Great Depression

Essential Questions

Enduring Understandings

Students understand that...

• • Does economic prosperity result from tax cuts and minimal government?

  • Was the Great Depression inevitable?

  • Was the New Deal an effective response to the depression?

  • Did Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal weaken or save capitalism?

  • Did Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal undermine the constitutional principles of separation of powers and checks and balances?

  • Did minorities receive a New Deal in the 1930's?

  • Do labor unions and working people owe a debt to the New Deal?

  • Did the New Deal effectively end the Great Depression and restore prosperity?

• People develop systems to manage conflict and create order.

• Democratic societies must balance the rights and responsibilities of individuals with the common good. 

• Decisions concerning the allocation and use of economic resources impact individuals and groups. 

• Geography influences needs, culture, opportunities, choices, interests, and skills. 

• The study of political, social and economic patterns reveals continuity and change over time. 

• Knowledge of the past helps one understand the present and make decisions about the future. 

• History involves interpretation; historians can and do disagree. 

Knowledge 

Students know that...

8.5a Risky investing, protectionism, and overproduction led to the collapse of the stock market, a wave of bank failures, and a long and severe downturn in the economy called the Great Depression.

8.5b The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl affected American businesses and families. 

8.5c President Roosevelt issued the New Deal in an attempt to revive the economy and help Americans deal with the hardships of the Great Depression.  

8.5d These New Deal reforms had a long-lasting effect on the role of government in American society and its economic life, but did not resolve all of the hardships Americans faced. 

Key Terms/Ideas:  

Capital,

Bankrupt,

Relief Program,

Public Works,  

Fireside Chat,

Surplus,

Speculation,

Pension,

Collective Bargaining,

Sitdown Strike,

Unemployment Insurance,

Laissez Faire,

Deficit Spending,

National Debt,

Migrant Worker

Skills

Students will be able to...

• Examine how the economic practices of the 1920's contributed to the coming of the Great Depression. 

• Examine the effects of the Great Depression on American families in terms of the loss of jobs, wealth, and homes, noting the varying effects based on class, race, and gender. 

• Explore the conditions in New York City and other communities within New York State and around the country during the Great Depression. 

• Explore the man-made and environmental conditions that led to the Dust Bowl, the economic as well as cultural consequences of the Dust Bowl, and the federal government efforts to address the problem. 

• Identify key programs adopted under the New Deal, including the creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the adoption of the Social Security Act. 

Summative Assessments

Formative Assessments

• Photo source reliability: Uses Lange's iconic photo of Dust Bowl victims to determine reliability (Beyond the Bubble)

• Great Depression DBQ: students analyze presidential strategies to combat the Depression and evaluate their effectiveness

• Bread Lines in the 1930's: Students connect the photo to the Stock Market crash and New Deal programs (Beyond the Bubble)

• Labor Movement in the 1930's: Uses primary source audio to analyze the impact of a labor strike in 1933  (Beyond the Bubble)

• 8.5 CRQ

• 8.5 MCQ

Lesson Plans and Content

Videos, Documents, and Resources

• Reflections on the Great Depression and New Deal: A series of short readings leads to a series of questions on the causes and effects of the Depression, as well as the possible solutions found in the New Deal.

• The New Deal: Revolution or Reform?: Interactive activity using primary sources and a visual graphic organizer (Docs Teach)

• Structured Academic Controversy (from SHEG):  FDR's New Deal  (Provides documents to determine if FDR's New Deal was effective or not effective). Students will break into small groups to provide evidence as to whether the New Deal was a success or failure. Includes graphic organizer.

"I Think" Series (1920'2-1930's):  

•   Students will study and analyze a Fireside Chat given by FDR and determine the steps he took to fix our economy and society by writing a newspaper article. (pages 76-81.)

• New Deal Programs:  Assessing the New Deal.  Students will study the programs and organizations developed by FDR and what problems they addressed or dealt with in the American economy and society. (pages 84-85)

• Social Security Lesson Plan