FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Amanda Hayes,
PR Chair
River Eves PTA
FIFTH GRADERS BUILD “HOOVERVILLE” AT RIVER EVES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Hands-on Project Teaches about Great Depression and Parallels to Recession
December 19, 2012, Roswell, GA. Fifth grade students at River Eves Elementary built a replica of a small
“Hooverville”—named after President Herbert Hoover—on Monday, December 17 to learn about the
Great Depression and the challenges faced by our citizens during that time. Students built shanties from
cardboard boxes and duct tape, prepared homemade vegetable soup to serve in soup kitchens, and
stood in bread lines.
To learn how the stock market crash in 1929 deepened a devastating depression and affected the nation
for nearly a decade, fifth graders re-enacted how many people used whatever means they had at their
disposal for survival. As Americans were forced to build make-shift homes out of cardboard boxes, used
car parts and wood, River Eves students were separated into small groups and worked together to build
the best “standing” structure to house their “homeless” with duct tape and boxes. Students also
learned how the 1930’s was the start of soup kitchens and bread lines. When not building shanties, the
students stood in line to receive soup that they had made in class, and bread donated by local
businesses.
During the simulation, each 5th grade class took turns reporting on what they had learned. One fifthgrader remarked how although times were desperate, “Women were empowered to work more outside
the home to support their families, which they hadn’t been able to do previously.” Another student
noted, “It is very sad that people had to leave their homes and that they starved because their money
was worthless. I hope that doesn’t happen to our country.”
This is the second year that Ms. Roth, 5th grade teacher at River Eves, has conducted a Hooverville
project. “My philosophy with teaching is to create experiences for students so that their learning is
meaningful,” said Roth. “I think the students were able to see a connection between the Depression of
the 1930's and the recession of the 2000's. In class, we were able to discuss that history has a way of
repeating itself and that it is sometimes crucial to learn from history so that it doesn't.”
Pictured below:
1.
(Left to right) 5th grade teacher Jennifer Roth and 5th grade students Mary Katelyn Buck, Hai-Sa
Nguyen and Marjorie Hsu take shelter.
2.
5th grade students are “welcomed” to Hooverville.
3.
(Left to right) 5th grade students Maggie Wall, Gabby Buday and Logan Speckhart in their shanty.
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