Resource Unit:
The Great Depression
PowerPoint by:
Zachary Hyden
Introduction
General Theme – The Great Depression
Subject – 10th grade American history
Participants – Approximately 120, 10th grade
American history students
When – 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 7th periods between
Thanksgiving and the Christmas breaks.
Location – Fairborn High School – Fairborn,
Ohio
Duration – This is a ten day unit that will span
the entire 46 minute class period for each of
those ten days.
Unit Objectives
Students will know:
– The causes of The Depression
– How everyday life was affected by The
Depression
– The New Deal and pulling America out of the
Depression
– Impact of the New Deal
– The beginning of World War II
NCSS Standards
I. Culture
II. Time, Continuity, and Change
III. People, Places, and Environments
IV. Individual Development and Identity
V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
VI. Power, Authority, and Governance
VII. Production, Distribution, and Consumption
VIII. Science Technology and Society
IX. Global Connections
X. Civic Ideals and Practices
Content – Industrial Causes of The
Great Depression
Industries in Trouble
– Railroads
– Textiles
– Steel
– Coal
These once ultra-profitable industries were
now facing hardships. Many of them
barely made profits toward the end of the
1920’s
Content – Industrial Causes of The
Great Depression
Farmers may have taken the worst hit of
all.
After World War I, demand fell but
production didn’t.
Farmers tried to produce more to re-gain
their losses, but this only drove the prices
farther down.
As farmers defaulted on their loans, local
banks failed
Economic Reasons for the Great
Depression
People have less money
Buying on Credit
Uneven Distribution of Income
Stock Market Crashes
Economic Reasons for the Great
Depression
People Have Less Money
Rising Prices v. dormant wages
The rich are getting richer and the poor
are getting poorer
Over-reliance on credit
Economic Reasons for the Great
Depression
Buying on Credit
Buy now pay later mentality
Credit easily available
– People went into massive debt
Businesses encouraged credit so they could sell
more goods and make more profit.
– These were not “real profits” though since no money
had actually changed hands
People then stopped spending as much money
when they realized that they were in so deep of
debt.
Economic Reasons for the Great
Depression
Distribution of Money
The rich got richer and the poor got poorer
A family needed $2,500 to live comfortably
in the 1920’s.
– Less than 30% of people made $2,500
Money became centralized at the top
echelon of society
Economic Reasons for the Great
Depression
Stock Market Crashes
In early September, the market peaked.
Black Thursday – The market dropped
dramatically
Black Tuesday – 16.4 million shares were
dumped off by investors trying to save
what little money they could.
Economic Reasons for the Great
Depression
Reasons for the Crash
Speculation – High risk, High reward
investing
Buying on Margin – Buying a small
percentage of a stock and putting the rest
on credit
– People hoped to hit it big on the market
– People had no way to pay back the money for
the stocks that they bought on credit.
Economic Reasons for the Great
Depression
Ramifications of the Crash
General Panic
People lost trust in the banks – pulled all
their money.
– Not everyone could get their money back
Banks had invested in the market
Banks were not insured by the federal government
The crash did not cause the depression,
just sped the process up.
The World Wide Depression
The depression did
not just hit the United
States, but affected
the World as a whole
Causes Reviewed
Vocabulary
Credit
Speculation
Buying on Margin
Black Tuesday
Black Thursday
Great Depression
Life During the Depression
Life in the Cities
Life in the Country
Family Life
Life During the Depression
Life in the Cities
Shantytowns
– People built shacks for shelter when they lost their
homes
– Also known as Hoovervilles
Many people placed direct blame on President Hoover for the
economic hardships that they were facing.
Soup Kitchens & Bread Lines
– Free or low cost foods
– Came from charitable organizations
Life During the Depression
Life in the Country
Banks foreclosed
– If the farmer could not make the payment,
banks would take the farmers land and all the
equity that the farmer had built.
Life During the Depression
Country Continued
Tenant Farming
– “an agricultural system in which landowners
contribute their land and a measure of
operating capital and management while
tenants contribute their labour with various
amounts of capital and management, the
returns being shared in a variety of ways.”
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article9071664/tenant-farming
Life During the Depression
Country Continued
Dust Bowl
– “The most visible evidence of how dry the 1930s
became was the dust storm. Tons of topsoil were
blown off barren fields and carried in storm clouds for
hundreds of miles. Technically, the driest region of the
Plains – southeastern Colorado, southwest Kansas
and the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas –
became known as the Dust Bowl, and many dust
storms started there. But the entire region, and
eventually the entire country, was affected.”
http://livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_02.
html
– Dustbowl Video
Life During the Depression
Family Life
Men
– Were used to going to work and supporting a
family
– Many left home to find work
– Term “hobo” originated during this time,
describing men that would roam from town to
town looking for work
Life During the Depression
Family Life
Women
– Women kept the family together
– Faced resentment for working outside of the home
Children
– Poor diets, lack of medical attention, disease.
– Schools closed
– Young children left home to find work and to take the
burden off of their family
Vocabulary
Shantytown/ Hooverville
Soup Kitchen
Bread Lines
Foreclosed
Tenant Farming
Dust Bowl
Hobo
The New Deal
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
– The New Deal
– Alphabet Soup
Fireside Chats
Problems with the New Deal
– Deficit Spending
The New Deal
F.D.R.
– Elected President in 1932
– Began working on his “New Deal” before he
took office in 1933
100 Days
– Refers to the time period between March 9th
and June 16th
– Congress passed 15 pieces of new legislation
The New Deal
Alphabet Soup
This term was given to F.D.R.’s programs due to their acronyms.
FDIC – Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission
AAA – Agricultural Adjustment Act
TVA – Tennessee Valley Authority
CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps
PWA – Public Works Administration
NIRA – National Industrial Recovery Act
CWA – Civil Works Administration
NRA – National Recovery Administration
HOLC –Home Owners Loan Coporartion
FHA – Federal Housing Act
The New Deal
Fireside Chats
F.D.R. would give speeches that were
broadcasted over the radio and were known as
Fireside Chats
These chats were aimed to ease the mind of the
American Public and to let them know the
progress that has been made and the future
plans that would be implemented
Fireside Chat with F.D.R.
The New Deal
Problems with the New Deal
Deficit Spending
– The national government was spending more
money than they were making
Critics
– Said that the new deal gave too much
authority to the national government
– Took away individual rights
– Impeded Capitalism
Vocabulary
F.D.R.
100 Days
New Deal
Alphabet Soup
Deficit Spending
Impact of the New Deal
“The New Deal created jobs that provided the
necessary encouragement, hope, value and
self-esteem to assist the American people to
recapture their economic values. It was the
solution to the problems everyone was facing:
widespread unemployment, homelessness, and
farmers losing their land and livestock.”
http://www.nps.gov/fdrm/generation/newdeal.htm
World War II
The United States enters the War
December 7th, 1941
– A date which will live in infamy
F.D.R's Pearl Harbor Speech
Vocabulary
New Deal
December 7, 1941
Pearl Harbor Speech
Lesson 1 and 2
A pre-activity: “Quiz Run”
– Students will be given a pre-test the day before the unit starts
over the Great Depression
– The grades for these tests will not be recorded because they are
a tool for the next days simulation
– The next day I will re-distribute the “graded” tests and inform the
students that I have lost over half the tests that were taken.
– I will tell the students that they can not re-take the test since they
already know the answers and those tests which I lost will go in
the grade book as a zero.
– Hopefully this will get an emotional reaction out of the students.
– From there I will describe the concepts of “bank-runs” during the
Great Depression
From here, the students should realize the concept that is being
described.
NCSS Standards – I, V, VI, VII
Activity 3
Web Quest
Students will be taken to the media center
and given two days to finish the Web
Quest that is provided with this link
Depression Web Quest
NCSS Standards – I, II, III, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX,
X
Lesson 4
Buy Me On Credit
– I will make up 30 credit cards and distribute them to
the class
– I will give the students $300 Monopoly Money
– I will give the students a list of goods that they can
purchase with their credit cards which they will pay
me for at a later date.
– I will have the students write down all the goods they
want and have them turn them in to me
– These goods will range from a $25 toaster to a $400
new Model T-Ford.
Lesson 4 continued
– As the class progresses, I will slowly call in small
amounts of money to simulate paying off the credit
card on a monthly payment.
– All at once, I will call in all the debt that the class has
accumulated.
– This should simulate the beginning of the economic
crisis
– This will also work in describing how buying on
margin facilitated to crash of the stock market.
NCSS Standards – I, II, IV, V, VIII
Lesson 5
The students will analyze this picture
through the classroom smart board and
write emotions that it evokes.
NCSS Standards – I, III, IV, VII
Lesson 6
My family
– The students will break off into “families” of three.
– Each student will be designated a role with-in the
family (Father, Mother, Child)
– They will collaborate as a group and talk about the
hardships that they face as individuals
– From this collaboration, each member will write a one
page paper describing his/her hardships and how the
rest of the family is dealing with these hardships as a
whole.
– A rubric will be provided for this assignment
NCSS Standards – I, II, III, IV, V, VII
Lesson 7
Listen To Me Closely
– Students will listen to a fireside chat orated by F.D.R. two times
The first time just to hear his message
The second time to analyze his message
– They will take this fireside chat and will write down what they
believe he was trying to convey in his speech.
– The students will also describe how this would have made them
feel if they would have been alive during this time period.
– The students will take their written responses and use them as a
guided facilitator in a classroom discussion.
NCSS Standards – I, II, III, VI, VIII
Lesson 8
Soups On!!!
– Students will be asked to make a poster with as many
acronyms as they can find from the New Deal.
– The poster should contain between 8 and 10
acronyms from the New Deal
They should write the entire name of the group next to the
corresponding letters
Students should find pictures of the organization or
something that they accomplished
Students will present their posters and they will be displayed
around the classroom
NCSS Standards – I, II, IV, V, VII, VIII, X
Lesson 9
Poetry/Music from the time
– Primary literature… Students will choose two
of the three poems/songs below to read and
analyze. They will be expected to use the
S.O.A.P. model to dissect the poems and will
turn their diagrams in for a grade.
NCSS Standards – I, II, III, IV, VIII
Brother can you Spare a Dime?
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," lyrics by
Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)
They used to tell me I was building a dream,
and so I followed the mob,
– When there was earth to plow, or guns
to bear, I was always there right on the
job.
– They used to tell me I was building a
dream, with peace and glory ahead,
– Why should I be standing in line, just
waiting for bread?
–
–
–
–
Once I built a railroad, I made it run,
made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun,
brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
–
–
–
–
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked
swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging
through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it
was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal?
Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked
swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging
through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it
was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal?
Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Bowl of Cherries
"Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries,"
lyrics by Lew Brown, music by Ray
Henderson (1931)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
People are queer, they're always
crowing, scrambling and rushing about;
Why don't they stop someday, address
themselves this way?
Why are we here? Where are we
going? It's time that we found out.
We're not here to stay; we're on a short
holiday.
Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious.
You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can't take your dough when
you go, go, go.
–
–
So keep repeating it's the berries,
The strongest oak must fall,
The sweet things in life, to you were just
loaned
So how can you lose what you've never
owned?
–
–
Life is just a bowl of cherries,
So live and laugh at it all.
Life is just a bowl of cherries.
–
–
–
–
–
Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious.
At eight each morning I have got a
date,
To take my plunge 'round the Empire
State.
You'll admit it's not the berries,
In a building that's so tall;
There's a guy in the show, the girls love
to kiss;
Get thousands a week just for crooning
like this:
–
–
Life is just a bowl of . . . aw, nuts!
So live and laugh at it all!
We’re in the Money
We're in the Money," lyrics by Al Dubin, music
by Harry Warren (from the film Gold Diggers of
1933, 1933)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
We're in the money, we're in the money;
We've got a lot of what it takes to get along!
We're in the money, that sky is sunny,
Old Man Depression you are through, you
done us wrong.
We never see a headline about
breadlines today.
And when we see the landlord we can
look that guy right in the eye
We're in the money, come on, my honey,
Let's lend it, spend it, send it rolling along!
Oh, yes we're in the money, you bet we're in
the money,
We've got a lot of what it takes to get along!
Let's go we're in the money, Look up the skies
are sunny,
Old Man Depression you are through, you
done us wrong.
We never see a headline about
breadlines today.
And when we see the landlord we can
look that guy right in the eye
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
We're in the money, come on, my honey,
Let's lend it, spend it, send it rolling along!
Oh, yes we're in the money, you bet we're in
the money,
We've got a lot of what it takes to get along!
Let's go we're in the money, Look up the skies
are sunny,
Old Man Depression you are through, you
done us wrong.
We never see a headline about
breadlines today.
And when we see the landlord we can
look that guy right in the eye
We're in the money, come on, my honey,
Let's lend it, spend it, send it rolling along!
Lesson 10
Grapes of Wrath
– The students will watch the Grapes of Wrath
“Oklahoma in the Thirties is a dustbowl
and dispossessed farmers migrate
westward to California. After terrible trials
en route they become little more than
slave labor. Among the throng are the
Joads who refuse to knuckle under.”
http://imdb.com/title/tt0032551/plotsummar
y
Written by Ed Stephan
Grapes continued
– After watching the movie, students need to
draw a picture, with color, depicting a scene in
the movie they feel accurately represents this
period in time. Supplies will be provided for
the students
NCSS Standards – I, II, III, V, VI, VII
Lesson 11
Opponents to Roosevelt
– Many people felt that F.D.R. was trying to circumvent
the power of the Supreme Court
– This political cartoon depicts some of the feeling
towards Roosevelt at this time
– Students will be instructed to analyze this cartoon,
which will be shown on the class room smart board
and write bulleted responses about it.
After they have turned in their responses, they
will be instructed to create their own political
cartoon in opposition to the New Deal/F.D.R.
NCSS Standards – I, V, VI
Lesson 11 continued
Lesson 12
Video Clips
– Students will watch a variety of video clips from the
internet that will be provided for them through the
teachers projector monitor. The students will watch
the clips and write a brief summary of what they saw,
heard, and felt and how those emotions translate to
the Great Depression
Depression 1
Depression 2
F.D.R.'s recovery plan
NCSS Standards – I, II, III, IV, V
Instructional Resources
Teacher References
Class Notes. American history 10. Rob Banks. Fairborn High
School, Fall 2007.
Class Notes. History 212. Dr. Jacob Dorn. Wright State University,
Winter 2005.
Danzer, G., Klor de Alve, J., Krieger, L., Wilson, L., Woloch, N.
(2007). The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st century.
Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell.
Cassutto's, G. (2007). The alphabet soup of new deal agencies.
Retrieved November 3, 2007 from http://www.cyberlearningworld.com/lessons/ushistory/newdealagencies.htm
Pojer, S. (2007). The Great Depression begins: (1929 – 1933).
Retrieved November 7, 2007 from
http://historyteacher.net/AmericanHistoryAndGovernment/Topics/Ch
apter22-TheGreatDepressionBegins.htm
Instructional Resources
Class Notes. American history 10. Rob
Banks. Fairborn High School, Fall 2007.
– These are notes that my cooperating teacher
at Fairborn High School has provided me
with. These resources included worksheets,
PowerPoint presentations, chapter overviews,
and assessment tools.
Instructional Resources
Class Notes. History 212. Dr. Jacob Dorn.
Wright State University, Winter 2005.
– This class gave a thematic survey of events,
forces, groups, and individuals that
contributed to and helped to shape an
American civilization on the North American
continent. It spanned the time period of 1877
to the present. These notes gave good
background and in depth knowledge on the
Great Depression.
Instructional Resources
Danzer, G., Klor de Alve, J., Krieger, L., Wilson, L.,
Woloch, N. (2007). The Americans: Reconstruction to
the 21st century. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell.
– This is the text book that is used for this particular history class.
It covers American history from the end of the American Civil
War through the beginning of the 21st century. The book is
broken down into seven units and consists of twenty six
chapters. The chapters used for this resource unit included the
end of chapter 13 (The Roaring Life of the 1920’s) most of
chapter 14 (The Great Depression Begins), most of chapter 15
(The New Deal), and the beginning of chapter 16 (World War
Looms). This tool provided very good background and activity
ideas. It also gave ideas for assessment opportunities.
Instructional Resources
Cassutto's, G. (2007). The alphabet soup of New Deal
agencies. Retrieved November 3, 2007 from
http://www.cyberlearningworld.com/lessons/ushistory/newdealagencies.htm
– This resource was pulled from the web and gave the idea for the
“Alphabet Soup of the New Deal” game. The project listed in this
resource unit is an adaptation that uses a more student centered
style of learning.
– Students will make a poster board depicting between 8 and 10
acronyms from the New Deal era. The students will tell what the
acronym stands for, give a brief synopsis of what the group
accomplished, and a draw/copy a picture of the group or an
accurate representation of the group.
Instructional Resources
Pojer, S. (2007). The Great Depression begins: (1929 –
1933). Retrieved November 7, 2007 from
http://historyteacher.net/AmericanHistoryAndGovernmen
t/Topics/Chapter22-TheGreatDepressionBegins.htm
– This website was rich with information, assessment ideas, and
teaching tools. The website had a wide spectrum of history
knowledge that spanned from American History, to European
History, to Global Studies, to Advanced Placement European
History. Each sub-category had syllabi, assignments, quizzes,
web links, and review questions.
– The link that I used was located under American History &
Government – Main Page – Chapter 22 (The Great Depression
Begins, [1929-1933])
– This site gave sources, questions, terms, and quiz questions
Instructional Resources
Delong, J. (1997). Slouching towards utopia?:
The economic history of the twentieth centuryXIV. The great crash and the great slump.
Retrieved October 28, 2007 from
http://econ161.berkeley.edu/TCEH/Slouch_Cras
h14.html
– This site gives an immense amount of information
and resources. It provides graphs as well as world
background to the Great Depression. This site was
developed by a professor at the University of
California, Berkeley and has many different chapters
at a persons disposal, not just material on the Great
Depression.
Instructional Resources
Student References
Danzer, G., Klor de Alve, J., Krieger, L., Wilson, L.,
Woloch, N. (2007). The Americans: Reconstruction to
the 21st century. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell.
– This is the text book that is used for this particular history class.
It covers American history from the end of the American Civil
War through the beginning of the 21st century. The book is
broken down into seven units and consists of twenty six
chapters. The chapters used for this resource unit included the
end of chapter 13 (The Roaring Life of the 1920’s) most of
chapter 14 (The Great Depression Begins), most of chapter 15
(The New Deal), and the beginning of chapter 16 (World War
Looms). This tool provided very good background and activity
ideas. It also gave ideas for assessment opportunities.
Instructional Resources
Kirk, K. (2005). The Great Depression treasure
hunt. Retrieved November 7, 2007 from
http://web.dps.k12.va.us/gibson/7th%20Grade%
20Webpage%20by%20Kirk/Depression_Thunt.h
tm
– This activity will get the students involved with the
Great Depression through technology. The web quest
has many links and educational tools that the
students will benefit from. There are interactive
questions as well as a work sheet that the students
will use to guide their endeavors during the activity.
Instructional Resources
Gibson, K. Causes of the Great Depression.
Retrieved November 7, 2007 from
http://web.dps.k12.va.us/gibson/7th%20Grade%
20Webpage%20by%20Kirk/Causes%20of%20th
e%20Great%20Depression_GO.gif
– This is a very simple diagram that uses main ideas to
help break down the causes of the Great Depression
in a visual manner. Students could use this as a
starting point and as time went on they could fill in
details under each category. Students learn in many
different ways, and the more diverse learning
techniques that are implemented in the classroom the
more students will benefit.
Instructional Resources
Delong, J. (1997). Slouching towards utopia?:
The economic history of the twentieth centuryXIV. The great crash and the great slump.
Retrieved October 28, 2007 from
http://econ161.berkeley.edu/TCEH/Slouch_Cras
h14.html
– This site gave a very informative graph that the
students will use and analyze to show the effects of
the Great Depression, not only in America but on a
World Wide scale. Although this unit is geared toward
an American history course, world wide context is
always pertinent information.
Instructional Resources
Encyclopedia Britannica. (2007). Tenant
farming. Retrieved November 3, 2007 from
Encyclopedia Britannica Online:
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9071664
– This gives students definitions that are more complete
and easy to understand in a real world context
compared to text-book definitions. This particular
definition gave students insight into tenant farming
and its impact in the 1930’s.
Instructional Resources
Ganzel, B. Farming in the 1930’s:The dust
bowl. Retrieved November 2, 2007 from
http://livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s
/water_02.html
– This website gives definitions and first hand
video account of people who lived through the
dust bowl and the experiences that they took
from this time period.
Instructional Resources
Ibis Communications. (2007). History in
motion: The dust bowl 1936. Retrieved
November 8, 2007 from
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/himdu
stbowl.htm
– This website gives first hand historical
accounts. This particular video gives a good
representation of what someone living
through the dust bowl would have seen during
one of the storms.
Instructional Resources
F.D.R. Memorial. (2004). A new deal.
Retrieved November 8, 2007 from
http://www.nps.gov/fdrm/generation/newde
al.htm
– This website gives a very good overview of
what the new deal was trying to accomplish
and the goals that F.D.R. set out to
accomplish. It is short but very concise.
Students can read this and use it as a cheat
sheet for quick reference.
Instructional Resources
Peters, G. (1999). Franklin D. Roosevelt: First
fireside chat (banking). Retrieved November 5,
2007 from
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/mediaplay.php?i
d=14540&admin=32
– This is a clip of F.D.R.’s first fireside chat where he
addressed the nation about banking. This resources
allows the students not only to hear the words of
F.D.R. but allows them to see the person as well. It is
a first hand account and is a very good educational
tool.
Instructional Resources
Eidenmuller, M. (2001). Franklin Delano
Roosevelt: Pearl Harbor address to the
nation. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeche
s/fdrpearlharbor.htm
– This website gives a first hand account of
F.D.R.’s speech to the nation. In addition to
giving the audio, this website has a transcript
of his speech so students can read along as
F.D.R. is speaking.
Instructional Resources
Lavender, C. Songs of the Great Depression.
Retrieved November 8, 2007 from
http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/laven
der/cherries.html
– This website gives three examples of songs/poems
that were written at this time. Although there is no
audio streaming from this website, it would not be
very difficult to find a copy of one of the songs for the
students to listen to. Music often reflects the culture of
a time period and I feel that these are three good
reflections of the Great Depression.
Instructional Resources
Ford, J. (1940). The grapes of wrath (movie).
Retrieved November 2, 2007 from
http://imdb.com/title/tt0032551/
– Oklahoma in the Thirties is a dustbowl and
dispossessed farmers migrate westward to California.
After terrible trials en route they become little more
than slave labor. Among the throng are the Joads who
refuse to knuckle under. ~ plot summary
– This movie will give students a different form of
exposure to the hardships that people faced in the
1930’s
Instructional Resources
Cassutto's, G. (2007). The alphabet soup of New Deal
agencies. Retrieved November 3, 2007 from
http://www.cyberlearningworld.com/lessons/ushistory/newdealagencies.htm
– This resource was pulled from the web and gave the idea for the
“Alphabet Soup of the New Deal” game. The project listed in this
resource unit is an adaptation that uses a more student centered
style of learning.
– Students will make a poster board depicting between 8 and 10
acronyms from the New Deal era. The students will tell what the
acronym stands for, give a brief synopsis of what the group
accomplished, and a draw/copy a picture of the group or an
accurate representation of the group.
Instructional Resources
What the president wants. This is a political
cartoon that was pulled from the internet on
November 4, 2007 from
http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/fdr/1937/37_scgifs/sm
all/37021601.gif
– This cartoon depicts Roosevelt trying to squash the
Supreme Court with his New Deal. This cartoon
shows the opposite side of what many students are
taught about F.D.R. For most students F.D.R is
portrayed as a knight in shining armor that rescued
America from the Great Depression. This cartoon,
and the activity that goes along with it, gives
perspective to other points of view.
Instructional Resources
Library of Congress. (2007). Scenes from
the Great Depression: 1935-1945.
Retrieved November 5, 2007 from
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pgR2Buke5M
Q
– This gives a great picture show and has
music from the time period in the background.
This should get an emotional response from
students.
Instructional Resources
(2007).The Great Depression:
(Britannica.com). Retrieved November 5,
2007 from
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TCNKq09p3w
– This video shows the panic of the Stock
Market crash in 1929. It gives first hand video
of the panic in the streets as well as the
ramifications felt worldwide.
Instructional Resources
(2007). U.S. thrilled as FDR outlines
recovery,1933/10/23 (1933). Retrieved
November 5, 2007 from
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PXY7TkrPPzI
– This is the actual video of a F.D.R. speech to
the nation. He speaks about farm recovery,
money security, and home foreclosure.
Assessments
“Web Quest”-20 points
Paragraph from picture10 points
“My Family” Assignment20 points
“Fireside Chat” Notes and
Class Discussion -15
points
“Alphabet Soup” Poster20points
Poetry/Music – S.O.A.P. –
15 points
“Grapes of Wrath” Poster20 points
F.D.R. Political Cartoon –
10 points for analysis –
10 points for creating a
new picture
Response to Video Clips
– 5 points for each video
clip response (15 points
total)
Unit Test – 50 points
Unit Test Questions
1.
Multiple Choice Questions
The strongest opposition to F.D.R.’s New Deal came
from?
1.
2.
3.
4.
2.
Migrant Workers
Business Leaders
Factory Workers
Recent immigrants
In the 1930’s, which geographic change most
influenced the westward migration of thousands of
people from the Southern Great Plains?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Extended drought in farming areas
Excessive flooding of the Mississippi
Earthquakes in Pacific coastal regions
Destructive hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico
Unit Test Questions
Multiple Choice Questions
3. What event most closely associates with the end of the
Great Depression?




Passage of the Social Security Act
Beginning of WWII
Re-election of F.D.R. in 1940
Announcement of the Marshall Plan
4. The Dust Bowl experiences of the Oklahoma farmers
during the Great Depression demonstrated?




The effect of geography on peoples’ lives
The success of government farm subsidies
The limitation of civil liberties during times of crisis
The result of the Indian Removal Act
Unit Test Questions
Short Answer
1. Give 3 examples of Alphabet Soup
agencies. Give the acronym, the actual
name, and something that the agency
accomplished
2. How did the Dust Bowl impact farmers in
Oklahoma?
Unit Test Questions
Extended Response
1. In four to six sentences, explain how the
prosperity of the 1920’s facilitated the
economic collapse of the 1930’s.
Intervention and Adaptation
Any student that needs interventions or
adaptations will be accommodated. The student
can sit closer to the front of the room to see the
PowerPoint presentation more clearly. The
student can be provided with audio equipment to
hear lectures/audio clips more efficiently. Extra
time will be granted for tests if need be. When
needed, an intervention specialist will be
provided. Extra time, or alternate assignments,
will also be provided for reading and writing
assignments for students who need it.
Reflection
Since I have been unable to implement
this resource unit, I have no reflection at
this time. In the future I hope to use this as
an educational tool that facilitates learning
in my classroom.