Causes of the Great Depression

Grade Level: 11th Grade

Subject: US History
Duration: 45 minutes
Standards: Texas TEKS and ELPS Alignment

Objectives

• Content Objective: Students will understand the complex causes of the Great Depression, including economic, political, and social factors, and be able to analyze their impact on American society, specifically the intersectional impact on different demographics.
• Language Objective: Students will discuss and write about the causes of the Great Depression using key historical vocabulary.

Standards Alignment

• Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
  • §113.41 (b)(7)(A): Analyze causes of economic instability, including the Great Depression.
  • §113.41 (b)(7)(B): Examine how the US government's role changed as a result of the Great Depression.
• English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS):
  • §74.4(c)(1): Develop basic and academic language proficiency in listening, speaking, and writing.
  • §74.4(c)(3): Use new language in a discussion context.

Materials

• Projector and screen
• Slideshow presentation
• Handouts with key information and vocabulary
• Exit tickets for assessment
• One microphone and speaker set for audibility due to large class size
• Whiteboard and markers

Lesson Activities

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Hook:
   Show a short, impactful slideshow with photographs from the Great Depression era, highlighting stark images of unemployment lines, dust storms, and poverty. Ask students to spend a minute reflecting silently on what emotions and questions these images evoke.

2. Brief Overview:
   Provide a succinct introduction to the Great Depression. Mention its timeline (1929-late 1930s) and critical socioeconomic impact. Use slides for support.

Direct Instruction (15 minutes)

• Causes of the Great Depression:
  1. Economic Factors:
     • Stock Market Crash of 1929: Provide a visual diagram showing the crash's timeline.
     • Bank Failures: Explain with examples of what happened to people's savings.
     • Reduction in Purchasing: Use statistics to discuss the decline in consumer confidence and demand.
  2. Political Factors:
     • Policy Mistakes: Discuss reluctance to implement large-scale intervention initially.
     • Tariffs: Illustrate the impact of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff.
  3. Social Factors:
     • Wealth Inequality: Use pie charts to show income distribution disparities.
     • Overproduction: Relate to modern examples where applicable, such as agricultural practices.

Guided Practice (10 minutes)

• Interactive Timeline Activity:
  Students will move into smaller, manageable groups and use provided handouts to create a living timeline. Each group will represent a different cause, summarizing its key points and placing it chronologically. Groups will briefly present to the class, aiding in understanding the chronological relationship and interconnectedness between events.

Independent Practice (5 minutes)

• Individual Reflection:
  Prompt students to write down which cause they think was the most significant and explain why, using historical reasoning. This will be done on exit tickets, which can be collected when class ends to check understanding.

Closing (5 minutes)

• Review and Discussion:
  Recap key points and address any lingering questions. Use student reflections and responses from the exit tickets to see which areas might require further clarification in future lessons.

Assessment

• Formative Assessment: Observations and participation during the timeline activity.
• Summative Assessment: Exit tickets evaluating understanding of the causes of the Great Depression.

Accommodations and Extensions

• For ELL students:
  • Visual aids and diagrams during explanations.
  • Simplified vocabulary handout with definitions in native languages, where necessary.
• For Advanced Students:
  • Encourage a deeper analysis of one specific cause.
  • Enable access to primary source documents for further investigation.

Reflection

Post-lesson, educators should reflect on the effectiveness of group activities in ensuring the students' understanding of complex interconnections between economic, political, and social factors leading to the Great Depression. Adjust future lessons as needed.