WHY STUDY THE GREAT DEPRESSION & NEW DEAL??
For high school students, studying the Great Depression and the New Deal is essential to their History-Social Science education. Much of the United States that we know today can be traced back to this time period. Many of the social and welfare programs today began during FDR’s presidency. Many lessons can be learned from studying this time period (i.e. the 1929 Stock Market Crash, the failure of the “hoovervilles”, the triumphs and failures of the New Deal programs, etc.). In addition, the Great Depression has many moving factors that intertwine to create complex situations: Prohibition, various hardships of men, women and children, a rise in new 1930s culture, the rise of organized crime, and growing tensions with over countries. There are many themes that can be applied to this unit. Students can learn about and empathize the hardships of men, women and children during this period; many Americans were jobless, homeless, starving, and desperate. Primary sources will be front and center for this unit; the amount and type of primary sources that can be referenced and analyzed for this unit is limitless (from FDR’s fireside chats to first-hand accounts of life during the Great Depression to the New Deal programs to much more). Students will be able to see through many different “lenses” when studying this unit. Essential questions to relate the content to the students’ own experiences is very important; these questions include: What would happen if you spent more money than you actually had? Imagine if you had no home to live in, no money to get food or clothing, and no government programs to assist you. What would you do? What would your priorities be? What role should the government play in public and personal life? Should the government be involved in ensuring that people have opportunities for employment? Why were movies so popular during the Great Depression? These questions will help the students to relate the material to their own personal lives. I am very excited for the opportunity to teach this unit and see the students “relive” the Great Depression era. This time period is so crucial to the history of the United States. Students will be thoroughly engaged and interested in the Great Depression unit.