Michael Zeller
Tenth Grade
American History
The Great Depression
Table of Contents
American Heritage
Slides 3-8
People in Societies
Slides 9-17
World Interactions
Slides 18-24
Decision Making & Resources
Slides 25-33
Democratic Processes
Slides 34-40
Citizenship Rights & Responsibilities
Slides 41-46
Science, Technology and Society
Slides 47-53
American Heritage
Forty families of
drought and
depression
refugees camped
by the roadside
beside an
irrigated pea
field. A freeze
which destroyed
the pea crop
threw practically
every family in
this camp on
emergency relief.
Activity one: Write a letter back home as if you were one of the refugees in this
camp the day after the freeze. How would you feel? Would you move further
south?
American Heritage
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Activity Two
Web Quest: The Great Depression
The students will have three days to complete the
exercise found on this website. The students will
be given time in the computer lab to do the
needed research for the project.
American
Heritage
What were some of the
problems facing President
Roosevelt at this time?
Activity three:
Create a political cartoon
detailing some aspect of the
Great Depression.
The following site may help with
ideas:
CAUSES & EFFECTS OF THE
GREAT DEPRESSION
Voices from the Thirties
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Activity four:
Using the website Voices
from the Thirties answer
the following questions:
At the peak of the
depression what
percentage of Americans
could not find work?
How many jobs did the
WPA create?
How many life stories of
Americans were recorded
by the Federal Writer’s
Project?
American Heritage
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Activity Five: An
Examination of
Interviews from
the American Slave
Narratives and the
American Folklore
Collection
American Heritage Websites
CAUSES & EFFECTS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION
http://oasis.bellevue.k12.wa.us/sammamish/sstudies.dir/hist_docs.dir/g
rtdepression.mn.html
 Web Quest: The Great Depression
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq1/webquest.htm
 Voices from the Thirties
http://rs6.loc.gov/wpaintro/exhome.html
 Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum
http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/
 American Life Histories Manuscripts from federal Writers Project,
1936-1940
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html
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People in Societies
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Activity 0ne: Click on the link below
to answer the following questions:
How did New York City change from
1916-1931?
How did the cultural make up of
Harlem change during this time?
People in Societies
During the Great
Depression many
American men took to
riding the rails in search
of work and a better life.
Read about travel on the
rails on the site:
Activity two: Read the first three
letters on the site, do the
corresponding worksheet and be able
to discuss the image of the depression
these letters convey.
Activity three:
Watch and discuss the PBS
“American Experience”
documentary Riding the
Rails
People in Societies
Before the Great
Depression this type
of work was done by
migrant Mexican
workers during the
depression white
men took their jobs.
Activity four:
Answer the following
questions in a short
essay.
Do you think racism
against emigrants
increased during the
Depression?
Do you think racism
caused Mexican
emigrants to return
to Mexico?
People in Societies
During the Depression
many sharecroppers in
the south were evicted
from their land.
Here in Greenville
Mississippi these
displaced share croppers
are gathering to work in
cotton fields.
What changing
conditions might have
played a role in
sharecroppers losing
their land?
When approached by the photographer this man began to talk saying:
"No man in the United States had the trouble I had since 1931. No
man. Don't talk to me. I'm deaf. I lost my farm in 1931. I went to
work in an acid factory. I got acid spilt on me; burnt my nose and
made me blind. Then I get those awful headaches. I've been to lots
of doctors, but that doesn't help me. They come on at sundown. No
man in the United States had the trouble I had since 1931."
Reenacting the Great Depression
with Slides
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The students will be able to recreate an
imagined dialogue based upon a given
picture/slide.
1. The students will visualize the feelings of
people, of all ages, during the Great Depression.
2. The students will demonstrate their
knowledge of feelings and ideas taking place
and affecting the lives of people during the
Great Depression.
Activity found on
People in Societies Websites
Learning Adventures In Citizenship Episode 5: Cosmopolis, 1914-1931
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/newyork/laic/episode5/e5_mm.html
Riding the Rails http://www.erroluys.com/BerkeleyHackett.htm
New York: Harlem http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/citysites/
Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/harlem/index.html
Lending a Hand: A Woman Remembers Hoboes of the 1930s
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/30/
World Interactions
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The stock market began to crash on October
24, 1929 The crash the following Tuesday sent
ripples throughout the world economic
community.
Activity one: Visit the following site to gain a
Canadian perspective on “Black Thursday.”
http://www.windatmyback.com/locations/thursday.html
World Interactions
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After WWI Europe’s Economy was in utter
chaos. Many European countries were nearly
bankrupt. Many European governments were
Coalition governments that lacked strong
leadership.
Activity Two: Draw a map of Europe in 1930 and
label the leadership in power in each country
and the type of government that existed.
Rise Of Nazis in Germany
Activity Three:
 It was during the harsh
economic times in Europe
that Hitler came into
power.
Visit the website Heritage
Civilization and the Jews
and click on Picture Essay: The Cult of
the Fuhrer
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Out of Ashes
Activity Four:
Watch the PBS
documentary Heritage
Civilization and the
Jews episode eight
Out Of The Ashes
1919-1947.
Reform Vs. Relief
During the Great Depression America and many
European governments passed laws to help revive
the failing economy. Most of these laws could be
labeled either a Reform or a Relief measure.
What is the Difference?
Reform – a change to bring about a long term
benefit
Relief – a system or plan of short–term aid
Reform Vs. Relief
Activity Five: Classify the following
measures as reform or relief
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Lower Interest Rates
Raised tariffs
Guaranteeing workers the right
to establish unions
Raised Pensions for elderly &
disabled
Establishing a forty hour work
week
Increased taxes
Creating the Tennessee Valley
Authority
Welfare benefits
Granting money to states for
relief
Paying farmers to take land out of
production
Creating public works programs
for jobs
Buying and storing surplus
crops
World Interactions Websites
Black Thursday
http://www.windatmy-back.com/locations/thursday.html
 Slouching Towards Utopia?: The Economic History of the Twentieth
Century
http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/TCEH/Slouch_Crash14.html
 What Caused the Great Depression of the 1930's?
http://www.shambhala.org/business/goldocean/causdep.html
 Twelve Great Lessons for Teaching the Great Depression
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson147.shtml
 Great Depression of Canada
http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/canadianhistory/depression/d
epression.html
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Decision Making and Resources
This is a picture of an
unfinished hotel on main
street, started in 1929, it
was never finished
because of depression.
How did the Depression
effect the construction
industry?
Decision Making and Resources
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Before the stock market crashed it was
booming many people invested their life
savings trying to become rich but by 1930
their money was gone.
Activity One:
Use the link at the bottom of the page to
answer this question:
When someone buys stock on margin
what are they doing?
Mock stock market month
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Activity Two:
The students will be given $10,000 to
invest in 5 stocks. Each student will
keep a log book tracking their stock
picks everyday for a month using
http://finance.yahoo.com/
This idea was found on
The Dow Industrials hit a high of 386 in September, 1929.
It did not get back to that level until November, 1954. At
its worst level, the Dow dropped to 40.56 in July, 1932.
That was a drop of 89%.
The New Deal created many government organizations that were designed
to help American who had lost nearly everything during the depression.
Activity three: Do a internet search and find two websites that deal
specifically with the WPA, CCC, and the Resettlement Administration for a
total of 6 websites. Save the title and the address of the sites in a MS word
document. We will view the best sites in class. The students will complete
a worksheet on these organizations while completing the assignment.
Food Prices 1932-1933
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Imagine you live in Indiana in 1932; you
have a family of four and have $1.25 a
week to spend on food.
What do you spend you money on?
Remember you may have to feed your
neighbors who have no money. Use the
link below for Prices.
Decision Making and Resources
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Activity 1: The Boom
Activity 2: Mock stock market month
Activity 3: Go online and find a graph of
the stock market from 2000 to the present
Activity 4: The WPA & CCC
Activity 5: Food Prices from 1932- 1933
Decision Making and Resources
Websites
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Yahoo Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/
Wall Street and the 1929 Crash Play the market
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/newyork/laic/episode5/activity
6/activity6.html
A New Deal for the Arts
http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/new_deal_for_the_
arts/work_pays_america.html
W.P.A. - New Deal Art During the Great Depression
http://www.wpamurals.com/
We Made Do--Recalling the Great Depression
http://www.mcsc.k12.in.us/mhs/social/madedo/
Democratic Processes
During the Great Depression President Roosevelt gave radio addresses to the
American people known as fireside chats. In his addresses he would reassure his
audience and tell of his plans to help those in need.
FDR Packing The Supreme Court
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Activity One: Read and
discuss FDR’s Fireside
chat from March 9, 1937
what are his reasons for
reorganizing the Supreme
Court CLICK HERE
Some Americans
feared the move as
extreme and a grab
for power
FDR Packing The Supreme Court
Activity Two: The class
will be split into two
groups one group will
back FDR’s decision to
expand the federal
judiciary while the other
group will be strongly
opposed to the idea. The
class will have two days
to do research from
primary source material.
The class will then hold a
debate on the issue.
Who Gets The Job
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Activity Three: The
students will learn
how the Cabinet
officials are chosen by
completing complete
the activity on
Democratic Processes
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Activity Four: Find the names of the Presidential
Candidates during the election years of 1932,
1936, and 1940.
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The TVA claimed eminent domain during many
of their construction projects. How would this
affect those who had to move?
Activity Five: The class will discuss the issue of
Eminent Domain in both a historical and a
present day context they read an article on
Norris dam will then discuss questions found on
The Displaced People.
Democratic Processes
Websites
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New Deal Network
newdeal.feri.org
American History: Civil War to Present
us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/
U.S. Historical Documents Archive
w3.one.net/~mweiler/ushda/ushda.htm
Fireside Chat on Reorganization of the Judiciary
March 9, 1937 http://www.mhrcc.org/fdr/chat9.html
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Fireside Chats of Franklin D. Roosevelt
http://www.mhric.org/fdr/fdr.html
Democrats in 1932
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Activity One:
Read Democratic party platform from 1932. Use
the platform to answer the following questions.
What were the problems in America that the
democratic party addressed specifically in their
platform? What were the proposed solutions to
these problems?
Republicans in 1932
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Activity Two:
Read a Republican party platform from 1932.
Use the platform to answer the following
questions.
What were the problems in America that the
democratic party addressed specifically in their
platform? What were the proposed solutions to
these problems?
Republicans and Democrats in 1932
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Activity three:
Compare and contrast the
views of the Republican and
Democratic party in 1932. Did
the parties address the same
issues? How did their views of
the condition of the county
differ? Using the information
you no about the Great
Depression decide which party
you would support?
Eleanor Roosevelt & the Role of
The First Lady
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Activity four: The students will be given
information on the role Eleanor Roosevelt played
while FDR was in the white House. They will be
give several of her “My Day” articles to read. A
discussion of the issues raised she raised will
follow. We will also discuss the role of first lady
the political decisions of the President. Some of
the questions which will be addressed are found
here.
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Activity Five: The class will visit
the website “Share the
Wealth”: Huey Long Talks to
the Nation and listen a Huey
Long speech. The class will
then discuss the points made
by Huey in his speech and how
they would have responded to
his message had they been
living during the Great
Depression.
Citizenship Rights and
Responsibilities
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FDR Cartoon Archive
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/fdr/FDRcartoons.html
Democratic Party Platform of 1932
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/site/docset/index.htm
Republican Party Platform of 1932
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/site/docset/index.htm
Eleanor Roosevelt The American Experience | Eleanor
Roosevelt | Teacher's Guide
“My Day”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eleanor/sfeature/myday.
html
Science Technology And Society
On May 18, 1933 President Roosevelt Created the TVA in order to help lift
America out of the Great Depression. The TVA was given many tasks
including power production, navigation, flood control, malaria prevention,
reforestation, or erosion control.
Science, Technology And Society
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Activities
Lesson 1: Political
Cartoons and the
TVA
Lesson 2: The TVA:
A Constructive
Controversy
RADIO
During the Great Depression radio became
the dominant form of mass media.
Roosevelt relied on the radio to broadcast
his fireside chats, Huey long delivered his
speeches via radio, as did Father Charles
Coughlin.
But who is Father Charles Coughlin?
RADIO & Father Charles Coughlin
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Father Charles Coughlin was a
radio political pundit in the
1930s. He was a Catholic priest,
who broadcast his weekly
sermons that attracted as many
as forty-five million listeners.
Activity Three: the class will listen
to a sermon by Father Charles
Coughlin entitled “Twenty Years
Ago”
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Activity four: Write a research paper on either
Huey Long or Father Charles Coughlin detailing
their political views and who supported their
views.
The Golden Age of Radio
The 1930s are often called the
golden age of radio. Before
T.V. radio was the primary
source of electronic mass
media in the home.
Activity Five: Answer the
following question: In what
year and by whom was FM
radio devised?
Click here for the answer.
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Science Technology And Society
Websites
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Science 1933
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0767079.html
Tennessee Valley Authority
http://www.tva.gov/abouttva/history.htm
TVA: Electricity for All
http://newdeal.feri.org/tva/index.htm
Fireside Chats Of Franklin D. Roosevelt
http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/firesi90.html
“Somebody Must be Blamed”: Father Coughlin Speaks to
the Nation
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5111/