: Write or Read a scenario
for students to visualize. Example in Teacher’s
Edition on the bottom of p. 670. Add your own
What economic factors and
visuals or details.
conditions made the American
Banks are closed forever, and families have no
economy appear prosperous in the
way to get any money. Everyone in the family has
1920s?
lost their jobs. Bills are due, and the family has no
way to pay any bills. There isn’t any food in the
What event led to the stock market
house and extended family can’t help as they, too
crash of October, 1929?
are in the same situation. Everything that could be
sold, car, radio, furniture, has already been sold to
Do you think that the president
feed the family last week. Goods were sold at a very
should be responsible when a
cheap price as most people do not have any money
disaster strikes the nation?
to buy the goods. Families are being forced from
their homes and living on the streets or in their cars,
How did the collapse of the stock
market come to hurt so many people if they still have them.
 How will they look for work?
who did not have money invested in
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Where will they live?
Suggested Assessments:

Create a print ad for a stockbroker in the early
1920s who is trying to get new clients. The
persuasive ad should explain why investing
in the stock market and buying on margin are
good ideas.

Write a persuasive letter to a friend in
which you urge him or her to be careful about
making stock market investments. Use
information gathered in note-taking from the
chapter to support your position.

Write song lyrics describing the living
conditions during the Great Depression
(Alternative Assessment Handbook – Rubric
26: Poems and songs
stocks?
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How did the Great Depression
affect ordinary people?
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What can you infer from the fact
that the shantytowns of homeless
Americans were known as
‘Hoovervilles’?
Why was the Dust Bowl so
devastating?
Do you think those affected by the
Dust Bowl were victims of nature or
responsible for their own fate?
Why did the Great Depression test
Hoover and his fundamental
philosophy about how to govern?
What do you think Hoover meant
by “rugged individualism”?
What actions did Hoover take in
response to the Great Depression?
How do you think families responded during this
period?
How would you feel if this were to occur?
How would you respond?
Would things be different today if the stock market
crashed? Why/Why not?
Explore the timeline on pp. 670-671. Look at the
pictures and read the dates and information. Ask
students to answer the following in their notebooks:
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What facts did you already know? Expand.
Look at the World events can you make any
connections to events in the U.S.?
When did Adolf Hitler become chancellor of
Gernany ?
When did the stock market crash? What is that day
called? Why?
What event began in 1931 that added to the misery of
the Depression?

Write an expository essay in which you
describe the causes and effects of the Great
Depression. Use details from your notes and
the text to support your account.
 Create a poster and write a descriptive essay
based on photographs of the Great
Depression. Photographs available on the
website:
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAnewdeal.ht
m Scroll down to New Deal Photographers.
(Directions for project provided in teacher’s
notebook)
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In Your Shoes. Write a journal entry
describing the treatment you receive as a
migrant worker forced to flee the Great Plains
as a victim of the droughts that created the
Great Dust Bowl.
Interpreting Visuals: Analyze the painting on pp.
670-671.
 Look at the people in the photo and describe
how they are dressed.
 Read the caption, what do you think might be
 Write a letter to the editor in which you
in the packages?
either defend or criticize Herbert Hoover’s
 Do these workers seem to be victims of the
approach to the stock market crash and the
Great Depression?
depression that followed. Use details from
 How helpful do you think these workers
your two-column note-taking to support your
were? Explain your answer.
position
Preview The Great Crash using PIC method
 Summarize the “Calm Before the Storm”
Quizzes and Topic Test
after you read the “The Inside Story.”
o What warning sides did people
 You may select either of the required
ignore?
assessments depending upon availability of
o How did Americans behave on the
technology
eve of the disaster?
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Main Idea and Details Take notes using GO
#13 after reading An Appearance of
Prosperity on pp. 673-674.
o Describe the economic factors that
led to optimism before the stock
market crash.
o Summarize how the stock market
works in your notebook. Use a twocolumn format and write questions or
make comments on the left side.
o Interpret the Map on the election of
1928 on p. 674 and answer the
question. Analyze the ways in which
the election of 1928 represented a
conflict over values between
candidates.
Evaluate Do you think that the president
should be responsible when disaster strikes
the nation? Give examples and support your
answer.
Explain the economic weakness in the
1920s.
o Two column GO list economic
indicators that the economy was
prospering on one side. On the other
side list the warning signs showing
that there were problems in the
economy.
Identify Black Tuesday using the concept
map GO #2.
Sequence How did the big sell-off of stocks
begin?
Predict Do you think a stock market crash

Select at least one more assessment of your
choice
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could occur today?
Examine the photo, Fallen on Hard Times
on p. 678. Read the captions and answer the
questions.
Take notes on The Effects of the Crash on
individuals, businesses, and overseas
businesses using a web GO. Example on p.
679 #5, critical thinking question.
Preview Americans Face Hard Times using PIC
method
 Examine the photo Teenage HOBOES and
read the “The Inside Story.”
o Summarize the affects of the Great
Depression on teenagers.
 Sequence illustrate the effects of the stock
market crash and the chain reaction that
brought ruin to so many American people.
Record your answers on Sequence Chart GO
in the online resources go.hrw.com.
OR
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Cause and Effect GO Work cooperatively
to identify the causes and effects of the Great
Depression
Interpret the Graphs on the economic
impact of the Great Depression and answer
the questions on p. 681. (Skills Handbook p.
H16, H17)
Analyze a primary source photo of the Great
Depression Free Soup, Coffee, and
Doughnuts from the Holt Teacher Resources
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p.12.
Identify the Human Impact of the Great
Depression In pairs, examine the infographic
on the Life in a Hooverville on page 682.
Each pair is to create a newspaper headline
and a brief news article describing the living
conditions in a Hooverville.
o Making Inferences What can you
infer from the fact that the
shantytowns of homeless Americans
came to be known as Hoovervilles?
Describe how the Great Depression affected
the minds and spirits of Americans in your
notebook. Use two-sided notebook format
and include your reactions and questions on
the left side.
Analyze the lyrics to “Brother Can you Spare
a Dime.” What feelings are conveyed?
Interpret the Map of the Dust Bowl on p.
684. Examine the picture, read the captions
and answer the questions. (Skills H p. H18)
Analyze the lyrics to Woody Guthrie’s song,
“Pastures of Plenty” on page 685, if possible
let students listen to the song. Create a list
of the affects of the Dust Bowl on American
life expressed in the lyrics.
Identify Who were the Okies?
o Evaluate Why do you think people in
California were hostile to migrants
from the Great Plains?
o Predict What do you think the
political effect of the Great
Depression on President Hoover will
be? Explain.
o Literature as Historical Evidence
read the Excerpt from the “Grapes of
Wrath.” Complete the Skills Focus
and think about the challenges facing
farmers and their families as they
leave their homes in search of new
beginnings.
Preview Hoover as President using PIC method
 Main Idea and Details Take notes on
Herbert Hoover’s Philosophy using GO #13.
o Evaluate What do you think Hoover
meant by “rugged individualism”?
 Take notes on Hoover’s Response to the
Great Depression on pp. 689-690. Students
should record their answers on a two-column
note-taking GO. One column should be
used to identify Hoover’s effort to fix the
problems of the Great Depression, while the
other column should be used to provide a
description of the solution/effort. An
example is on the bottom of p. 690 in the
Teacher’s Edition.
 Analyze the political cartoon, “It Won’t Be
Long Now” on p. 689 and answer the
questions. (Skills Handbook p. H31)
 Explain how the Bonus March contributed to
Hoover’s downfall after reading “The Inside
Story” Hoover Seals his Downfall, on p. 687.
o Main Idea and Detail Chart after
reading The Nation Responds to
Hoover on pp. 690-691.
o Identify the Bonus March using
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concept map GO #2.
o Read the biography on “The Bonus
Army” in the Teacher Resource Files
on p. 8 and answer the questions.
Evaluate the reaction of the American
people to Hoover’s solutions to the Great
Depression in paragraph form. Use evidence
from the text and your notebook to support
your answer.