The Great Depressio Unit
The Great Depressio Unit
The Great Depressio Unit
Unit Objective:
When given a summative assessment, students will be able to identify causes and effects
of the Great Depression.
Standard:
5.) Explain causes and effects of the Great Depression on the people of the United States.
Examples: economic failure, loss of farms, rising unemployment, building of
Hoovervilles
Identifying patterns of migration during the Great Depression
Locating on a map the area of the United States known as the Dust Bowl
Describing the importance of the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the
United States, including the New Deal alphabet agencies
Locating on a map the river systems utilized by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
(Alabama)
Grade level : 6th
Topic description:
My unit topic is on the Great Depression, and in this unit I want my students to learn the
many cause and effects of the Great Depression and how these changes impacted our
lives and where we are today.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 2
Skills Concepts Facts Vocabulary
Students must know
some background
knowledge of the
Stock Market
Students must know
some background
knowledge on farming
and the Midwest
Students should know
about Franklin D.
-Causes and Effects of
the Stock Market
Crash
- Causes and Effects of
the Dust Bowl
-Causes and Effects of
- Crashed on October
29, 1929
- Investors didnt have
access to information
like we do today
- No technology to see
stocks dropping
panic ensued because
no one knew how bad
it was
- Set the direction of
the stock market and
economy for the
decade
- Banks bough shares
in stock in an attempt
to restore confidence
in the stock market
- Considered the
starting point of the
Great Depression
- People lost
confidence in the
banks and started to
panic
-Lasted about a decade
-A severe drought
suffered in the Great
Plains
-Strong wind was
devastating---land
began to blow away
-EVERYTHING had
dust on it
-Livestock was dying
and people were
getting sick so farmers
moved out West
-Unemployed because
of limited jobs in the
- Stock
- Stock Market
- Stock Price
- Share
- Loan
-Laborer
-Unemployment Rate
- Hoovertown
- Hoover
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 3
Roosevelt
the New Deal West
-Herbert Hoover was
blamed for the Great
Depression
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
was elected and made
immediate changes to
help fix the problems
(closed all banks)
-Establish programs
that became known as
the New Deal
-3 Rs: Relief,
Recovery, Reform
-People were able to
get jobs thanks to
these programs
-Economy was able to
pick back up
blankets
- Hoover flags
- Hoover wagons
- AAA
- CCC
- WPA
- NIRA
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 4
Day 1:
Students will
be
introduced
to the
concept of
cause and
effect
Watch a clip
on the Great
Depression
Match
causes to
effects
Create
Cause and
effect
journal to be
used
throughout
the week
Cause and
Effect
Journal
Day 2:Topic:
The Stock
Market Crash-
"Black Tuesday"
BrainPop Video
Fill-in-the
blank notes
Choosing
stocks activity
3-2-1 triangle
foldable
3-2-1
foldable
Day 3:
Topic:
The Dust
Bowl
Watch
video on
the Dust
Bowl
listen to
music and
draw how
the pictures
make you
feel
Have
students
write in
journal as if
it was a
diary entry
Choose
best
photograph
Cause and
Effect Journal
Day 4: Topic:
The New
Deal
Powerpoint
with notes
Foldables
describing
the programs
of the New
Deal
Prezi project
Prezi
Project
Day 5:
Culminating
activity:
Actors
come in
and tell
"real-life"
experiences
from the
Great
Depression
Create a
poem
about the
Great
Depression
Exit Slip
Unit Test
(Summative
assessment)
Sixth grade Social Studies Unit:
The causes and effects of The Great Depression
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 5
Summary of Major Teaching Strategies used in Lesson Plans
For a lot of my teaching I use PowerPoint presentations and note taking. There is
a lot of content to go over that requires the students to take notes so that they have the
information. However, students are never just taking notes on their own from the board.
They are guided throughout their entire note taking process whether it is fill-in-the-blank
notes, or they are taking notes with a guided worksheet to help them follow along with
the PowerPoint and so I know they are paying attention.
I will introduce the unit by discussing cause and effect and having students recall
events in their own lives that have had a cause and effect impact. Then, we will relate
cause and effect to a book that we have just read, Bud, Not Buddy. This will allow
students to use prior knowledge to make predictions about cause and effect. Throughout
the unit we will be watching several video clips and BrainPop videos on the three causes
of the Great Depression that we discuss which areThe Stock Market crash, The Dust
Bowl, and The New Deal.
I try to make the lesson relevant to the students so that they can make
connections. For cause and effect we start out by having them think of situations that they
have been through that are cause and effect situations. I also try to connect them to the
content by using words that they understand and using a lot of pictures in the slides to
help them visualize what that time period was like.
Throughout my lessons I am constantly asking them questions after I explain the
content so that they have the opportunity to apply what we have just discussed. It is
important to ask them why things happen so that they can reason and start to connect the
dots in the content.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 6
Throughout every day I try to have the students engage in some sort of interaction
with their peers, whether it is a turn and talk, sharing their thoughts on a particular event,
or having them work in small groups. This allows them to collaborate and ask each other
questions if they dont understand a concept as well and their peers can give them more
of a kid friendly response or answer. Or bringing in actors and actresses to role play
and give the students real life experiences of the Great Depression.
Everyday I have a different opportunity for practice whether it is a project, poem
writing, journal entry, etc. There are many ways for students to recall information that
they have just learned. But, everyday we close the day with a cause and effect journal
that they create to summarize all the causes and effects that we talk about throughout the
lesson. This way by the end they know what caused the Great Depression and how it
effected the impact of the Great Depression.
Provisions will be made for students to practice their knowledge or skills. This
will be done using several strategies such as, group discussion, turn-and-talk,
predicting causes and effects, journal entries, drawing pictures, writing poems,
presentations, as well as researching on their own.
The students will be encouraged to look over their notes for homework every
night. However, no extra homework will be given.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 7
Design for Learning
Instructor: Jordan Johnson Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher:
Lesson Title: Intro to the Great Depression Date:
Curriculum Area: Social Studies Estimated Time: 30-45 minutes
Standards Connection:
5.) Explain causes and effects of the Great Depression on the people of the United
States.
Examples: economic failure, loss of farms, rising unemployment, building of
Hoovervilles
Identifying patterns of migration during the Great Depression
Locating on a map the area of the United States known as the Dust Bowl
Describing the importance of the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of
the United States, including the New Deal alphabet agencies
Locating on a map the river systems utilized by the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) (Alabama)
Learning Objective(s):
Students will be able to correctly match causes and effects on a worksheet with 90%
accuracy.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
Today class we will be learning about cause and effect and by the end of class we
will be able to match the causes to the effects of the action.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
Students will be evaluated on if they correctly matched the causes to the effect on
the assessment worksheet.
Engagement:
Good morning class! Wait for responses. Are you guys ready to learn today? Wait for
responses. Before we get started I am going to pass out a pre-testI want to see what
you know about the Great Depression. I know some of you might not know a lot or
anything about the Great Depression, but do your best to answer every question. You
are not going to get penalized for wrong answers, so just make your most educated
guess. Bring your papers to me when you are done. Wait for all students to finish.
Good! It looks like everyone is done. Well we have a lot to learn so lets get started.
Raise your have ever heard of the term cause and effect? Wait for responses. What
does that mean? Wait for responses. Give me a thumbs up if you agree. Very good!
Cause and effect is when something happens that leads to a certain consequence or
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 8
reaction. Have you ever experienced that before? Wait for responses. I have an
example of a cause and effectone time when I was little my sister and I got in a fight
about our clothes, because we used to share clothesand instead of solving the
problem the right way by talking about it, I hit her. Have any of you ever gotten in a
fight with your sibling and hit them? Wait for responses. Rightand what happened
when you hit him/her? Wait for responses. Yes! You got in trouble. What kind of
trouble did you get in? Wait for responses. You got grounded? Or had to sit in time
out? Yeah that is what happened to me. I got grounded for a long time. But I learned
my lesson and I never hit my sister again. So, the cause was that we were arguing
about clothes and I hit her, and the effect was that I got grounded. Which was no fun!
Can anyone else give me any examples of a cause and effect? Wait for responses.
Those are all very good examples! Raise your hand if you can think of any causes and
effects that we see in Bud, Not Buddy, the novel that we just finished. Wait for
responses. Very good! Now what are some of those examples? Wait for responses. Yes,
when Todd pushes that pencil up Buds nosewhat happens? Wait for response. Right!
They get in a fight. So, what would the cause in that situation be? Wait for response.
Yes, Todd pushing the pencil up Buds nose is the cause. So then the effect would
beWait for responses. Right, Bud and Todd get in a fight. Can you raise your hand if
you can think of any other examples of causes and effects from Bud, Not Buddy? Wait
for responses. Okay, what is another oneWait for responses. Yes! That is a great
example. Buds mother has died and he doesnt know where his mother is so he is in an
orphanage. That is a causeand then what is the effect? Wait for responses. Right!
Bud escapes his foster family and tries to find his father all the way in Chicago. Very
good! And that is really the plot line in the story isnt it? Wait for responses. Those
were very good examples of cause and effect! I think you guys are really getting the
hang of this. Does anyone remember what was happening in the US during the time
that Bud Not Buddy took place? Wait for responses. What was happening? Wait for
responses. Right! It was called the Great Depression. Now we are going to watch a
video on the Great Depression and determine some of the causes and effects. So, before
I start the video I want you to take out a piece of paper and fold it down the middle,
hotdog style. Wait for students to fold paper. Okay, now draw a line where you folded
and make a T-chart with cause on one side and effect on the other. Give students time
to write cause and effect. Okay, so during the video I want you to be making some
possible predictions about what some causes and effects were during the Great
Depression. You can use examples form the video or any prior knowledge that you
have of the Great Depression to fill this chart out. Are you guys ready for the video?
Play video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpKmfjf5tUk
Learning Design:
I. Teaching:
Okay, did you guys predict some causes and effects of the Great Depression? Wait for
responses. Okay. What were some possible causes that you came up with that could
have had an impact during this time period? Wait for responses. Yes! The roaring 20s
were overwhat was so special about the roaring 20s? Wait for responses. Right! We
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 9
talked about that last week, how happy everyone was, and how it was such a fun time
period. So, what would the effect of the roaring 20s be? Wait for responses. Yes, that is
trueafter the roaring 20s the Great Depression startedand was that a happy time
like in the 20s? Wait for responses. No, it wasnt! But would we say that the roaring
20s was a cause and effect of the Great Depression? Wait for responses. No, because
did the roaring 20s cause the Great Depression to happen? Wait for responses. No,
thats rightit just happened that the Great Depression happened after that fun time!
So, that wouldnt necessarily be a cause and effect. But, I really like how you are
thinking about what we have already learned this year! What might another example
be of a cause and effect during this time? Wait for responses. There was a crash in the
stock market? Wait for responses. Would that be a cause or an effect? Wait for
responses. Right! That is a cause. The stock market crashing was a cause during the
Great Depressionand what would the effect be? Did anyone hear that in the video?
Wait for responses. Yes! An effect of the stock market crashing was that A LOT of
people lost A LOT of money! Is it ever good to lose money? Wait for responses. No!
Youre rightlosing money is never a good thing! Especially when it is all of your life
savings! So, yes that would be a good cause and effect of the Great Depression. What
are some other examples that we know of? Wait for responses. Can we relate the stock
market crash to now? Wait for responses. Raise your hand if you have heard your
mom or dad talk about how bad the economy is right now? Wait for responses. Right!
We hear that a loteven on the news! But, that is another cause and effect. The
economy is bad because people are afraid to spend their moneyso in the effect of
people not spending their money is that the economy is bad and things become more
expensive. Does that make sense? Because they have to make up for the money that
people arent spending by raising the prices. It is kind of like what happened in the
Stock Market Crashbut not nearly as bad. Does anyone else have any examples of
cause and effect? Wait for responses. That is okay if you dont know any other causes
and effectsthat is what we will be learning this week. Now I am going to put this
website up on the Promethean Board and we will get more of an overview of the Great
Depression and while we are going through the slides I want you to continue your list
of causes and effects on your T-chart, okay?
Website:
http://www.nps.gov/shen/photosmultimedia/ccc_curric_one_timeline.htm#
(Part I interactive activity STOP at year 1935). This is a timeline of the Great
Depression. Go over all the slidesimages and facts. Slide 1: The Great Depression
started in 1929the year that Herbert Hoover became the 31
st
President of the United
Statesit was in October of that year the big Stock market crash happened. Does
anyone know what the stock market is? Wait for responses. Youre righta stock
market is where stocks are bought and sold, so the crash of the stock market meant
that a lot of people who bought stocks lost a lot of money because there was a sudden
decline in the stock prices. (Show the fact slide)Have any of you ever heard of Popeye
the Sailor Man? Wait for responses. It was a cartoon that was created in 1929. (Show
short clip). Slide 2: In 1930 we had what was called the Dust Bowl. Raise your hand if
you have ever heard of the Dust Bowl before? Wait for responses. Right, it was a
bunch of dust storms that happened mostly in the Midwest part of the United States
where there was a lot of farmland. Also, some fun facts from this year are that this
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 10
was the year that the Snicker bars were introduced to the world. So in honor of that I
have brought some Snicker bars for you to eat (if there are students allergic have a
backup candy bar/treat). Also, this was the year that Pluto was discovered as the
ninth planet. Then we move on to 1931Slide 3: By the end of 1931over 2200 banks
had failed which caused a lot of panic amongst everyone. Does anyone know what
that means when the banks failed? Wait for responses. Yes, that means that a lot of
people lost a lot of money! It caused a lot of hardships for families. Do you see the
picture of a poster that was posted in the streets during that time? People were mad
that they felt like a transientthey felt like they were being seen as only temporary
peoplelike they were unimportant to society. Switch to the Fact slideit was also
this year that the Empire State Building was dedicated and the US adopted the Star
Spangled Banner as the National Anthemdid anyone think that we have always had
the Star Spangled Banner as our national anthem? Wait for responses. No, it is crazy
that we didnt have it until 1931! That wasnt ALL that long ago. Slide 4: Then, by
1932 the unemployment rate rose from 4% to 25%. Do you think that was a good
thing? Wait for responses. No, that is really bad, youre right! How much of a
difference is that? Wait for responses. Right! That means it rose 21% from the time he
was elected in 1929 to 1932that is only 3 years! The people at this time were so
angry that they elected a new President for the next term. So, in 1932 Franklin D.
Roosevelt was elected as our 32
nd
President. Here is a picture of both Herbert Hoover
and Franklin D. Roosevelt riding together. Fact Slide: How many of you like the chips
Fritos? Wait for responses. They are very yummy! They were invented in 1932 the
same year that all of this happened. It is hard to imagine life without these things
like Snicker bars and Fritos, isnt it? We are just so used to seeing them in the store all
the time! So, moving onSlide 5: Now, we are onto the year 1933it was at this time
that FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt) started implementing his New Deal. I bet none of
you have ever heard of this before, have you? Wait for responses. The New Deal
included programs that FDR created to try and start immediate relief for the Great
Depression. In less than 8 months 1500 Camps were created across the country to try
and save the economy. Also, on Mach 4, 1933 FDR was inaugurated as the 32
nd
President of the United States. Here are two pictures of what he looked like if you have
never seen him before. Now, after going over those slides and learning a little bit more
about the Great Depressionare there any other causes and effects we see during this
time? Wait for responses. (allow every student the opportunity to share) Yes! Those
are all great examples that you have come up with. Do we all feel comfortable with
cause and effect? Wait for responses. Great! Now we are going to start putting it to
practice!
II. Opportunity for Practice:
Okay, now at your table groups I am going to be passing out a baggie with notecards
in them. On the notecards, there will be either one cause or one effect. Your goal is to
match the causes with the effects. Does everyone understand what I want you to do?
Wait for responses. Now, do we remember the rules of when we work together? Wait
for responses. Yes! We are nice to each other, if you disagree with someone at your
table, do we yell at them? Wait for responses. No, do we call them names? Wait for
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 11
responses. No! What do we do then? Wait for responses. Right! We say I dont agree
with you on that onedo you think it could be ___________ instead? That is the polite
way to handle any conflict you might have. Okay, once I pass out your baggy of cards
you may get startedI am giving you 15 minutes to do thiswhen the timer goes off
that means you have one minute left and need to start finishing up your last matches.
The teacher will walk around and make sure students are on task and are matching
the correct causes and effects. If she notices that they are not, she will ask questions to
help them reach the correct answers.
III. Assessment
You all did a great job working together and figuring out the causes and effects! I like
how you all worked together and I saw right answers from all the groups. Now, I am
going to pass out a worksheet with more causes and effects listed. Hold up paper and
show that there are two columns. One side has a column of causes and the other
column is effects. Now, at your desk by yourself I want you to draw lines that connect
the correct causes to the correct effects. Does everyone understand? Wait for
responses.
Great! I am giving you 10 minutes to complete this. So, when the timer goes off I will
collect them. Also, make sure we are working independentlythis worksheet is not a
group activity!
IV. Closure:
I can really tell that you guys have been paying attention today! What are some things
that we learned today about cause and effect, and/or the Great Depression? Wait for
responses. Right! You might fight with your sibling and then get time out or grounded.
That is an example of cause and effect you are right! What did we say cause and effect
was again? Wait for responses. Yes! Cause is when something happens and the effect is
what the consequence is. Very good! What I want you to do right now before we go to
recess is take out a piece of paper and I want you to do a 3-2-1, giving me 3 things that
you learned today, 2 things you want to learn--either on cause and effect or the Great
Depression, and then 1 question you have either on cause and effect or the Great
Depression. Does everyone understand? Wait for responses. Okay, I am giving you the
last 5 minutes to complete this, then we will head to recess!
Materials and Resources:
- Computer
- Promeathean Board
- Slideshow
- Snicker Bars
- Video
- Notecards with causes and effects
- Matching worksheets for assessment
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 12
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
Extension: (Students are grouped in their groups by their skill level) During the
opportunity for practice, have the gifted learners table create their own causes and
effects on extra notecards that are given to them.
Re-Teaching: Give students a fill-in-the-blank note sheet for them to take notes
during the powerpoint instead of filling out the T-chartthis way they have more
direction and dont have to create their own causes and effects, which will make it
easier for them to follow along.
Data Analysis:
Reflection:
Samford University
Design for Learning
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 13
Design for Learning
Instructor: Jordan Johnson Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher:
Lesson Title: The Stock Market Crash Date:
Curriculum Area: Social Studies Estimated Time: 1 hour
Standards Connection:
5.) Explain causes and effects of the Great Depression on the people of the United
States.
Examples: economic failure, loss of farms, rising unemployment, building of
Hoovervilles
Identifying patterns of migration during the Great Depression
Locating on a map the area of the United States known as the Dust Bowl
Describing the importance of the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of
the United States, including the New Deal alphabet agencies
Locating on a map the river systems utilized by the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) (Alabama)
Learning Objective(s):
The students will recall information about the stock market crash by completing a 3-
2-1 triangle correctly.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
Today class we will be learning about the Stock Market Crash that took place and
aided in the start of the Great Depression, after we have learned all about the stock
market you will be completing a 3-2-1 and telling me what you have learned today!
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
Students will be evaluated on what they think the key ideas were, what they are
most intrigued by and what questions they might have.
Engagement:
Good morning class! Wait for responses. Are you all ready to learn today? Wait for
responses. Great! Now raise your hand if you remember what we went over yesterday
during Social Studies time. Wait for responses. Very good! What was it that we
discussed? Wait for responses. Yes! We went over the Great Depression a little bit and
that is our topic this week. But what else did we discuss about the Great Depression?
Wait for responses. Very good! We went over cause and effect. Can anyone give me
any examples of cause and effect? Wait for responses. No, it doesnt have to be about
the Great Depression. It can be any example of cause and effect you want! So, what are
some examples? Wait for responses. Those are all great examples! Now what are some
causes and effects that you wrote down yesterday on your T-chart about the Great
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 14
Depression? Wait for responses. Yes, you can go ahead and pull out your T-charts if
you cant remember. Wait for responses. Those are all true and very good examples of
causes and effects that impacted what was going on during the Great Depression. Now
what were some other things we learned about the Great Depression yesterday? Wait
for responses. Yes, we learned about the Presidents. Which Presidents did we learn
about? Wait for responses. Thats right! We learned about Herbert Hoover who was
our __________ Wait for students to fill inRight he was our 31
st
President! And who
was the other President we learned about? Yes, FDR, or Franklin D. Roosevelt is his
whole name. And he was the _______. Yes, the 32
nd
President, so he was elected after
Hoover. What else did we learn about yesterday? Wait for responses. Right, we
learned about the New Dealand what was that? Wait for responses. Yes, that had to
do with the programs that FDR put in place to help in the relief of the Great
Depression. What else did we learn yesterday? Wait for responses. Yes! We learned
about both the Dust Bowl and the Stock Market crash. What was the Dust Bowl again?
Wait for responses. Yes, it was the dust storms in the Midwest. What kind of land did
we learn that it ruined? Wait for responses. Right! It ruined the farmland. But what
we are going to talk about today is the Stock Market. What do we know from
yesterdays lesson about the Stock Market? Wait for responses. It did happen in
1929does anyone remember the month? Wait for responses. Yes, it took place in
October of 1929. What was the stock market crash? Wait for responses. Yes, it was a
very dramatic decline in the stock prices. So what happened to the people who bought
stocks? Wait for responses. They lost money, right! Now, we are going to watch a little
BrainPop video to get us ready for the lesson. Make sure you are paying attention to
the video, so put all papers, pencils, and books under your seat so you arent distracted!
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/greatdepressioncauses/
Learning Design:
I. Teaching:
Okay, can ___________ please turn the lights back on for me. Thank you! Okay, now what
did we learn about the stock market? Wait for responses. Yes, the New York Stock
Exchange is one of the biggest in the world. What else did we learn from the video?
Wait for responses. Yes, a stock exchange is where people buy and sell stocks. What
are stocks? Yes, they are shares of a particular company that they share to the public.
What do they do with that money? Wait for responses. They can build new factories
and develop new products. What did we say the stock market did in 1929? Wait for
responses. Yes, it crashed. So, what does that mean? Is that good or bad news? Wait
for responses. Yes, we said that earlier, it was bad when the stock market crashed
because a lot of people lost money because of the decline in stock prices. Now, what I
am going to do is pass out a worksheet and as we go through the PowerPoint I want
you to fill in the blanks. So, that means everyone needs a pen or pencil on their desk
and ready to write!
Start PowerPoint and make sure students are following along. So, the Stock Market
Crash of 1929 is also referred to as Black Tuesday. Does anyone know why it might
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 15
be called Black Tuesday? Wait for responses. Right, because it was on a Tuesday that
the stock market crashed. Tuesday, October 29, 1929 to be exact. This is what
signaled(caused) the start of the Great Depression. It was on that Friday, November 1,
1929 (that they call Black Friday) that was so devastating because it set the direction
of the stock market and the economy for the next decade. So, do we think that the stock
market and the economy was going in a good/positive direction? Wait for responses.
Why do you think that? Wait for response. Right! From what we know of the stock
market we know that a crash would not be considered a good thing and we know that
a lot of people lost money and that is NOT good, is it? Within the four days from that
black Tuesday to that Black Friday the stock market had dropped 25%, when a stock
market drops that means that there was a drop in the stock price of a company, and
we know what a stock price is from the BrainPop video we watched earlier, dont we?
Do you all know how much that is? Wait for response. That is like saying say you want
a new pair of tennis shoes but they cost originally $100. But, say there is a sale and the
shoes are 25% offthat means you would only have to pay how much? Wait for
responses. Right, that means the shoes are now only $75would you say that is a
pretty good deal? Wait for responses. Yes, I would agree I think that $75 sounds way
better than $100. Well, you can see how that is such a big difference. So, for the stock
market to drop 25% is crazy! But they arent talking about sales are they? We like that
the shoes were 25% off but we DONT like it when the stock market drops 25%! So,
what did people try to do to stop the stock market from dropping? What happened was
the banks were buying shares in stock in an attempt to gain confidence in the stock
market. We consider Black Tuesday to be the start of the Great Depression because it
signaled complete loss in confidence in the US financial system. What do you think that
meant? Wait for responses. Yes, that means that NO ONE trusted to buy shares in the
stock market anymore, and if no one buys shares than the stock market will never be
able to go up again. Which means that the US was in a big slump. Have you ever heard
of a slump before? Wait for responses. A lot of times you hear it referred to athletes
who are normally really good but then sometimes they get in a slump where they are
not performing to their best of their abilities like they normally do. The same went for
the US at this timeas a nation we were not performing to the best of our abilities and
it caused a lot of panic throughout the country. Now that we know that the stocks
crashedwe need to figure out why they crashed! Unlike today, in the 1920s and 30s
there wasnt much technologytoday we can get news sent straight to our phones, or
iPads, or any mobile device...back then people didnt have any mobile technology to
know what was going on in the world. So, investors did not have immediate access to
the stock information. The stock prices were shown on a machine not on the internet
like todayso you had to be at the actual place in order to see what was going on. That
is why there was so much panic that ensued because no one could tell just how bad it
really was. Could you imagine life without news that could be delivered to you
immediately? Wait for responses. How crazy would that be? That is one very useful
reason for technology today. Since, no one knew what was going onthey had a new
way to buy stocks which involved loans. Does anyone know what a loan is? Wait for
responses. Yes, that is right.it is when you borrow something. So, people were
borrowing money from brokerswho were people who bought and sold goods for
others. And this was when people were finding ALL of their life savings gone and wiped
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 16
out in order to pay off all of their loans. Because when you take out a loan you have to
pay it backjust like if you borrow something you have to give it back to the owner
eventually, right? Otherwise, what would that be considered? Wait for responses. Yes,
that would be considered stealing. And you can get in a lot of trouble for that cant
you? And due to the loss of money in banksbecause of their trying to correct the
situationby 1931, over 2,000 banks in America had closed, which resulted in a lot of
people losing more money. And people having no place to put their money. Do we all
see how this would be such a BIG issue if people stopped trusting the banks and
stopped buying stocks? Wait for responses. We want to be able to trust our country
and what is happening. Now, this is just one cause of the Great Depression.
II. Opportunity for Practice:
Now, what we are going to do is a little Stock Buying Exercise. In your assigned small
groups you will be working on the iPads to complete this assignment. I am passing out
a worksheet now and what I want you to do is stay in your seats until I am done
explaining and then you can get up, move around, and get the iPads. Okay? Wait for
responses. So, what you are going to do for the next 30 minutes is pretend that you
have $100,000 to invest in stocks. We all remember what stocks are, right? Wait for
responses. Just making sure! Okay, so you are going to do some research on the iPads
and decide what stocks and the number of shares you want to purchase. Your 5 stock
options are The Walt Disney Company, McDonalds Corporation, Six Flags
Entertainment, Walmart Stores, Inc., and Southwest Airlines Co. All of these are listed
on your worksheet so if you did not hear me you will see once we get started. On the
worksheet you are going to list the name of the stock, the # of shares, the reason for
buying this stock and the total amount. Do you understand what the directions are?
Wait for responses. Very good! Now, I am going to setting the timer for 30 minutes
and when it goes off I am collecting all the work that you have so make sure you are
staying on task and not goofing off with the iPads. There is also an app on the iPad
that you will find useful in deciding what stocks to buy. (www.google.com/finance)
Now go ahead and get started in your groups.
III. Assessment
Okay, time is up. Go ahead and put the iPads up where they belong and head back to
your seats. Wait for all students to get back to their seats. Okay, now that we have
researched some stocks and we now know we could have careers in the stock market. I
want to see how much you have learned today. I am passing out some white computer
paper and what I want you guys to do is make our 3-2-1 triangle. What I want you to
write is 3 things that you learned about the stock market, 2 things you want to know
more about the stock market, and 1 question you have about the stock market. Can
everyone do that for me? Wait for responses. Great! I will give you about 8 minutes.
IV. Closure:
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 17
Okay, I am going to need my helper for the week go ahead and collect all of the 3-2-1
triangles. Wait for helper to collect all triangles. Okay, now before we go to recess, I
have made you all these little journals. They are your cause and effect journals for this
weeks lesson on the Great Depression. What I want you to do is list all the causes and
effects you can think of that had to do with what we learned today about the Stock
Market. Make sure that the causes and effects that you list have to do with how the
stock market and the stock market crash impacted the Great Depression. Does
everyone understand that? Wait for responses. Okay, and when you are done listing
them you may decorate your journal. How does that sound? Okay, great! Now we have
the last 5 minutes to do that before we go outside to recess. So you may go ahead and
get started.
Materials and Resources:
BrainPop video
PowerPoint of The Stock Market Crash
Computer
Fill-in the blank worksheet
Stock Buying Worksheet
iPads
White Computer paper
Scissors
Cause and Effect Journal
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
Extension: Have students create a small presentation using an app that you have
gone over in class as to why they choose their specific stocks.
Re-Teaching: Give students a sheet that tells them what stock they are going to
research, and have them fill in the worksheet using that stocks information.
Data Analysis:
Reflection:
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 18
Design for Learning
Instructor: Jordan Johnson Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher:
Lesson Title: The Dust Bowl Date:
Curriculum Area: Social Studies Estimated Time: 1 hour
Standards Connection:
Social Studies 6
th
5.) Explain causes and effects of the Great Depression on the
people of the United States.
Examples: economic failure, loss of farms, rising unemployment, building of
Hoovervilles
Identifying patterns of migration during the Great Depression
Locating on a map the area of the United States known as the Dust Bowl
Describing the importance of the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as
President of the United States, including the New Deal alphabet agencies
Locating on a map the river systems utilized by the Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) (Alabama)
Learning Objective(s):
In a small group students will be able to choose a photograph that shows the effects
of the Dust Bowl and create an assessment and a summary as to why this picture
depicts this time period according to a teacher created checklist.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
After learning about the Dust Bowl today we will be analyzing photographs of the
Dust Bowl and by correctly choosing the picture that best depicts what it was like
during that time.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
Students will write a persuasive summary as to why they believe that their photo
best depicts what it was like to live in the Midwest during the Dust Bowl.
Engagement:
Good morning class! Wait for responses. Are we ready to learn more about the Great
Depression today? Wait for responses. I know you guys are just so excited to learn! I
went over the stock activity you guys did yesterday and they looked great! I also read
over your 3-2-1 and they were great as well. I could tell you all really learned a lot
yesterday! So, before we start on our new topiclets discuss a little bit of what we
went over yesterdaywhat was it that we were talking about again? Wait for
responses. Very good! We learned about the Stock Market crash. Can anyone tell me
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 19
something that they learned yesterday? Think back to your 3-2-1 that you made. That
might help you! Wait for responses. Very goodyou learned that it started in October
of 1929. And that is correct! The stock market crash happened on Tuesday, October
29, 1929. And what do we call that day in history? Wait for response. Black Tuesday,
thats right! What else did we learn yesterday about the stock market crashing? Wait
for responses. Yes, we learned that the banks were trying to fix the problem, but what
ended up happening? Wait for responses. Right, the country lost confidence in the
financial systemwhich made what happen? Wait for responses. Yes, it made people
take loans and then they couldnt pay them back so they lost their life savingswhich
means they lost all their money that they had saved up! That is not good at all, is it?
Wait for response. Okay, well it sounds like you understand the importance of the
stock market crash to the Great Depression and how it was one of the causes that
effected Great Depression. Now we are going to switch gears a little bit to the Dust
Bowl. To start us off we are going to watch the intro to a film on YouTube that is going
to tell us a little something about the Dust Bowl. Are you ready? Wait for responses.
Awesome! Now _________ could you go turn off the lights for us, please? Thank you!
Watch: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_LZpKSqhPQ]
Learning Design:
I. Teaching:
Okay, _________ could you please turn the lights back on for us? Thank you again. Okay,
after watching that little introductionhow bad did the Dust Bowl look? Wait for
responses. It did look awful. What did we say it was again? Wait for responses. Yes, it
was a dust storm.could you really tell how bad it was from the video? Yes you could.
The way the three people described it too made it sound absolutely terrible. Could you
imagine living in those conditions? Wait for responses. No, did anyone hear it when
the guy said that you thought something might run you over because you literally
could NOT see anything in front of you! That is absolutely crazy. Now, we are going to
look at some photographs from this time. I know you could tell from the video just how
bad it was, but these might help you better visualize it as well. While we are watching
these photographs on the board I am going to play some music that might remind us of
this time. Do you think I should be playing jazz music? Wait for responses. No? Why
not? Wait for responses. You think that is a little too upbeat? Wait for responses.
Yeah, I think you are right. What kind of music do you think I need to play? Wait for
responses. Something sad and eerie? I think you are right! (Show pictures) Now after
listening to the music and looking at all of the photographs, I want you to pull out a
sheet of paper and just sort of sketch or doodle what you visualize in your head when
you think of this period of the Great Depression. I am going to give you a few moments
to do that and I will continue to play the music for you to get in that sad and eerie
mindset. Give students a few moments to sketch. Okay, now what I want you to do is
turn and talk to your neighbor about how the pictures made you feel about the Dust
Bowl. And show each other your sketches of how you visualize that period. I am going
to give you a few minutes to do that. Give students a few minutes. Okay, now for
todays lesson I have printed out copies of the PowerPoint for you to keep in your
notebookso, you can write all over them and take extra notes or whatever you need
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 20
to do! So, the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. This period of time lasted about a decade. How
long is a decade.can anyone tell me? Wait for responses. Yes, that is 10 years.could
you imagine living in dust for 10 years?! It sounds awful doesnt it? I dont even like
when I get a little dust in my eye I couldnt imagine having to worry about it for 10
years. Now, can anyone remember from our lesson on Monday where we said the Dust
Bowl primarily took place? Wait for responses. Very good, it took place mostly on
farmland in the Midwest. It was caused by a very severe drought suffered in the
Great Plains region of the US. Do we all know what a drought is? Raise your hand if
you know what it is? Wait for responses. Yes, it is when everything is very dry because
it hasnt rained in a while. I lived in Florida and we can get some pretty bad droughts
as wellyou can tell because all the water in the lakes start to dry up everything just
looks very dry and brown. It is not very pretty like we are used to seeing. Well the Great
Plains (Midwest) region is a little different then Floridathese states are not
surrounded by water so the area is a semi-arid grassland. In the 1800s there had been
thousands of settlers who chose to settle on this land because it was really good for
farming and grazing cattle. What are cattle? Wait for responses. Right, cattle are
cows. So, in this area there was a lot of farming going on, and these people made their
money by farming. However, because this land was so dry it led to bare land and
significant environmental damage occurred. We need water in order to farm, right?
Why is that? Wait for responses. Right! Because the animals are just like humans
where they need water to survive and so are plants. We ALL need water to surviveso
if the farmland wasnt getting enough water then their crops and cattle would start to
die and the farmers would have no way of making money. Now we need to know what
caused the Dust Bowl? Does anyone have any guesses by what we just discussed about
the drought that was happening in that region of the US? Wait for responses. Those
are great predictions! It was around the same time as the stock market crashed this
dry land was hit by strong winds and bad natural elements. The land started to blow
away which formed these huge clouds of dust and everything turned really dark. How
do you think you would feel if you went 10 years without seeing the sun? Would you
feel kind of sad? Wait for responses. Yes, the sunshine tends to make us happy, so
going 10 years without it and then having dust all over you, could make you really sad
and depressed, right? Wait for responses. So, the effects of the Dust Bowl would be
that at this time the sky was so lethaldoes anyone know what the word lethal means?
Wait for responses. Yes, it means deadly. This sky was deadly and dangerous. It was
causing livestock to go blind. What do you think that meant to the farmers if the
livestock was going blind? Wait for responses. Right, it was dangerous for the
livestock which meant that some livestock might die and that would leave the farmers
without a way to feed their families or make money. To protect themselves from the
lethal skies, families would wear respiratory masks to try to prevent themselves from
breathing in the dust! Could you imagine walking around ALL the time with a
respiratory mask? Wait for responses. Dont you think that might get a little
annoying? Wait for responses. Yeah, I agree. I would not like that at all. But, even
though a lot of people would walk around with respiratory masks some children and
adults were still inhaling this awful dust and sand and were dying from what was
called dust pneumoniathis was dust induced pneumonia. Have you all heard of
pneumonia before? Wait for responses. Yes it is when you get really really sick. We
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 21
now have medicines that will help when you have pneumonia but back then they didnt
have as many resources, and especially when a little child gets sick you have to be
really careful because it can be very dangerous. But at this time a lot of adult and
children were dying from the sickness. It sounds like this time was just a mess, doesnt
it? Wait for responses. Do you think you wouldve wanted to be a live during this time?
Wait for responses. Yeah, I wouldnt want to either. Why would you not want to be a
live during this time? Wait for responses. Right, it was dangerous and scary. It seemed
like no one really knew what was going to happen or if it ever was going to get better.
Well, at its worst the Dust Bowl covered 100 million acres in the Midwest. That is a lot,
isnt it? We think it is a lot when someone has 1 acre of land.so for it to cover such a
large section of land was really really really scary! Since, the dust was so bad over
these 100 million acres of land and it didnt look like it was clearing up anytime soon
farmers were abandoning their homes and land because they had no chance of making
a living with all the dust. So, they decided to move out West. What states are out West?
Wait for responses. Yes, California is West, yes, Colorado is West, yes, Arizona is West,
yes, Washington state is West, very good.not a lot of people remember about
Washington state. But those are very good! Yes, the farmers were all moving out that
way to try and escape the dust and find jobs. Could you see a problem with ALL the
farmers and people in the Midwest moving out to the West? Wait for responses. Yes,
that is A LOT of peoplewe are talking 100 million acres worth of people potentially
moving to the West. Do you think that there is that many jobs out there? Wait for
responses. No, that was a big problem. The farmers were all moving out West to
become laborers, however, that left a large amount of farmers unemployed still
because their were not enough jobs for them. So, do you think this really helped our
economy all that much to have so many people unemployed? Wait for responses. No,
we need people to be employed in order to help our economy. So, would we agree that
the Dust Bowl was a bad bad bad time for the US? It didnt help that it happened right
after the stock market crash, did it? Wait for responses. No, it didnt!
II. Opportunity for Practice:
Now, what I would like you to do is take out your writing journal and pencil. Wait for
everyone to get settled in there seats. Okay, so what I want you to do now is think of
yourself as either a farmer, a mother nursing a child who is sick with dust pneumonia,
or a healthy child who is watching all the adults cope with the disastermaybe the
child doesnt really know the extent of what is happening at this time. So, start to
imagine these characters in your head. You are just going to be choosing one, but try
to put yourself in all of their shoes really fast so you think you know which point of
view you want to take. After you decide which point of view you want to go from, you
will be writing a diary entry as this person. The scenario that this person is going
through is that one of their family members just died from dust pneumonia and all of
their livestock has died so their family has no way of making money. How does this
person feel? We all know how to write a diary entry, right? In our diaries we write our
personal information so dont be afraid to make this as personal as you would like. If
your character is upset makes sure in your writing you make it seem like they are
upsetif your character is happywhich I dont think anyone was at this timemake
sure that I your writing you make it clear how the character feels about this Dust
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 22
Bowl. Your diary entry should include information that we learned about the Dust
Bowl in class to support any statements that you make. Do you all understand what I
want from you today? Wait for responses. Great! I am setting the timer for 20
minutes, so get busy!!
III. Assessment
Timer goes off. Okay, guys it has been 20 minutes so get to a stopping point in your
diary entry. Wait for students to put their things up. Okay, now what we are going to
be doing is a really fun activityI think you all are going to enjoy it. Well, you know
how at the beginning of class we looked over all of those pictures from the Dust
Bowlwe thought it looked pretty crazy that people had to live through all of that
dust, didnt we? Wait for responses. I am going to give you the directions before you
start moving around, okay? Wait for responses. Okay, so in your assigned small
groups you are going to be choosing the Single Greatest Dust Bowl Photograph. So,
each group is going to need to work either on an iPad or on the computer if we dont
have enough iPads. And what I want you to do is browse the photo collection on this
website (write the website on the board) All of the ipads and the computer should
already been on that homepage but just in case they arent here is the website I want
you to be on: www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/photos/
Once your whole group decides on a photograph you will be writing an assessment
that identifies the photos title, the photographer (the person who took the picture),
the location, and the date. Then, after finding all of that information I want you to
write a brief summary as to why you think that photo deserves the title of the Greatest
Dust Bowl photograph. This summary should include persuasive reasoning that
supports your choice. So, do we all know what we are doing? Wait for responses. Okay
then, what are we supposed to be doing right now? Wait for responses. Yes, that is
right. So, you all may move into your small groups now and find a spot in the room
where you will not be distracted by other groups. You have the rest of the time until
recess to complete this.
IV. Closure:
Okay, it is about time to go to recess, so I need you all to save what you are doing on
the computers or iPads, then I need you to send all of your summaries and assessments
of the photos to me on my email. Do you remember how we do that? Wait for
response. Very good! Give them all a few minutes to send it in. Very good you all! Now,
did we find that activity fun? Wait for responses. That is one of my favorite activities
because I think those pictures are all so interesting because it is crazy to think that
people lived everyday with all of that dust everywhere. I know I couldnt do it. It would
drive me crazy to be covered in sand and dirt all the time. Do you all have any
questions about anything that we went over today? Wait for response. We understand
how the Dust Bowl impacted the Great Depression? Wait for responses. Great! Now
one last thing we have to do before we go to recess is write in our cause and effect
journal. Just like the other two daysI want you to write down in a T-chart, or
whatever organization you have been doingthe causes and effects that the Dust
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 23
Bowl had on the Great Depression era. I am going to give you 5 minutes to wrap that
up! Give students 5 minutes then go to recess.
Materials and Resources:
YouTube video on Dust Bowl
iPads
Computer
PowerPoint
PowerPoint Notes
Writing Journal
Photos of the Dust Bowl
Website with the pictures of the Dust Bowl
Cause and Effect Journal
Background music
Paper for sketch
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
Extension: Students will research the famous photographer and compile several
pictures that he/she took during the Dust Bowl and add them to their assessment.
Re-Teaching: Students will create an outline for their diary entry, giving me bullet
points as to what was happening in during the Dust Bowl.
Data Analysis:
Reflection:
Samford University
Design for Learning
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 24
Design for Learning
Instructor: Jordan Johnson Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher:
Lesson Title: The New Deal Date:
Curriculum Area: Social Studies Estimated Time: 1 hour
Standards Connection:
Social Studies 6
th
5.) Explain causes and effects of the Great Depression on the
people of the United States.
Examples: economic failure, loss of farms, rising unemployment, building of
Hoovervilles
Identifying patterns of migration during the Great Depression
Locating on a map the area of the United States known as the Dust Bowl
Describing the importance of the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as
President of the United States, including the New Deal alphabet agencies
Locating on a map the river systems utilized by the Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) (Alabama)
Learning Objective(s):
The students will correctly explain the importance of a New Deal program by
creating a presentation showing the importance it was to the time period according
to a teacher made checklist.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
At the end of our lesson today you will be presenting to the class one of the
programs of the New Deal and you will explain to the class why it was important to
the Great Depression.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
After learning about The New Deal students will be able to be given one of the
programs of the New Deal and be assessed on their ability to describe the basic
questions and how well they create their lesson to summarize the criticism of the
New Deal.
Engagement:
Good morning class! I looked over all of the photographs that your groups chose
yesterday and they were all great! I really enjoyed reading why you chose the photos
and there were some photos I had never seen before. The Dust Bowl was not a fun time
for the US was it? Did those photos make you a little sad for the people? Wait for
responses. Right! No one looked very happydid they? Wait for responses. So, we
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 25
have already discussed the Stock Market crashwhen did that take p lace again? Wait
for responses. Correctthe stock market crash happened on October 29, 1929. Very
good! And what happened again? Wait for responses. Right! People lost a lot of money
and all the banks closed. Very good! And then yesterday we learned about the Dust
Bowl. Which was when___________? Wait for response. Yes, when the people in the
Midwest part of the US had HUGE dust storms and had to move out West. How long did
we say that the dust storms lasted? Wait for responses. Right! About 10 years. That is
a long a time. What else happened to the farmers? Wait for responses. Yes, they lost
their jobs because nothing would grow because of the drought and their livestock was
dying. So were did they end up going? Wait for responses. Yes, they ended up moving
out Westdid that help a whole lot? Wait for responses. No, because there werent
enough jobs! You guys were really paying attention, I can tell. Well today we are going
to be learning about the New Deal programs that we said FDR set in place. (Pull up
quote on the Promeathean Board). So first let me assert you my firm belief that the
only thing we have to fear is fear itself. This is a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt.
What I want you to do is pull out your writing journals and respond to this quote
based on what we have learned so far about the Great Depression and what was going
on during this time in the US. Use what you have learned about the Stock Market Crash
and the Dust Bowl to help you in your response. I will give you 10 minutes to jot down
your response. Okay, now what I want you to do is turn and talk to your neighbor
about your response to this quote. I will give you just a couple of minutes to discuss
this.
Learning Design:
I. Teaching:
Okay, get to a good stopping point in your writing. Now, can anyone tell me what we
said the New Deal was on Monday when we were first learning about the Great
Depression? Wait for responses. Very good! We said that FDR was implementing
these New Deal programs in order to start relief on the Great Depression. Which
means he was trying to get the US out of this Depression. To really understand these
programs and their purpose we first have to go back to Herbert Hoover and how he
was blamed for not being able to fix this problem in the US while he was the president.
Once again, I have printed out copies of the slideshow for you, so take any extra notes
on the sides if you feel like you need to add something to help you study for your test
next week. (Pass out notes) I am also going to pass out a study guide that you can fill
in the notes, kind of like what we did the other day when we were taking notes, but this
time the notes are not fill-in-the blanks exactly like the PowerPoint. Okay? (Pass out
notes) The reason why Herbert Hoover was blamed for the Great Depression was
because he refused to involve the government in forcing fixed priceswhich are when
there are set prices on products, controlling businessesmeaning that he was not
going to allow businesses to run on their own, and manipulating the value of
currencymeaning that the government would be able to change the value of our
money. Because we know that different countries follow different currencies, so a
dollar in the US is not the same as a dollar in Spainbut we all know that right? Wait
for responses. Good! The reason why Hoover would not allow these changes is because
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 26
he felt like these were steps towards socialism. And he did not want the US to be a
socialist country. Now, socialism means that the community as a whole would be in
charge of all decisions and executions of politics. This means that we would not need a
president because wethe people would make the decisions. That sounds pretty cool
to you guys, doesnt it? You would get to be in charge, right? Wait for responses. But
that can get pretty messybecause we know that not everyone is always going to
agree on ideas. And that can cause a lot of conflict especially in a big country like the
US. So Hoover was trying to prevent this from happening. So, people were nicknaming
bad things after him. The little towns that the homeless people made were called
Hoovertowns, people were having to use newspapers as blankets so they would call
those Hoover blankets, people would turn their pockets in their pants inside out to
indicate that they were broke and that was called Hoover flags and beat up cars
were called Hoover wagons. So, people really put a lot of blame on Herbert Hoover.
Now, I want you to turn and talk to your partner and thinkdo you all think that that
was fair? Based on what we have learned do you think that he could have done a
better job managing everything? I am going to give you a minute or two to discuss this.
Wait for responses. What do you all think he could have done better? Wait for
responses. Those are all very good answers, but we wont ever really know, will we,
since we were not in his position it is hard to tell what he could have done better. So, a
cause of the New Deal would be that Herbert Hoover was getting blamed for
everything so the people wanted change. So, FDR had a better planhe was elected to
be our 32
nd
President in 1932. As soon as he took the office he made many immediate
changes. He closed all the banks and only allowed them to open once they had
stabilized. Why do you think he did that? Wait for responses. Right, like we said the
other day the banks were trying to fix the problem and so they were using money that
was not theirs. So, FDR wanted to make sure that they were only going to open once
they were stable and able to help the people.not lose their life savings. And he also
started to establish these programs. So, what is exactly was the New Deal? Well, the
New Deal was a set of federal programs launched to help bring the nation out of the
Great Depression. The plan was to bring the 3 Rs which were: Reliefto help get rid
of the situation, Recoveryto bring the US back together, and Reformto change the
ways we were doing things. Does this sound like a plan that will work? Do the 3 Rs
sound like something that could happen during this time? Wait for responses. Yes, it
sounds like a very good plan! The goal of these programs was to help curbmeaning
make smallerunemployment rates by hiring people for various jobs. So, if the cause
of the New Deal was that Herbert Hoover was getting blamed for everything, and the
people wanted changean effect would be the New Deal gave the opportunity for
people to work and change the economy around to curb the effects of the Great
Depression. Because like we discussed yesterday we need people to be working in order
for the economy to get better, right? Because if there is no money being made then
there is no money being spent. The New Deal Programs were commonly known by
their initials. For example, the AAA was the Agricultural Adjustment Administration,
the CCC was the Civilian Conservation Corps and the WPA was the Works Progress
Administration. The AAA was when the federal law reduced agricultural production by
paying farmers to not plant on their land and to kill excess livestockthis was saving
the farmers money because like we learned yesterday the weather conditions were not
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 27
good and the farmers were wasting crops and livestock. The CCC was the public work
relief this program involved unmarried men from the ages of 18-25 and this program
provided these men jobs that did not require a lot of skillsit was manual labor jobs,
but they were jobs nonethelessthis helped the economy. Then there was the WPA
which employed people to carry out public works projectsthese jobs are the
construction and building jobsso it is kind of similar to the CCC where they were
providing people with jobs finally. Do you all understand what these programs were
used for? Wait for responses. Right! They were helping to provide jobs and stimulate
the economy again. Stimulate means to start back upthey were trying to get the
economy started again. With these people being able to go back to work the economy
picked back up and helped in large amounts to get us out of the Great Depression. Not,
that it was a quick fix, but the US was finally getting back on its feet. So. FDR was a big
help and reason why the US was able to get out of this period, even though it took some
time his programs really jumpstarted us back to normal. Does that make sense? Wait
for responses. Great! He was also in charge of the NIRA which is the National
Industrial Recovery Actthis was used to regulate industries in an attempt to raise
prices after the severe deflation we talked about on Tuesday and so this program was
meant to stimulate economic recovery. They were trying to get the economy fully
recovered. So, what are the 4 programs we discussed? Wait for responses. Right! We
have the CCCwhat do the Cs stand for? Right! The CCC is the Civilian Conservative
Corps. What is another program? Wait for responses. Yes, we had the Agricultural
Adjustment Administration. And the WPA and NIRAvery good and those stand for?
Works Progress Administration, and the National Industrial Recovery Act. Very good!
And they were all used to get our economy back on our feet.
II. Opportunity for Practice:
Now, I am going to pass out some white computer paper and using your iPads I want
you toby yourselfmake a foldable with 4 flaps. You all know how we make
foldables, right? I dont need to show you again? Wait for responses. Good! So I need
you to make 4 flaps. On each flap I need you to title them the 4 New Deal programs
that we went over today. Can someone tell me what those are again? Wait for
responses. Very good! You can use the initials on the front of the flap but somewhere
on the flap I want you to write out the whole name of the program, okay? Wait for
responses. Okay, and inside the flap I want you to write down some things that you
learned about the program. These can be bullet points of that is easier for you. And
then, with the iPads I want you to finds some additional facts that maybe we didnt go
over in class today. I want you all to be experts on these programs, and you are going
to want a lot of information so you can complete our next activity, okay? So, I am going
to set the timer for 15 minutes and remember the more information you have the
better!
III. Assessment
Okay, time is up. Finish up your last sentence. You are going to need your iPads for the
next activity so just set them aside for right now. Today for the remainder of class you
are going to be working on becoming experts on one particular program. So, I have
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 28
already divided the class into 4 groups and in your groups you will be creating some
sort of presentation that you can present to the classbecause remember you are the
experts of your programs so you want to share all your knowledge with your friends.
For your presentation you are going to be making a Prezi. Do you remember how we
went over how to make those a few weeks ago? Wait for responses. Great! And I know
there is at least one techno wiz in the group that can help everyone out! I am going to
pass out a checklist of what you need to include in your presentation butI am also
going to tell you what you need to include in your presentation is-- a brief description
of the program, who it was trying to help, how was it regarddid people agree with it
or criticize it? And was it a lasting legacy of a program? Can someone tell me what
legacy means? Wait for responses. Right! It means that it was viewed as a positive
influence and something that worked. So, we all know our assigned groups and what
programs we are doing. You have the rest of class to finish your presentations. And we
will present them at the beginning of class tomorrow so make sure you are working
hard so that you can be the best experts you can be.
IV. Closure:
Okay, time is up for today we will have more time to finish it before we present to the
class next week. Also, since it is a Prezi it is something you guys can work on at home
since everyone can log onto it. But, I will also be giving you a little more time in class to
work on it, so dont worry! Before we go to recess can anyone guess what I am going to
ask you to do? Wait for responses. What have we done everyday before we have gone
to recess? Wait for responses. Right, pull out your cause and effect journals and list
some causes and effects that the New Deal programs had on the Great Depression. I
will give you the next 5 minutes to jot some of those down. Wait five minutes. Okay,
finish off your last sentences and start to get ready for recess.
Materials and Resources:
Whiteboard
Markers
PowerPoint
New Deal worksheet
Computers
iPads
Textbook
Chart Paper
Computer Paper
Checklist for what to include on the Prezi
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
Extension: Interview grandparents/great-grandparents and ask if they had any
experience with the New Deal programs
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 29
Re-Teaching: Students will choose one program and briefly describe the program
using chart paper to write down the key facts.
Data Analysis:
Reflection:
Samford University
Design for Learning
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 30
Design for Learning
Instructor: Jordan Johnson Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 6
th
grade
Lesson Title: Closing Date:
Curriculum Area: Social Studies Estimated Time: 1 hour
Standards Connection:
Social Studies 6
th
5.) Explain causes and effects of the Great Depression on the
people of the United States.
Examples: economic failure, loss of farms, rising unemployment, building of
Hoovervilles
Identifying patterns of migration during the Great Depression
Locating on a map the area of the United States known as the Dust Bowl
Describing the importance of the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of
the United States, including the New Deal alphabet agencies
Locating on a map the river systems utilized by the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) (Alabama)
Learning Objective(s):
After learning about the Great Depression all week students will complete an exit
slip before leaving the classroom that contains 1 fact about the Stock Market, the
Dust Bowl, and the New Deal.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
Today, we are going to be reviewing what we have been learning all week and then
before we leave you will be giving me an exit slip that gives me a fact on each topic
that we have gone over this week.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
Students will be evaluated on if their facts align with what we have learned all week
about the Great Depression.
Engagement:
Good morning class! Wait for responses. We have had a long week learning about the
Great Depression, havent we? Wait for responses. Well today we are going to end our
unit by watching a BrainPop video on the Great DepressionI know we already
watched one this week on the Stock Market, but this video will tie together all of our
topics from this week and give us a big picture of this time known as the Great
Depression. Watch video:
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/greatdepression/. After
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 31
watching that video do you see all the connections as to why this time period was
called the Great Depression? Wait for responses. Yeah! That is great to hear. Now, I
have a little surprise for you all.
Learning Design:
I. Teaching:
Okay class today we are doing things a little differently! I know that all week we have
been taking notes and learning about the Great Depression and several things that
have caused the Great Depression and effected the impact the Great Depression had on
people. But today I have brought in some special visitors who lived during the Great
Depression. (These are actorsnot actual people who lived during the Great
Depression, they are following a script). These men and women come all the way from
Chicagoand they want to tell you all about how hard Chicago was hit by the Great
Depression in the 1930s and how the unemployment climbed as high as 40% in some
parts of the city. Do you all remember how we talked about the unemployment all
week and how it impacted the Great Depression. For these people they grew up in a
pretty poverty stricken area so they are going to tell you all about it. Here is Ms.
Bridgeforth (point to Ms. Bridgeforth), this is Mr. Martinez (point to Mr. Martinez), this
is Mr. Orear (point to Mr. Orear), this is Ms. Cortese (point to Ms. Coretese), and this is
Mr. Condic (point to Mr. Condic) and these are their stories:
Ms. WANDA BRIDGEFORTH: The city was more segregated then.
Ms. Johnson: Wanda Bridgeforth has rich memories of Bronzeville, known as the
Black Metropolis. Louis Armstrong lived there. So did Ida B. Wells. It was fairly
affluent until hard times came.
Ms. BRIDGEFORTH: In the Depression, the men could not get jobs and the
especially the black men. Here was my father with a degree in chemistry, and he
could not get a job.
Ms. Johnson: And he was humiliated, she says. He just fell apart. And so her
mother took what work she could find, as a live-in domestic. And Wanda, just in
grade school, was boarded out.
Ms. BRIDGEFORTH: And she told me that this is the way it has to be. So we either
do it and survive or don't do it and don't survive.
Ms. Johnson: Wanda Bridgeforth was sent to live with relatives and sometimes
with strangers.
Ms. BRIDGEFORTH: One house we lived in, there were 19 of us in a six-room
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 32
house.
Ms. Johnson: She did learn to share and cooperate, she says, but so many years
doing without left a mark on her.
Ms. BRIDGEFORTH: The kids do say that I'm a pack rat. And they say, well, what
are you going to use this for? And I say, I don't know, but I'm going to use it.
Mr. HENRY MARTINEZ: The winter was so cold. We huddled around the potbelly
stove.
Ms. Johnson: Henry Martinez grew up near the lake in South Chicago, the city's
oldest Mexican neighborhood. His parents had 13 children. They lived hand-to-
mouth in a flat with shared bathrooms.
Mr. MARTINEZ: You had to take a bath, you'd heat up the water in these big cans.
It was always a challenge to keep warm. When I think about it, it was horrible. It
was horrible. It was horrible. And then the sanitation of the community -
garbage was just put in the alley - and did that create a condition? Yes, it did.
TB. Sometimes I'd like to block that out and say, you know, thank God you're
here.
Ms. Johnson: He thanks God, but says the Catholic Church didn't do much to help
his family back then. Today, at 76, he works as a community organizer trying to
help his old neighborhood, which is still poor.
(Soundbite of passing railway train)
Ms. Johnson: In a downtown office right next to the El tracks, Les Orear
remembers an easier childhood. His father was a newspaperman in the 20s, and
Les was in college when the stock market crashed.
Mr. LES OREAR: Pretty soon, I got a phone call that I'd have to come back to
Chicago and find a job and try to help support my family. Hm.
Ms. Johnson: And so he got a job at the stockyard making 37.5 cents a day.
Chicago was a hotbed of union organizing in the 1930s, and Orear dedicated
himself to beinging in the union, and he felt useful.
Mr. OREAR: It was a wonderful time for me because here I was, this young fellow
with a - radical ideas are coming nowadays, and it's going on all over the
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 33
country. I'm not a lone warrior. I'm a part of a vast machine.
Ms. Johnson: Do you happen to have any memory of Thanksgiving during those
times?
Mr. OREAR: I have no memory whatsoever, nor Christmas either. We in the
yards, we had Christmas off, but it was a day with no pay.
Ms. Johnson: What about Thanksgiving?
Mr. OREAR: No, you didn't work. You had Thanksgiving off. The company was
kind enough to give you the day off. But you didn't get any pay. That's the way
the world worked in those days before unions. That is the difference, kiddos.
Ms. Johnson: Les Orear is 97 years old now, president emeritus of the Illinois
Labor History Society.
(Soundbite of bell chiming)
Ms. Johnson: Bridgeport, south of the loop, is home to the White Sox. Church
steeples sprout from this working-class neighborhood of the Irish, Italians,
Polish, Lithuanians, Chinese, and the Croatians of St. Jerome's Parish.
(Soundbite of simultaneous conversations)
Ms. Johnson: Many of them born during the 1920s to immigrant parents.
Ms. GIGGI BESIC CORTESE: My mother had boarders living upstairs.
Ms. Johnson: Giggi Besic Cortese has lived in this neighborhood all her life. I met
her and some of her friends at her home. She's 81 now.
Ms. CORTESE: And we had a man that lived upstairs, we called him John Vuk, and
every Sunday, he took us to this show. Do you know how I survived those days? It
was going to the show every Sunday to see Shirley Temple. I'm telling you, she
was my inspiration to go on living. Honest to goodness, I couldn't wait till
Sundays. And we would just sit and wait for John Vuk to say come on, ve go to the
show. Ve go to the show today.
Mr. DUSKO CONDIC: You certainly could say that people had heart for each
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 34
other, and if they were able to help, more often than not, they did.
Ms. Johnson: Dusko Condic is 77. He's from the neighborhood, too.
Mr. CONDIC: In my own situation, my father died a relatively young man in his
early 40s. He left eight of us. Unfortunately, we lost the house. I can remember to
this day, and I'll become emotional when I think of it - literally being placed on
the sidewalk. Every last possession that my poor mother had because she wasn't
able to supposedly pay for the mortgage. And an incredible number of people
came to my mother's aid, literally wheeling wheelbarrows of coal to help warm
the house.
Ms. Johnson: Condic and his friends have lots of good memories, too. They were
children back then, after all, glued to the radio.
Ms. CORTESE: Every Sunday at four o'clock, The Shadow Knows.
Ms. CONDIC: Right, right, right.
Ms. Johnson: There's nothing they like better than gathering around the table
and telling stories from the old days. Today on Thanksgiving, their children and
grandchildren might ask about the Great Depression, they say, but they're
pretty sure the kids don't really understand.
Mr. CONDIC: My brother Mark has 10 kids. And somewhere along the line, you
know, they tend to disregard the value of money. Oh, dad, it's only money, you
know. So what? I could earn some more. And on one or more occasion, he tells
them, hey kids, God forbid if the Depression comes around again. He says, I won't
be opening the window and jumping out, but I could see you guys doing it. And I
think that's probably true.
Ms. CORTESE: Yeah.
Ms. Johnson: There's a grit in this generation of Chicagoans and something of a
swagger, too. The man who cries about his mother's struggles can boast in the
face of today's catastrophe.
Mr. CONDIC: Tomorrow, I could lose everything, you know. But somehow, I'm not
afraid. I really am not.
(This is a real interview that was pulled from the Internet about what it was like
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 35
during the Great Depressionjust used as a script)
Now does anyone have any questions for them while they are here about the Great
Depression? Wait for responses. Well, thank you guys so much for coming and talking
to us about the Great Depression. It is great to get real life stories about the impact
that it made all over the US. What do you all say to them for coming to talk to us
today? THANK YOU!!! All actors/actresses leave. Well, wasnt that so cool to hear
about what life was like? Wait for responses.
II. Opportunity for Practice:
Now what I want you to do is pull out your writing journals. Wait for students to take
out journals. Okay, now after hearing a real life stories and learning so much about
the Great Depression I want you all to write a poem, you can incorporate any facts
that you have learned or anything you heard from the stories and experiences that
were just shared. I know we have been working on poetry lately so I thought this would
be a great way to practice your poetry and help you recall information on the Great
Depression. You will have the next 20 minutes to write these. Does everyone
understand what we are doing? Wait for responses. Okay, greatnow time to get
started!
III. Assessment
Okay 30 minutes is up. I can tell by the talking that I heard you all were reading each
other your poems and discussing about the Great Depression. I cant wait to hear all of
them. But lets put away our writing journals away for now. Wait for students to put
everything away. What I want you guys to do now is I am going to pass out an index
cardwe are going to be doing exit slips. Do you remember how we did these in science
last week? Wait for responses. Well, this time what I want you all to do is on the index
card write 1 fact that we learned from the Stock Market crash, 1 fact that we learned
from The Dust Bowl, and 1 fact from The New Deal. Does everyone understand? Wait
for responses. I just want to make sure you guys understand the information that we
have been going over in class this week. Wait for responses. Okay I am going to give
you 10 minutes to go ahead and do that.
IV. Closure:
Timer goes off. Okay, so time is up. I need my helper for the week to go ahead and
collect those for me. Wait until all exit slips are collected. You guys have really done a
great job this week. Did you all enjoy hearing the personal experiences this morning?
Wait for responses. Yes, it is always cool when you can tie everything you have learned
together and sort of get a feel for how life was back then. Do you all have any questions
from today or anything we have been going over this week? Wait for responses.
Alright, great! Now lets get ready for recess.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 36
Materials and Resources:
- BrainPop video
- Notecards for Exit Slips
- 5 actors (3 girls, 2 boys)
- Writing Journal
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
Extension: Have students write their poems based on the real life experiences that
they just learned about.
Re-Teaching: Give students a template for their poem.
Data Analysis:
Reflection:
Samford University
Design for Learning
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 37
Summary of Assessment Design
Each day I use a different type of formative assessment to make sure that the
students understand the content that we are learning that day. I will know if the students
have learned the content based on their performance on the various assessments. Some
formative assessments that I use to check their progress are 3-2-1 foldables,
presentations, projects, and exit slips. Homework is given only if projects are not
finished. All projects can be finished at home using technology such as Google doc,
email, social media.
To assess the students rubrics and checklists are used to make sure that they are
meeting the standard and objectives for the day. At the end of the unit there will be a
summative assessment that will assess their progress throughout the entire unit and how
well they have learned the content. This will be evaluated using a grading scale where
each question is worth a certain amount of points.
Upon completion of the unit I will be giving a summative assessment. All
information on this test will have been covered in the week-long unit. The assessment
will contain a variety of questions, such as True or False, Matching, Multiple Choice, and
Short Response. The entire summative assessment will be worth 100 points with each set
of questions worth a different amount based on how difficult I think the questions are.
I will be assessing the content throughout the unit. Throughout all of the
assignments I will be looking to make sure that the students are understanding the
contentjournals will be looked over for completion and that an effort was put forth to
apply content.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 38
Name:_____________________________________________________ Date:______________________________
The Great Depression Pre-Test
Directions: Answer every question to the best of your ability.
1. What is a Stock Market?
2. How did the Stock Market crash effect the Great Depression?
3. What was the Dust Bowl?
4. Who was affected by the Dust Bowl?
5. How did President Franklin D. Roosevelt help relieve the effects
Great Depression?
6. What was the New Deal?
__________________________________________________________________
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 39
Lesson Objective Formative Assessment Summative Assessment
Students will be able to
correctly match causes and
effects on a worksheet with
90% accuracy
Worksheet that matches causes to effects 16, 19
The students will recall
information about the stock
market crash by completing a
3-2-1 triangle foldable
3-2-1 foldable triangle 1, 9, 14, 16,
In a small group students will
choose a photograph that shows
the effects of the Dust Bowl and
create an assessment summary
as to why this picture depicts
this time period
Single Greatest Dust Bowl Photograph 3, 5, 7, 8, 15, 18, 19,
The students will correctly
explain the importance of a
New Deal program by creating
a presentation showing the
importance it was to the time
period
Prezi project in small groups 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 20
Students will complete an exit
slip that contains 1 fact about
the Stock Market, 1 fact about
The Dust Bowl, and 1 fact
about The New Deal
Exit Slip with facts that align with what we
have learned
1-20
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 40
Name:___________________________________________________ Date:__________________________
Unit Test: The Great
Depression
I. True/ False (2 pts. each)
Circle True or False
1. T F The Stock Market crashed on Tuesday, October 29, 1929 and was
referred to as Black Tuesday.
2. T F The New Deal programs were started by President Hoover.
3. T F During the Dust Bowl farmers and their families moved to the East to
try and find jobs.
4. T F Hoover flags were what people would called torn American flags.
5. T F In the Midwest most of the money made was from industrial jobs.
II. Matching (5 pts. each)
Match the response with the correct word
6. ______ set of federal programs that were
launched to help bring the nation
out of the Great Depression a. The Stock Market crash
7. ______ caused by severe droughts b. The Dust Bowl
8. ______ severely impacted the Midwest/ c. The New Deal
Great Plains region of US
9. ______ caused people to lose their life
savings
10._____ AAA, CCC, WPA, NIRA
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 41
III. Multiple Choice (5 pts. each)
Choose the letter choice that is the most correct
11. What was a reason that people blamed Herbert Hoover for the Great
Depression?
a. He refused to involve the government b. He closed all the banks and
In forcing fixed prices. wouldnt let them open again
b. He created federal programs called d. He was the person who was the
The New Deal first to see the drop in stocks.
12. Which is NOT a program in the New Deal?
a. AAA b. WPA
c. NIRA d. ETA
13. What was a Hoover town?
a. A town in Alabama b. Where Herbert Hoover was
from
c. Little towns that homeless d. What every town was named
people made to live in during the Great Depression
14. A thing that is borrowed (a sum of money that is expected to be paid back
plus some) is a __________________________.
a. Stock b. CCC
b. Share d. Loan
15. At its worst how many acre of land did the Dust Storms cover?
a. 10 acres b. 1,000 acres
b. 1 million acres c. 100 million acres
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 42
IV. Short Response (8 pts. each)
Answer in complete sentences.
16. Give an example of a cause and effect of the The Stock Market crash and
how it impacted the Great Depression as a whole?
17. What were 2 examples of a New Deal program and what were they used
for?
18. Why did the farmers in the Midwest region move out West?
19. How did the Dust Bowl impact the Great Depression?
20. What were the 3 Rs that the New Deal implemented?
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 43
Summary of Accommodations
Each lesson has a differentiation plan for both high-end learners and struggling
learners. The high-end learners are usually asked to elaborate on either the opportunity
for practice or the assessment, depending on the assignment, this typically is some sort of
summary or explanation. While the struggling learners are usually given more guidance
as to what to do, whether they are given a template, certain questions to answer, or asked
to bullet point information instead of giving a summary.
Since the differentiation typically occurs in the opportunity for practice or
assessment, students are assessed based on what they were asked to do. There are
separate checklists for assignments depending on the level of the student.
When students are working on group projects, they are grouped based on their
level of learning, which is established at the beginning of the year and checked
periodically throughout the year. So, for these lessons since the group work occurs in the
opportunity for practice or assessments, the different level learners will have some sort of
differentiation, therefore the high-end learners will be grouped together and the
struggling learners will be grouped together.
Students will be asked to access prior knowledge by connecting the content and
concepts to things that have already been taught. For example, the book Bud, Not Buddy
is used to introduce the concept of cause and effect. Those students who have cultural
differences are typically grouped with the struggling learners because they have trouble
grasping some of the concepts, this allows for them to move at their own pace. They are
monitored throughout every lesson to see what type of assessment they are able to do.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 44
Multiple
Intelligences
Logical/Mathematical
- Pretest
Verbal Linguistics
- Oral presentations
Existential
- Class discussions
Interpersonal
- Diary entries
Intrapersonal
- Poems and
sketches
Naturalist
-Map of Midwest
Region/Great Plains
Bodily/Kinesthetic
- Oral Presentations
- Role Play
Musical Rhythmic
- Listen to sad music that
relates to Dust Bowl
Visual/Spatial
- Pictures, PowerPoint,
videos
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 45
Differentiation within Lessons
Lesson On level Below Level
Lesson 1 (Students are grouped in
their groups by their skill
level) During the
opportunity for practice,
have the gifted learners table
create their own causes and
effects on extra notecards
that are given to them.
Give students a fill-in-the-
blank note sheet for them to
take notes during the
PowerPoint instead of filling
out the T-chartthis way
they have more direction
and dont have to create
their own causes and effects,
which will make it easier for
them to follow along.
Lesson 2 Have students create a small
presentation using an app
that you have gone over in
class as to why they choose
their specific stocks.
Give students a sheet that
tells them what stock they
are going to research, and
have them fill in the
worksheet using that stocks
information.
Lesson 3 Students will research the
famous photographer and
compile several pictures that
he/she took during the Dust
Bowl and add them to their
assessment.
Students will create an
outline for their diary entry,
giving me bullet points as to
what was happening in
during the Dust Bowl.
Lesson 4 Interview
grandparents/great-
grandparents and ask if they
had any experience with the
New Deal programs
Students will choose one
program and briefly describe
the program using chart
paper to write down the key
facts.
Lesson 5 Have students write their
poems based on the real life
experiences that they just
learned about.
Give students a template for
their poem
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 46
Literacy Strategies
Literacy Strategies Activities
Predictions Throughout the first lesson I ask the students to
predict what the effects might be of a given
scenario.
Visualizing I ask students to visualize what it might have been
like to live in the Dust Bowl, how that would make
them feel, why was it so bad?
Summarizing Everyday students are asked to summarize what
we have learned through their cause and effect
journals to close each lesson.
Questioning I engage students in questioning throughout the
entire unit. This is how I activate higher level
thinking.
Inferring I ask students to use information that they already
know to make inferences about cause and effect
and the impacts on the Great Depression.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 47
Name:____________________________________________________ Date:_______________________________
I Am
Poem about The Great Depression
Guide
Directions: Pretend you are a child during the Great Depression. Use facts
you have learned about The Great Depression to finish the sentence.
I am (two special characteristics about you)
I wonder (something about The Great Depression)
I hear (think of something you might have heard during that time)
I see (think of something you might have seen, either the stock market, in
the Midwest, the banks, or anywhere else during this time)
I want (what do you want to happen?)
I am (the same two characteristics about you from the first line)
I am ______________________________________
I wonder__________________________________
I hear_____________________________________
I see______________________________________
I want_____________________________________
I am______________________________________
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 48
Summary of Technology Used
Throughout every lesson there is some kind of technology. There are videos
played almost every day for the students to watch, PowerPoints are shown on the
computer and projector, presentations are done on iPads, projects are done on iPads,
Prezis are created, etc. There are a lot of opportunities for the students to use
technology. Every day they use the iPads in some way to enhance their learning
experience.
The big project for the unit is the Prezi that they will create during the New Deal
lesson. The students job is to become experts for New Deal program that is assigned to
their group. They must do research on the program and create a Prezi that they will
present to the class. The purpose of this project is to allow the students to teach their
peers about the specific program that they are assigned. We go over the programs as a
class, but the Prezi should be more thorough and provide details about the specific
program. I choose the Prezi because they have previously learned this tool in our other
unit. Now, they are more familiar with it so they know how it works and it is a tool that is
user friendly and the website is not difficult for them to maneuver around.
The Prezi presentation will be assessed by a rubric that I have created.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 49
Summary of Cross Curriculum
The Great Depression unit is a social studies unit, but is reinforced with other
subjects. For this particular unit I am going to add in three different subject areas: Art,
Math, and Technology.
With art the students will be discussing strengths and weaknesses in the depiction
of the Great Depression from two photographs that were taken from the same
photographer. For math students will be asked to compare wages and prices from the
1930s to wages and prices from today. They will be finding the difference between
feeding a family of 4 for 1 month in the 1930s to feeding a family of 4 for a 1-month
today (2014). Then, for technology students will be filming a news report and predicting
if things during the Great Depression would have turned out differently had they had
technology during that time.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 50
Subject Standard Objective Activity Assessment
Art Discuss strengths
and weaknesses of
a personal
portfolio or other
work of art.
The students
will look at two
different
pictures taken
from the same
photographer
depicting the
Great
Depression and
identify
strengths and
weaknesses of
the
photographs.
The students
will receive two
photographs
(from the same
photographer)
depicting the
Great
Depression.
Using a T-chart
for strengths
and
weaknesses the
students will
evaluate both
photographs.
The students will
be assessed by
their T-chart
stating strengths
and weaknesses.
The students will
be considered
proficient if they
evaluate the
photographs
using concepts
that we have
discussed/worked
on in class.
Math Fluently add,
subtract,
multiply, and
divide multi-digit
decimals using
the standard
algorithm for
each operation
The students
will complete a
worksheet
comparing
wages and
prices of the
1930s during
the Great
Depression to
wages and
prices of 2014.
The students
will receive a
worksheet that
compares the
wages of
different jobs in
1930 with the
wages of 2014.
As a class we
will research
using
Promethean
Boardthe
prices today of
the items on
the chart. (On
the board we
will create a
chart of todays
prices.) The
students will
then complete
the worksheet
estimating the
costs to feed a
family of 4 for 1
The students will
be assessed on
whether or not
their answers are
correct. This will
show if they are
proficient in this
area of math.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 51
month in 1930
to estimating
the cost to feed
a family of 4 for
1 month with
todays prices.
Technology Publish digital
products that
communicate
curriculum
concepts.
The students
will create a
News
Station/News
report on what
is going on
during the the
Great
Depression
using video
cameras and
apps on the
computer.
The class will
be in 4 groups
and each group
will be in
charge of
filming a News
Report
(pretending
that they had
technology
during the
30show
would this have
changed the
situation?)
using graphics
and effects on
the computer.
Each group will
be in charge of
incorporating
the Stock
Market crash,
The Dust Bowl
and the New
Deal programs
into the
telecast. Each
member should
participate in
the planning,
scripting, and
filming.
Students will
then predict if
The students will
be assessed on
whether the
content that they
use in their
telecast is
accurate. If their
predictions align
with what we
have been
discussing about
in class. As well as
if every group
member
contributed to the
project.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 52
things wouldve
turned out
differently if
they had
technology
during the
Great
Depression.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 53
Field Trip Project
Field Trip Permission Form
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Your child is going on a field trip. Please read the information at the top of this form,
then sign and return the permission slip at the bottom of this form by April 22,
2014.
Field Trip Information:
Date: Friday, May 23, 2014
Location: Vulcan Park and Museum
Purpose: The purpose of our field trip to the Vulcan Park and Museum is to
close out our unit on the Great Depression. The students will have the
opportunity to learn about how the Great Depression impacted the lives of
people in Alabama. It will be a great, fun, educational way for the students to
learn even more about the Great Depression!
Cost: $8.00 per student and per chaperone
Cash or check payable to: Trace Crossings Elementary School
Means of Transportation: We will be taking a school bus
Leave school: 8:15 am Arrive back at school: 1:30 pm
Special Instructions: This is always a very fun field trip for the students! I encourage
all of the students to go if it is possible. Snacks will not be providedso make sure
students have eaten breakfast before arriving at school or make it to breakfast
before school starts. Lunches can be brought from home, if your child normally buys
a lunch at school they will be provided a sack lunch if requested (make sure lunch
money is included in the check or cash when form is turned in), or students
may purchase lunch at the park. There should be NO electronics brought on this
tripwe do not want anything to get lost or stolen. Spending money is allowed,
there is a gift shop at the park that a lot of students find some really cool things that
they want.
Save this part of the form for future reference.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 54
Cut here----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------- Cut here
Sign this part of the form and return it to your child's teacher.
_____________________________________________________ has permission to attend a field trip.
Enclosed, please find cash/check in the amount of _____________________ to cover the
cost of the trip.
I give my permission for ________________________________________ to receive emergency
medical
treatment. In an emergency, please contact:
Name: _________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: ___________________________________ Date: _____________________
Lunch Count: My child will be:
Bringing lunch from home_______ Buying a school lunch________ Buying lunch at
the park_______
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 55
How to Prepare Class for Field Trip to Vulcan Park and Museum:
To prepare the students for our field trip to Vulcan Park and Museum, the students
will be doing a mini research project where they will be researching about how the
Great Depression affected the different socioeconomic groups of Birmingham, based
on what they have been learning about the Great Depression. These are mini
research projects that should be done two days prior to attending the field tripthe
day before the field trip is when the students will present their research to the class
on a poster board. This will give the students some background knowledge on what
they will be learning at the Vulcan Park and Museum.
Objective for Field Trip: 12. Explain effects of the events of the 1920s and the Great
Depression on different socioeconomic groups.
The class will be informed of rules each day leading up to the field trip. Students will
know that they must be on their best behaviors and that they MUST listen to whatever the
tour guide tells them. They will know that there will be consequences if they misbehave
or get in trouble by me, the chaperones, or the tour guides.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 56
Management Plan:
Field Trip: Vulcan Park and Museum
Attire: Students can wear a t-shirt, shorts, or jeans. No skirts or dresses. Students
should also wear closed toed shoes because there will be a lot of walking around.
Backpacks are not allowed. The teacher and chaperone will store any money,
lunches, or anything else that might need to be held on to. NO ELECTRONICS.
Groups: The tours are whole group. However, each chaperone will be in charge of 2
students. This is for management purposes, this will make it easier to keep track of
ALL students.
Special Rules: There are no special rules. The students will know of all rules that
they will follow leading up to the field trip. All rules are previously stated in
preparing the class before the trip.
Bus Rules: Students will sit two to a seat. They will sit in the pairs that the
chaperones are in charge of. This will make it easy to keep them together
throughout the day and for counting purposes. Students are allowed to talk,
however, they have to use inside voices. Books are allowed for the bus ride, but
must be left on the bus once we get to Vulcan Park.
Lunch and Snack Plan:
Snack: Since we will be at the park from 9am-1pm, there will not be time at the park
for snacks. Therefore, students will be encouraged to eat breakfast before coming to
school or at school. However, there will be snacks provided for the bus ride on the
way to Vulcan Parkjust in case students did not eat breakfast. Snacks are provided
by the teacher.
Lunch: Students will either bring a sack lunch, get a sack lunch from school, or there
is an option to buy lunch at the Park (the Park is sponsored by Chick-fil-a). Students
will let the teacher know if they are buying a school lunch when they turn in their
field trip permission slip, so that I can inform the school cafeteria how many sack
lunches we will need that day. Students who bring their lunch will give their lunch
to the teacher in the morning the day of the field trip so that the teacher can store
the lunches in a cooler with the school the lunches. The teacher(s) and chaperones
will be in charge of ALL lunches and transportation of ALL lunches.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 57
Safety Plans for Field Trip:
Medicine:
-Teacher already knows who needs/uses medicine
Any unlicensed personnel administering medications must hold documentation of their
training in the administration of medication, including personnel administering medication
on a field trip.
1. There must be written permission from the parent/guardian providing consent to
administer the medication in school and a written physicians order and/or an
appropriately labeled original medication container.
2. Either a standardized preprinted medication label or preprinted envelope
containing the information described below or medication in its original container
will be used for students attending a field trip.
3. When using a preprinted label or preprinted envelope, the school nurse shall
transfer the prescribed amount of medication needed for the field trip from the
original medication container into the approved envelope and fill in the appropriate
information on the envelope.
4. The envelope will be provided to the trained personnel for administration during
the trip. The school nurse will provide a review of the medication and its
administration to the trained personnel on an as needed basis. All trained
personnel administering medication must understand what to do in an emergency.
5. The medication will be transported and stored in compliance with any special
directions for the medication and will be secured as safely as possible.
6. The administration of medication on a field trip will duplicate as much as possible,
the guidelines found in the Guidelines for Training of Non-Licensed Personnel in
Medication Administration. This will include consideration of student privacy and
cleanliness of area where medications are administered.
7. Medication will be administered to the student to assure that the right student
receives the right medication, with the right dose, at the right time, by the right
route. The trained personnel administering the medication will double check the
student with the medication label and will double check the dose. The medication
will given within 30 minutes either side of the prescribed time.
8. Each school district will develop a method of documenting medications
administered on the field trip, recording any unexpected occurrences, and a method
of returning any medication not administered.
The medication envelope or label will contain the following information:
1. Date to be administered.
2. Name of the student.
3. Name of medication.
4. Dose to be given.
5. Time to be given.
6. Physician prescribing the medication.
7. Special directions.
8. Phone number of school nurse.
9. Emergency directions.
First-Aid:
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 58
- The teacher and each chaperone (teacher will provide for chaperone) will have a
mini first-aid kit with them, which will include: band-aids, anti-bacteria wipes,
cotton swabs, gauze, medical tape, mini scissors, and sunscreen.
- If there is a severe medical emergency there is a first-aid unit at the Vulcan Park.
Emergency
- If bad weather permits on the day of the event there are inside facilities at the park
to take shelter in
- If there is an emergency with a student, all teachers and chaperones are equipped
with cell phones to call 911.
- Medical Personnel are onsite at the Park.
**IF AT ANY POINT ANY STUDENT GETS LOST THE STUDENT SHOULD KNOW TO
IMMEDIATELY FIND A TOUR GUIDE OR THE CLOSEST EMPLOYEE OF VULCAN SO
THAT THEY CAN CONTACT EITHER A CHAPERONE OR TEACHER.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 59
Contacts:
Here is a list of all the names and cell phone numbers of all the teacher(s) and
chaperones that are going to Vulcan Park and Museum.
If at any point in the day a group gets separated, you should have this paper on you
so that you can call anyone of us. All phones should be on vibrate or low volume. If
you can not get ahold of any of the contacts listed belowthe school number is also
listed.
Ms. Jordan Johnson (813) 436-7089
Mrs. Spragg (205) 345-9089
Mrs. Sessions (205) 456-7651
Mr. Yelton (205) 567-9034
Mrs. Todd (205) 765-4532
Mrs. Georgi (205) 432-9000
Mr. Stoots (205) 786-8967
Mrs. Graham (205) 767-5645
Mrs. Young (205) 908-9087
Mrs. Camden (205) 765-9876
School Contact Information:
Trace Crossings Elementary School
(205) 439-2700
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 60
Schedule for Vulcan Park and Museum
Field Trip
Friday, May 23, 2014: Vulcan Park and Museum
7:30 amStudents and Chaperones arrive at school
Teacher assigns groups
Teacher goes over Schedule and Plans for the day
Teacher reminds students of rules
8:00 amClass heads outside to the Bus at the front of the school
Board bus in assigned partners
8:15 amDepart Trace Crossings Elementary School
8:45 amArrive at Vulcan Park and Museum
Bathroom break for students
Make sure students are in assigned groups
9:00 amTour guide of Milestones of Local History
12:00 pmLunch time at Vulcan Park
12:30 pmGift Shop time
12:50 pmBoard buses in assigned partners
1:00 pmDepart Vulcan Park and Museum
1:30 pmArrive at Trace Crossings Elementary School
Once we arrive back at school students will be provided the rest of the
class day to journal about what they learned and how the affects were
either alike or different than that of what we have learned.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 61
Field Trip Assessment:
Objective: 12. Explain effects of the events of the 1920s and the Great Depression on
different socioeconomic groups.
Assignment: After arriving back at school, students will be given time to write in their
writing journals about what they learned at the Vulcan Park and Museum. They will be
asked to use information that they learned at the Vulcan and information that they learned
throughout the Unit to compare and contrast the effects of the Great Depression on
Alabama and the rest of the United States.
Students will then turn in the journals for me to read and assess using a teacher made
rubric.
1 2 3
Comparing/Contrasting
impact of the Great
Depression on Alabama
vs. the rest of the US
Student did not
compare and
contrast, just
stated facts
Compared only one
of the effects either
of just Alabama or
just of the US
Compared and
Contrasted both the
effects the Great
Depression had on
Alabama and the
rest of the US
Vocabulary Student did not
use any
vocabulary words
learned to
describe the
impact of the Great
Depression
Used one or two
vocabulary words
to describe the
impact of the Great
Depression
Uses at least 5
vocabulary words
to help describe the
impact of the Great
Depression
Comprehension Student did not
include any
information that
showed they
understood the
different effects of
the Great
Depression
Student included
only a few facts
that showed
understanding of
the effects of the
Great Depression
Student thoroughly
used facts and
information
learned to show
complete
understanding of
the effects of the
Great Depression
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 62
Thank-you Notes Template for Students:
Dear ___(tour guides name)____,
Thank you so much for showing us around the
Vulcan Park and Museum today. We had so much
fun! My favorite part of the day was
________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
______________________________________.
One of the many things that I learned was
________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
______________________________________.
I hope to visit the park again soon!
Thank you so much,
**After signing the letter students will draw a picture to illustrate their favorite part
of the day.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 63
Rationale for Unit Design
I chose to write this unit for my 6
th
grade social studies class because of the
Alabama state standards for social studies has identified that students be able to explain
the causes and effects the Great Depression had on the people of the US. I reviewed the
related 5
th
grade standards and found that the students probably would not have very
much previous knowledge about the Great Depression or causes and effects. After
finding this out, I knew that I wanted to start the unit going over what cause and effect
means and how we can relate cause and effect to pretty much any situation. The goal for
the end of the week long unit is that the sixth graders will be able to explain the causes
and effects of the Great Depression and how 3 main events (Stock Market crash, The
Dust Bowl, and the New Deal) impacted this time period.
My lessons are stemmed from PowerPoints and pictures. Since my assumption is
that my students do not have much prior knowledge on the causes and effects of the Great
Depression I thought that the PowerPoints and guided note sheets would be a good way
to start them out. I incorporated student interaction into every lesson, where students are
discussing what they think the causes and effects are with their peers, to help them get a
better understanding and bounce ideas off of each other.
I have also incorporated group hands on activities where students are working in
groups and interacting with iPads and other technology. I will choose the groups before
the activities begin based on how I know the students interact with one another.
Students will be formatively assessed each day after our lesson. I will use
different strategies to assess them, including, worksheets, 3-2-1 foldables, exit slips,
projects and presentations. At the end of the unit there is a summative assessment the
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 64
students will take that will show me their understanding of the causes and effects of the
Great Depression and how the Stock Market crash, The Dust Bowl, and the New Deal
played a role.
Scope and Sequence
Lesson 1 We will be looking at cause and effect and
previewing causes of the Great Depression.
Lesson 2 We will be looking at the Stock Market crash
and how it affected the people in the US during
Great Depression.
Lesson 3 We will be looking at the Dust Bowl and how
it affected the people in the US during the
Great Depression
Lesson 4 We will be looking at the New Deal programs
established and how they affected the people in
the US during the Great Depression.
Lesson 5 We will wrap up the unit with some real life
experiences of people during the Great
Depression and reviewing.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 65
Philosophy of Teaching
My personal goal for my future classroom is to see every student succeed in
the best way that they can. The key to success inside and outside of the classroom is
hard work and dedication. That is what I want to be able to promote in my
classroom, that students will succeed if they put time and effort into everything that
they do.
The Purpose of Education
The purpose of education is for the students to be able think effectively and
critically. The ultimate goal of an individual is to be able to be successful in society,
which is what education is supposed to allow your students to do.
The Role of the Teacher in Education
The role of the teacher in education is to be able to convey their knowledge to their
students. The teacher should be a positive influence in their students lives and push
them to give their best efforts at all time. As well as helping them grow as students
and individuals following best practices.
It is important as an educator to be able to reach out to all diverse groups in
your classroom. It takes research and hard work on the educators part to be able to
relate things for everyone to comprehend. As an educator I believe it is our job to be
able to make connections with the students, which includes their culture and
diverse backgrounds.
Every child learns in different ways, it is the role of the educator to be able to
accommodate to the different ways in which students learn in order for the
classroom to be successful. My goal for every student is to at the end feel as if they
were positively impacted and learned something new.
My goal for the classroom as a whole is to create an environment where the
students are eager and excited to learn each and every day. And the parents are just
as eager and excited to send their kids to school knowing that they are learning and
growing.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 66
Summary of Materials and Resources
Throughout the unit I use PowerPoints and Promethean Board for the bulk of the
lessonit has the content, pictures, videos used in my lessons. This enhances the
students learning because they are able to see the content if they are visual learners. I will
also provide the students with note taking guides everyday that we are going over
content.
After each lesson they will be journaling in their Cause and Effect journal, this
will help to review what we learned during that lesson and can also be used as a good
study tool for the summative assessment at the end of the unit. Some other materials that
are used are writing journals, foldables, iPads, computers, worksheets, and photographs.
All of these materials and resources are used throughout the lessons to help build
knowledge and tie connections to the content.
Additional Resources:
INCLUDED IN THE BACK OF BINDER.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 67
Materials and Resources
Day 1 - Computer
- Promethean Board
- Slideshow
- Snicker Bars
- Video
- Notecards with causes and effects
- Matching worksheets for assessment
Day 2
BrainPop video
PowerPoint of The Stock Market Crash
Computer
Fill-in the blank worksheet
Stock Buying Worksheet
iPads
White Computer paper
Scissors
Cause and Effect Journal
Day3
YouTube video on Dust Bowl
iPads
Computer
PowerPoint
PowerPoint Notes
Writing Journal
Photos of the Dust Bowl
Website with the pictures of the Dust Bowl
Cause and Effect Journal
Background music
Paper for sketch
Day 4
Whiteboard
Markers
PowerPoint
New Deal worksheet
Computers
iPads
Computer Paper
Checklist for what to include on the Prezi
Day 5 - BrainPop video
- Notecards for Exit Slips
- 5 actors (3 girls, 2 boys)
- Writing Journal