Republican Response to the Crash

Key Details

• Subject: History
• Level: GCSE (Key Stage 4)
• Exam Board Relevance: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas
• Length: 60 minutes
• Class Size: 30 students

Curriculum Context

This lesson aligns with the study of "The USA, 1929–1941", a key focus in modern world history for GCSE students. Specifically, it examines Republican responses to the Wall Street Crash, looking at Herbert Hoover's beliefs, policies, and their effectiveness.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Explain President Hoover's economic beliefs and how they shaped his response to the Wall Street Crash.
2. Describe the key policies Hoover implemented to address the Great Depression.
3. Evaluate how successful Hoover’s policies were in dealing with the crisis.

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Lesson Breakdown

Starter Activity: Hoover’s Philosophy (10 mins)

Objective: Engage students in understanding Hoover's approach to government and the economy.

• Think-Pair-Share:

  • Display the phrase "Rugged Individualism" on the board.
  • Ask students to discuss in pairs what they think this means.
  • Take responses and clarify Hoover’s belief in self-reliance and limited government intervention.

• Quick Class Poll:

  • Pose the question: "Should the government actively intervene during an economic crisis?"
  • Students vote “Yes” or “No” by raising hands.

• Link to Hoover:

  • Explain that Hoover initially opposed major federal intervention, believing in voluntarism and local responsibility instead.

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Main Teaching: Hoover’s Policies (20 mins)

Objective: Students will identify and describe the key actions Hoover took.

Step 1: Group Work (10 mins)

• Split class into five groups. Each group receives a different policy (on paper slips) to research and summarise:

  1. Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930) – Raised import taxes, worsening global trade.
  2. Reconstruction Finance Corporation (1932) – Gave loans to struggling banks and industries.
  3. Public Works Programmes – Hoover Dam and infrastructure projects to create jobs.
  4. Federal Home Loan Bank Act (1932) – Helped prevent mortgage foreclosures.
  5. The Bonus Army Incident (1932) – Hoover’s controversial use of force to remove WWI veterans demanding payments early.

• Each group summarises their policy in four bullet points and assigns a spokesperson.

Step 2: Brief Class Presentations (10 mins)

• Groups present their policy in one-minute summaries.
• Teacher asks follow-up questions to reinforce understanding.
• Emphasise how Hoover’s actions shifted from a hands-off approach to more government intervention, albeit reluctantly.

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Critical Thinking: Was Hoover Successful? (15 mins)

Objective: Students will critically assess the success of Hoover’s policies.

• Teacher-Led Discussion:

  • Write "SUCCESSFUL" on one side of the board and "UNSUCCESSFUL" on the other.
  • Ask students to come up and place sticky notes with reasons supporting each side.
  • Example prompts:
    • Did unemployment fall?
    • How did businesses react?
    • How did ordinary Americans feel?
    • How did Hoover’s policies compare to Roosevelt’s later New Deal?

• Student Reflection:

  • Students write a short paragraph answering:
    "To what extent was Hoover to blame for failing to deal with the Great Depression?"
  • Encourage them to use key evidence from the lesson.

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Plenary: The Legacy of Hoover (10 mins)

Objective: Encourage students to link Hoover’s policies to wider historical consequences.

• Class Debate:

  • Display two contrasting perspectives:
    • "Hoover was unlucky, and did what he could in a difficult situation."
    • "Hoover failed to act decisively, and made the Depression worse."
  • Students take sides and defend their position with evidence.

• Final Reflection:

  • Ask: "If you were Hoover in 1929, what policy would you have introduced?"
  • Take quick responses before concluding.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Verbal contributions in discussions and debate.
• Short written paragraph on Hoover’s responsibility.
• Group work presentations on Hoover’s policies.

Differentiation Strategies

• Support: Provide sentence starters for lower-ability students in the written task.
• Challenge: Higher-ability students analyse whether Hoover’s policies directly influenced Roosevelt’s New Deal.

Resources Needed

• Printed policy slips for group work.
• Sticky notes for the success/failure board activity.
• Whiteboard & markers for class discussions.

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Homework Task

Exam-style Question: "Assess the effectiveness of Hoover’s response to the Wall Street Crash." (12 marks)

• Encourage students to form an argument, using evidence learned in class.

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Teacher Reflection

• Did students engage with Hoover’s policies critically?
• Were they able to balance both sides of the debate on Hoover's success?
• Would they benefit from a source analysis session on perceptions of Hoover in the next lesson?

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This lesson plan is designed to be interactive, thought-provoking, and aligned with UK GCSE history standards, ensuring students build both knowledge and critical thinking skills.