SAMPLE UNIT PLAN (500/550): The Great Depression and The New Deal
Created by: Angie A. Felix
Motivation
- Ask and answer questions about The Great Depression and The New Deal
“What do you know about the Great Depression?”
“What about today’s economic situation?”
“Do you think it is likely that we might experience something similar to the Great Depression?” Why,
Why not?
Presentation
- Reading: Causes and effects of The Great Depression
(Refer to Lesson Plan: The Great Depression and The New Deal and the reading text)
Practice
- Discuss the causes and effects (Oral: group activity)
- Grammar: practice using: because of, due to, etc.
- Students fill in a cause and effects worksheet (writing)
- Review the table on the economic impact of the Great Depression on the people (Refer to Lesson
Plan: The Great Depression and The New Deal and the reading text)
Motivation
- How did the Great Depression affect people at the time?
- How were the children affected?
- What was the government’s response to the Great Depression?
Presentation
- Show film clips from The Grapes of Wrath
- Discuss effects on the farmers, etc. and the “migrant workers.”
- Discuss effects on children
Practice
- Discussion of the The Grapes of Wrath
- How did the Depression affect the adults? The children?
- Grammar: adjectives (comparative)
Presentation
- Reading for information about The New Deal
- Ask the question/s: What was FDR’s response to the problems created by the Great
Depression? What were the agencies created by the New Deal? Do we still have them today?
Practice
- Scan the reading on The New Deal (incorporated in the 2 nd part of the Reading Text on the
Great Depression, and related sources – refer to books, wikipedia, etc.)
- Enumerate the programs of The New Deal, and describe each program’s purpose.
- Read samples of letters written by the children to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, asking for
help (sample letters can be found on the internet. Search: Letters to Mrs. Roosevelt).
2
Application
Students prepare an Oral Presentation on the Experience of a Depression survivor (550)
- the report should be based on research in the internet and readings
- must be in the first person point of view, beginning with “I lived during the Depression . . .” (refer to
Lesson Plan for requirements)
Students prepare an Oral Presentation on the Experience of a Depression survivor (500)
- the report must be a narrative essay in the third person point of view, beginning with
“_________ lived during the Depression . . . ,” and must conclude with the student’s opinion
about the survivor’s experiences.
or
Students (500) write an opinion essay on the movie, The Grapes of Wrath, presenting their
impressions of the movie, and how accurately the film depicted the economic and social conditions of
the period.
Students (550) write a comparative essay on the legacy of the New Deal, detailing specific programs
(i.e., social security, the SEC, the FDIC, the labor unions, etc.) which were introduced then, and
which continue today. Students do research on the internet before writing the essay so that they can
see the impact of these programs on the public today.