The Great Depression was a worldwide economic depression that lasted 10 years. It began in the United States on October 24, 1929, otherwise known as “Black Thursday," when panicked investors sold a record 13 million shares. Over the next four trading days, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a popular proxy for the U.S. stock market, fell nearly 25%. It continued to decline for the next three years, losing nearly 90% between October 1929 and July 1932. The stock market crash significantly reduced consumer spending and business investment. Consequently, U.S. GDP decreased dramatically in the first years of the Great Depression, dropping from $104.6 billion in 1929 to $57.2 billion in 1933.In comparison, GDP declined just 2% at the height of the Great Recession between 2008 and 2009.
Key Takeaways
The Great Depression was a worldwide economic depression that lasted 10 years.
There is no universally agreed-upon explanation for why the Great Depression happened, but most theories cite the gold standard and the Federal Reserve's inadequate response as contributing factors
GDP during the Great Depression fell by nearly half.
A combination of the New Deal and World War II lifted the U.S. out of the Depression.
Daily Plans:
Day 1: (A = 8/29, B=8/30)
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Intro to IB History, OPVL, Setting the Stage Pre-Crash Objectives: SWBAT- Assess the value and limitations of a source with reference to its origin, purpose and content Essential Question:Is there truly objectivity in history? Key Questions: #1 - What is the role of a historian? Can a historian be absolutely objective? #2 - What does the acronym OPVL stand for? Can you use it when analyzing a source?
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Intro to IB History, OPVL, Setting the Stage Pre-Crash Objectives: SWBAT- Assess the value and limitations of a source with reference to its origin, purpose and content Essential Question:Is there truly objectivity in history? Key Questions: #1 - What is the role of a historian? Can a historian be absolutely objective? #2 - What does the acronym OPVL stand for? Can you use it when analyzing a source?
Lesson Sequence: (OPVL Activities from Day 1)
Activator: Great Depression - KWL? What do you already know about the Great Depression?
Question: How do historians evaluate sources when investigating an event/topic?
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Intro to IB History, Setting the Stage Pre-Crash Objectives: SWBAT - Describe the dynamic and transformative era proceeding the Great Depression. Essential Question: How were the 1920s a transformative decade? Key Questions: #1 - What developments during the 1920s made the decade so 'transformative?' #2 - How genuine was the prosperity of the 1920s? Lesson Sequence:
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Intro to IB History, Setting the Stage Pre-Crash Objectives: SWBAT - Describe the dynamic and transformative era proceeding the Great Depression. Essential Question: How were the 1920s a transformative decade? Key Questions: #1 - What developments during the 1920s made the decade so 'transformative?' #2 - How genuine was the prosperity of the 1920s? Lesson Sequence:
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Intro to IB History, Setting the Stage Pre-Crash Objectives: SWBAT - Describe the dynamic and transformative era proceeding the Great Depression. Essential Question: How were the 1920s a transformative decade? Key Questions: #1 - What developments during the 1920s made the decade so 'transformative?' #2 - How genuine was the prosperity of the 1920s? Lesson Sequence:
Ticket Out the Door - Key Questions // Are there any economic parallels between the 1920s and now?
Day 6: (A= 9/15, B=9/16)
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Stock Market Crash, Causes & Effects Objectives: SWBAT - Describe the big causes and effects of the Great Depression. Essential Question: What were the long-term vs. Immediate Causes of the Great Depression? Key Questions: #1 - What were the overall causes of the depression? #2 - What were the overall effects of the depression? Lesson Sequence:
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Stock Market Crash Objectives: SWBAT - Identify the major effects of the Wall Street Crash. Essential Question: Key Questions: #1 - What was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the depression? #2 - What was the response to Hoover's policies? #3 - Was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the economic crisis in the US effective? Lesson Sequence:
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Stock Market Crash Objectives: SWBAT - Identify the major effects of the Wall Street Crash. Essential Question:How did the Stock Market Crash of Oct. 1929 effect society? How did the US Government respond to the economic catastrophe? Key Questions: #1 - What was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the depression? #2 - What was the response to Hoover's policies? #3 - Was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the economic crisis in the US effective? Lesson Sequence:
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Stock Market Crash Objectives: SWBAT - Identify the major effects of the Wall Street Crash in the US. Essential Question: Key Questions: #1 - What was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the depression? #2 - What was the response to Hoover's policies? #3 - Was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the economic crisis in the US effective? Lesson Sequence:
Answer the corresponding questions (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS -- DUE 9/30)
**9/29 & 9/30 - Mr. Jones PUSH IN - Lesson on Research**
Day 10: (A=9/28, B=10/3)
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Stock Market Crash Objectives: SWBAT - Identify the major effects of the Wall Street Crash in the US. Essential Question: Key Questions: #1 - What was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the depression? #2 - What was the response to Hoover's policies? #3 - Was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the economic crisis in the US effective? Lesson Sequence:
Activity - HW Time -- Homework: Due EOW (Friday) - Self-Help in Hard Times, Howard Zinn (Assignment Directions Document)
--> Read the chapter from Zinn --> Answer the corresponding questions (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS -- DUE 9/30)
Day 11: (A = 10/4, B=10/6)
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: Hoover's/FDR's Response to the GD Objectives: SWBAT - Identify the measures taken by both Hoover and FDR in response to the Great Depression. Students will also evaluate to what extend these measures mitigated the effects of the Great Depression. Essential Question:Was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the economic crisis in the US effective? Key Questions: #1 - What was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the depression? #2 - What was the response to Hoover's policies? #3 - Was President Herbert Hoover’s response to the economic crisis in the US effective?
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: FDR's Response to the GD - 1st 100 Days Objectives: SWBAT - Describe the nature of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s response to the depression? Essential Question: What was the nature of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s response to the depression?
Key Questions: #1 - How does FDR's response to the Depression diverge from Hoover's?
Closure - Review Key Questions // Announce Reading & Note Quiz Next Class! (The short quiz will be on our 5 sections of notes so far, plus the two readings attached below. You have already done reading #1)
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression and the Americas Lesson: FDR's Response to the GD - 1st 100 Days Objectives: SWBAT - Describe the nature of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s response to the depression? Essential Question: What was the nature of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s response to the depression?
Key Questions: #1 - How does FDR's response to the Depression diverge from Hoover's?
- Create 7 Groups - Groups becomes "experts" on their topic - Groups present topic to whole class - Complete Assignment Grid
Day 14: (A=10/17, B=10/18)
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression in the Americas Lesson: FDR's Response to the GD - 1st 100 Days, Part 2 Objectives: SWBAT - Describe the nature of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s response to the depression?
Essential Question: What was the nature of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s response to the depression? Key Questions: #1 - How does FDR's response to the Depression diverge from Hoover's?
#2 - Evaluate the New Deal's effect on African Americans.
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression in the Americas Lesson: The New Deal Under Fire Objectives: SWBAT - Identify the major criticisms of the New Deal.
Essential Question: How was the New Deal evaluated? Key Questions: #1 - What were the major criticisms of FDR's New Deal? Who Opposed the New Deal? #2 - What was the impact of FDR’s Second New Deal, 1935 to 1937? #3 - To what extent were FDR’s policies effective in dealing with the impact of the depression in the US?
Finish Activity - Jigsaw: FDR's Alphabet Soup (Grid to Fill Out) **Make Google Slide Copy & Share With Each Class) - (Create 7 Groups, Groups becomes "experts" on their topic, Groups present topic to whole class, Complete Assignment Grid)
Moving Forward: Test on the Great Depression: The United States - Date: - GD in Canada, Part I, II, & III - GD in Latin America, Part I, II, III
Day 16:
Unit: Topic 12: The Great Depression in the Americas Lesson: The New Deal Under Fire Objectives: SWBAT - Identify the major criticisms of the New Deal.
Essential Question: How was the New Deal evaluated?