Life in the Great Depression

 

Introduction: The roaring 20’s was a prosperous and happy time for many Americans. Then something happened on October 29, 1929…. Black Tuesday, the stock market crashed. Life went from wonderful to completely depressing in a matter of hours. Many Americans lost their jobs, their homes, all of their money, and were reduced to standing in lines for bread and soup. How will our great nation recover from such a devastating fall, and what is it that finally brings us out of the depression for good? These questions are about to be looked at and answered by you.

Task: Students will be divided up into groups in order to see how different people survived the Great Depression in the United States. The groups include: Bankers/Brokers, Women, Farmers, Factory Workers, African Americans, and the Elderly. Once you are assigned your group, you are to follow the group from the 1920’s through the 1930’s and into WWII. Your group will describe how your group faired during the roaring 20’s, as well as the hardships they faced after the stock market crash in 1929. Also you will look at what actually caused the depression and some of the programs that helped deal with the problems of the time. Each group will create a poster showing “your” life before and during the Great Depression and the different things that affected you.

Process: Step 1 – Students will be split up into 6 groups that represent: bankers/brokers, women, farmers, factory workers, African Americans, and the elderly.

Step 2 – Once assigned groups, students will acquire information about the Great Depression that pertains to their group in particular. For instance: What did your group do before the crash?, What caused the great depression?, What was life like for you during the depression?, What New Deal (FDR) programs were geared towards helping your group?, What was buying on credit and did you do it?, What finally got us out of the depression?, and any other questions that you can think of.

Step 3 – Take the information your group found and split it up into 2 time periods: before and during the Great Depression. Create a poster depicting your group’s life in the 20’s and then during the depression.

Step 4 – Once all questions are answered and posters are completed, each group will share the information they found with the rest of the class. Each group will be affected a little differently by the stock market crash and the depression.

Step 5 – A class discussion on what finally got us out of the depression, and how long it lasted will take place.

 

Evaluation/Rubric: (35pts)

- - Poster: (10)

o o Details used/explained 5

o o Creativity 5

- - Explanation of information found to class 10

- - Use of accurate information (poster, presentation) 5

- - Participation within group 5

- - Use of resources (don't just use one!) 5

Conclusion: While each group is presenting, students are to be taking notes and following along noticing the differences between each group of people. For a concluding summation, the class will go back through each group and make a chart on the board of similarities and differences of what each group of people had to go through during the Great Depression. A final discussion will take place, fostered by the teacher, of The Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression and how it affected our Country today.