Lesson Plan
Title: The Great Depression in Barre, Vermont
Overview: This investigative lesson uses primary sources to help students understand that the Great
Depression touched the lives of men and women in their own hometown and that New Deal programs were
available to help.
Understanding Goal: New Deal programs had an impact on the lives of Vermonters.
Objectives:
To gain an understanding of how Vermonters were impacted by the Great Depression
To gain an understanding of New Deal programs
Investigative Question: How were Vermonters impacted by the Great Depression?
Time Required: 2 – 3 class periods
Recommended Grade Range: Grades 8 - 12
Subject: The Great Depression
Standards: McREL 4th Edition Standards & Benchmarks
Historical Understanding
Standard 2. Understands the historical perspective
United States History
Standard 23. Understands the causes of the Great Depression and how it affected American Society
Language Arts: Writing
Standard 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
Language Arts: Reading
Standard 5. Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
Credits: Developed by: Sarah Rooker, Flow of History, [email protected]
Materials: See attached bibliographic organizer for Library of Congress Primary Sources
See attached Primary Source Analysis Tools
Resources: (External websites and secondary sources)
Class Textbook
American Life Stories: http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html
Photographs from the FSA-OWI: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html
Procedure (Inquiry Cycle):
1
Step 1 Connect: Read out loud “Living on the Hill.” As a class fill out the Primary Source
Analysis Tool.
Connect to the Place: Help them connect to the fact that the interviewee attended the old
Spaulding High School and lived in Barre.
Connect to the Era: Help them connect the date of the interview to the end of the Great
Depression.
Connect to the Text: Connect the time of the interview to their textbook chapter on the Great
Depression.
Step 2a Wonder: Pass out copies of “Living on the Hill.” Have students underline any unfamiliar
words and phrases (hopefully, they will pick “WPA” and wonder who created the interview and
why).
Step 2b Wonder: Have students share what they know about the Great Depression. Generate
questions from the discussion such as:
What were the conditions in Barre (or in VT) during the Great Depression?
Which New Deal programs (in addition to the WPA) reached Barre and Vermont?
Add these questions to the Primary Source Analysis Tool.
Step 3 Investigate: Explain to the students that they will be conducting primary source research
at the Library of Congress to answer their questions.
Assign pairs of students to conduct research at one of the following collections:
American Life Stories: http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html
Photographs from the FSA-OWI: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html
Hand out the attached Thematic Primary Source Set worksheet and model how to fill it in.
Send students to the Library of Congress. Help students in their research where needed.
Step 4 Construct: Have students share the primary sources they have found. Keep an ongoing list
of New Deal programs they find including: FSA, WPA, Federal Writer’s Project, AAA. Connect
the programs to descriptions in the textbook.
Step 5 Express: Have students create an exhibit of the photographs with quotes from the interviews
they found that best express living and working conditions in Vermont during the New Deal. The
exhibit should also relate how New Deal programs helped Vermonters. An alternative would be
for students to connect the photographs they found to the interviews. Students could create a
slideshow of photos with portions of the interviews voiced over and captions highlighting New
Deal programs.
Step 6 Reflect: Have students write a final reflection on what it would have been like to be a
teenager living in Vermont during the Great Depression.
Evaluation:
2
-- Active, thoughtful participation in class discussions
-- Thorough completion of Primary Source Analysis Tool and Primary Source Set Worksheet
-- Active engagement in researching a chosen topic, evidenced by research notes
-- Satisfactory completion of the writing assignment, assessed on their use of primary and secondary source
information, creativity and grammar/spelling
Extensions:
Students could document work or family life in their community by interviewing elders
Students could document industrial and agricultural work in their community through photography
Bibliographic Organizer
Title of Lesson or Activity: The New Deal in Vermont
Created by: Sarah Rooker
Date: April 9, 2010
Image to be used to
New Deal Programs:
connect students to the
Federal Writer’s Project
material:
Works Progress
Administration is
mentioned in the
interview
Title: “Living on the
Hill”
URL
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/wpa:@field(DOCI
D+@lit(wpa338052106))
Created/Published 1940
Creator Marie Tomasi
Part of American Life
Histories: Manuscripts
from the Federal Writer’s
Project, 1936-1940
Image to use as an
example before class
New Deal Program:
FSA
Explain how to find the permanent
URL.
3
begins investigations:
Title: “Kitchen in the
home of a FSA (Farm
Security Administration)
borrower near Bradford,
Vermont. Orange
County.”
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8b22955
Call Number LC-USF34034332Created 1939 Oct.
Creator: Russell Lee
Part of Farm Security
Administration - Office
of War Information
Photograph Collection
Analysis Tools:
Primary Source Analysis Tool
Primary Source Set Worksheet
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5
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