Great Depression Hits

U.S. History II 11^th Grade

The Great Depression Hits

Standard 6:1:A

Objectives:

To help the students begin to understand the impact and the transition between the 1920’s and the Depression of the 1930’s.

The students should also understand the economic status in pre-Depression USA

State Standards
Idaho: US2 1.2 / 1.3 / 3
Utah: US2 6.1

Fore-knowledge:

Students should understand the boom experienced during the 20’s and the

Bell ringer:

Have each student start to purchase stock with candy (Smarties or something). Explain to them that the more they buy into these stocks the more candy they will get, and that if they would like to they could borrow more candy from my desk to go into the stock. (Don’t give them the candy to go into the stock just promise them that it is theirs). Have a chart on the board or projector showing the stock going up or down. As you go through the lesson change the stock value and offer to buy or sell stocks. Then continue the lesson. After about 10 or 15 minutes call in the loaned out candy that they have in stocks… They try to sell but show that the price is worth less than they bought it for and that they must pay you any way…

Lecture:

What was the Great Depression? How did it begin?  What was going on in the 20’s that could have lead to the Depression?

Any ideas?

The Great Depression affected everyone in the United States. The United States had experienced a great boom in the 20’s and it seemed that their good times wouldn’t end. (Check Bell Ringer Market) What was going on around the country that contributed and could amount to the trouble in 1929? ... Open your books to the 1930’s unit…crop failures, over working plain prairies, stock market… (Check B. R. M.)…. The Market crash also had many contributing factors such as the fact that loans were given out to buy stock with out proper backing (call in loans, drop B.R.M. to lower value than bought for). When loans were called in the borrowers were unable to pay the bank, and as we can see the worth of the stock fell.

Cooperative Learning Activity:

As a class list from the book the top 5 reasons for the Great Depression. They could be: 1) the Market Crash of 1929, 2) bank failures 3) reduction of purchasing across the board 4) American Economic Policy with Europe, and/or 5) drought conditions. Break the class up into 5 groups (well mixed with every type of learner). Have them read together the sections on their corresponding cause. Assign them to do the following: prepare a 2-3 minute overview of why their cause was a primary cause of the Great Depression as well as 3 of the following related to the subject:

• A political cartoon
• A mock interview (written by some one affected directly by the cause)
• Newspaper headlines with a short news story explaining the headline
• Create a bubble graph to compare and contrast the similarities with now and then

This small group project will be due at the start of the next class period.

(A thought just came to me for a different approach but it is hard for me to explain)

Alternative Cooperative Learning Activity:

Congressional hearing: Have the students split up into the 5 groups with the same causes as before. Prepare resources for them to become experts in the 5 causes they list (the text, articles, other books, and internet resources. Give them the class period to become experts for a congressional hearing to be held in two class periods to investigating why these things happened, what could have prevented them, and what can be done if anything, to fix the problem. Have them prepare a 5 minute presentation on their findings with notes written to hand in. Also have them prepare for about 5 minutes of questions. The following day will be spent in the computer lab and/or media center to research and type notes. You could try to make a panel of 2 or 3 from the community to ask the questions and judge the presentation, and have a surprise for the winning group.

During presentations the students will need to take notes of the other presentations to hand in as well.

(Needs more polish)

Assessment:

The assessment will be how well they complete the 2-3 minute presentation with the attached assignments. Or it will be the Congressional presentation, as well as the notes/out lines, as well as a peer evaluation (with both activities).

Sources:

Most came from my own thoughts but some ideas came from

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/greatdepression/tp/greatdepression.htm