US History
Name
1930’s
Date
Reading, viewing and listening lab
A very apparent American Spirit emerges during the 1930’s. The American identity in the 1920’s will
shift to mean something different in the 1930’s as people worldwide face unprecedented situations.
We have been learning about various aspects of the 1930’s Depression Era that changed how the
country was governed, how people behaved and thought, setting a much different standard than the
1920’s.
Using your class notes, any clips we watch and this activity… think about: How did the Great Depression
shape the American Spirit? How did it define and change America? How do we overcome hard times?
A. DUSTBOWL Learn about the dust bowl
Use this website: It includes video, pictures and peoples accounts. Don’t spend too much time here, just
listen and look at a few. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/dustbowl/player/
Conditions/ photos here-http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/photogallery/dustbowl/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgR2Buke5MQ- collection of Lange photos, dustbowl and migrants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaI5IRuS2aE listen to Woody Guthrie Song
View the pictures in classroom on wall.
Answer the following:
1. What was the Dust Bowl? What were the conditions like?
2. Listen to people’s accounts. What were their stories? Describe the “spirit” of the people you listen to
or read accounts of. Put down 2 or 3
3. How is the dustbowl portrayed in photography? Literature? How would the middle class American
respond to these images and writings?
4. What was Woody Guthrie really taking about it “This land is your land”?
5. How does the plight of the dustbowl farmer come to represent the Depression?
Some other events during the 1930’s:
B. Scottsboro Boys trial
Use website http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scottsboro/scottsb.htm
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50145975n Scotsboro boys
View some pictures online that you find.
Read the Scotsboro Boys Excerpt provided:
1. What were they accused of? What was the outcome of the trial?
2. How did the public respond to this case during and after?
3. What is your reaction to this case? Could or would this happen today?
Why is this case symbolic in our history? What does it represent to you?
4. Over 80 years later, how has the state of Alabama addressed this case?
C. Building of the Empire State Building
View Videos
http://www.360cities.net/image/empire-state-building-panorama-manhattan-new-yorkcity#58.40,30.20,70.0
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50145975n
profile of ESB: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50145975n
Complete Reading handout
Answer these questions:
1. When seeing the view in the video, what words or emotions would you use to describe it?
2. How and why was this built? What are some stats about the building itself?
3. What did the building of the Empire state Building in the 1930s really symbolize? How did it reflect
the American Spirit? Why is it still iconic today?
4. Go look online and see the new World Trade Tower. What are your feelings on this being built? How
do you think America 80 years from now will view this building?
D. War of the Worlds – radio show
Listen for a few minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuMb3bVMXyo
(This clip is Part 3- you tune in to the radio and this is what you hear…)
1. What are they talking about? What emotions did you feel?
Read the except provided..
2. How did the show prepare for this episode?
3. What was the real life result of this broadcast?
4. Explain how listeners may have believed that the show was real? Would this happen today with our
social media? How?
5. How did shows like this one reflect 30’s society?
E. Mount Rushmore-View some pictures and read about the history
http://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm
http://video.pbs.org/video/1185028414/ listen and watch
Read the excerpt provided
1. How was it built? What presidents are on the face? Why was this important in the 30’s?
2. If you were to add another person to this what would you add? (Does not have to be a president)
3. What is the history of Rushmore beyond the presidents?
4. The guide in the video states that Mt Rushmore “stands for America”. How?
5. If Rushmore had been carved during another decade, how might its significance change?
F. Compare the Great Depression to our most recent recession from 2007 and on.
Find some reliable sites online and write down 5 comparisons.
1930’s
2007- present
G. Some foreshadowing for our next unit: This is what really gets us out of Depression.
Jan 7, 1941
Ambassador Clark Grew sent this dispatch from Tokyo to the State Department in Washington DC:
There is a lot of talk around town to the effect that the Japanese, in case of a break with eth US, are
planning to go all out in a surprise mass attack on Pearl Harbor. I rather guess the boys in Hawaii are no
precisely asleep..
1. When was the attack on Pearl Harbor?
2. Looking at the note above, how come the US government did not see it coming?
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt13c3olXkU Watch the account
Imagine you are on the mainland America and hear the news. What would your response be?
4. Many never forget a historic and memorable day in their lives. What day in your life will you always
remember? Where were you and what were you doing?
(For me, the first one was the Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up on TV, I was a junior in HS about to
take my Chem. midterm. Watch here, First time a civilian, a teacher was on board.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWnV1V5tYUw )
US History
NAME
The 1930s in a nutshell note outline
Date
Copy down in notes and leave spaces for outline topics
You can also print out one at home.
Terms to know:
Herbert Hoover
Black Tuesday
Great Depression
Hawley Smoot Tariff
Bread lines
Hoovervilles
tenant farmers
Dustbowls
Repatriation
*******
Wizard of OZ
War of the Worlds
Lange- Photos
Steinbeck
Trickledown economics
RFC
Hoover Dam
Bonus Army
Macarthur
FDR
New Deal
TVA, CCC, NRA, PWA, FDIC ( alphabet soup)
WPA and SSA ( Acts)
I. Causes and start of the Depression( teacher overview)
a. Farmers’ plight
b. Credit and buying goods/ why the wealthy could not keep up
c. Stock speculation and crash
d. Hawley Smoot Act
II. Effect of Depression on Americans
a. Some statistics(this is a chart)
b. Bread lines and Hoovervilles
c. Rural America conditions
(Listen to PBS viewpoints of Dust Bowl)
d. Minorities
III. Hoovers attempts to fix
a. First approach – little gov.
b. Second approachc. Response to policies
IV. FDR starts New Deals 1 & 2( documents)
a. New Deal 1- identify the different ascpets
b. Criticisms of the New deal?
c. New Deal 2Social and economic reforms
d. Challenges of?
e. Effects of the New Dealo
o
o
o
o
o
o
Agencies of the New Deal put people to work
Increased the size and power of the national government
Federal government became more active in the daily lives of American People
Gave people confidence in the government
Didn’t end the depression
Influenced Kennedy’s frontier plan
Lasting influence: Social Security Act
Was Government too involved in people’s lives during the 1930’s
V. Culture of the 30’s
a. Radio and movies
b. Music, arts and writing
Federal projects created jobs for music arts and architecture
Murals, accomplishments
-Swing music- popular, Bing Crosby
Latin music big, folk music- Woodie Guthrie dust bowl music, Ethic music such as AA singing about the
hard times
The Century
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wil1ePlT1xs&playnext=1&list=PL613A52EF0EAA337B&feature=resu
lts_main
3 parts