Lesson Plan #: CC-0077

Lesson 1: The Lives of the American People Were Affected in Many Ways by the Great Depression.


Objectives: The student will be able to:

1. describe the effects that the Depression had on the American people with regard to unemployment.

2. examine the Depression years in relation to hunger, homelessness and family structure.


Description of lesson/activity:

1. Students should have an understanding of the Stock Market and causes of the Depression from the previous unit. Through lectures, textbooks, and/or primary resources, teachers should expose students to the economic effects of the Depression. A teacher background information page entitled "1930s: Background Notes" is included.

2. Students should research the Depression years focusing on how the Depression affected Americans. Specific areas to be covered include unemployment, hunger, homelessness, and family structure. Two excellent resources are "The Story of the Great Depression", by R. Conrad Stein, and the March 1984 issue of "Cobblestone Magazine".

3. Students should listen to songs from the Depression era. Some suggestions include, "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," "Side by Side," "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Lyrics to these specific songs can be found on the work sheet entitled "Songs of the 1930s." In cooperative learning groups, discuss how each song was appropriate for this time period. Each group should then take a familiar melody and write original lyrics to a song they think could have been popular in the 1930s. Be sure to include historical information in the lyrics.


Resources for Lesson 1:

Cobblestone Magazine. "The Depression." March 1984.

Stein, R. Conrad. The Story of the Great Depression. (Chicago: Children's Press, 1985).