---

Grade Level

12th Grade (Age 17-18)

Duration

60 minutes

Class Size

25 students

---

IB Curriculum Alignment

IB Social Studies Framework:

• Key Concepts: Change, Global Interactions, Systems
• Related Concepts: Economic Systems, Wealth Distribution, Consumerism
• Approaches to Learning (ATL) Skills:
  • Research: Identifying and analyzing sources of information.
  • Thinking: Critical thinking and reflection.
  • Communication: Articulation of ideas through guided notes and exit tickets.

Global Context

• Globalization and Sustainability (How economic activities affect societies and environments worldwide)

Specific Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Explain the causes and characteristics of the Stock Market Mania in the 1920s in the United States.
2. Analyze the social and economic consequences of speculative trading and market manipulation during the 1920s.
3. Evaluate the role of consumer culture and credit in the speculative bubble.
4. Reflect on the lessons learned from the 1920s stock market craze relating to economic cycles and human behavior.

---

Materials Needed

• Projector and whiteboard
• Printed Guided Notes worksheet (with sections for student input)
• Markers and pens
• Exit ticket slips (small index cards or paper)

---

Lesson Outline and Activities

Time	Activity Description	Teacher Role	Student Role	Resources
0-5 min	Introduction & Context Setting

• Brief introduction to the 1920s in the US (social/economic climate)
• Define “Stock Market Mania” and why it matters to historians and economists
• State learning objectives | Present context and objectives
  Ask engaging questions (e.g., “What do you know about the 1920s economy?”) | Listen actively and share prior knowledge about the 1920s
  Begin filling the "Background & Setting" section in guided notes | Projector slides, whiteboard, guided notes worksheet | | 5-20 min | Guided Notes: Causes & Characteristics (Student Input Section 1)
• Explain the rise of stock speculation: margin buying, credit expansion, speculative frenzy
• Highlight key figures/events (e.g. Charles Mitchell & JP Morgan influence)
• Discuss cultural aspects encouraging speculation (advertising, consumer optimism) | Deliver focused mini-lecture, regularly pause for students to write notes in guided sections
  Prompt students to summarize causes in own words | Write notes, answer guided prompts
  Draw or diagram the “speculative cycle” on their worksheet | Guided notes worksheet, whiteboard diagrams | | 20-35 min | Class Discussion and Analysis Activity (Student Input Section 2)
• In small groups of 4-5, students analyze short newspaper excerpts/facts about market behavior
• Groups identify warning signs of an economic bubble and list short-term & long-term impacts
• Discuss with the class the human behaviors fueling the mania (e.g., herd mentality, greed) | Monitor groups, facilitate discussion, provide probing questions: “What behaviors caused the bubble to grow uncontrollably?” | Participate in group analysis, complete analysis section of notes with evidence
  Share key insights aloud | Newspaper excerpts, guided notes worksheet | | 35-50 min | Critical Reflection: Consumerism, Credit & Consequences (Student Input Section 3)
• Teacher explains how consumer credit and installment buying fed stock market frenzy
• Connect 1920s mania to larger economic cycles: boom and bust
• Students answer reflective, open-ended questions in their notes (e.g. "How did credit culture influence market risk?" "What parallels can you draw to modern economies?") | Provide mini-lecture and model critical thinking
  Encourage individual written reflection in notes | Write detailed responses in guided notes section | Guided notes worksheet, whiteboard prompts | | 50-60 min | Exit Ticket: Understanding Check
• Students write brief answers (1-2 sentences) in exit ticket on:
  1. One key cause of the 1920s Stock Market Mania
  2. One social or economic consequence of the Mania
• Collect exit tickets | Distribute exit tickets, collect responses, review quickly for understanding | Complete exit tickets independently | Exit ticket slips |

---

Guided Notes Worksheet Structure (Student Input Sections)

1. Background & Setting

• What do you already know about the 1920s economy?

2. Causes & Characteristics of Stock Market Mania

• List at least three key causes:

  1. ---

  2. ---

  3. ---

• Describe margin buying and why it was risky:

  ---

• Draw or summarize the pattern of speculative trading:

3. Analysis of Social and Economic Impacts

• Identify two warning signs of an economic bubble:

  1. ---

  2. ---

• List one short-term and one long-term consequence:
  Short-term: _______________
  Long-term: _______________
• What behaviors fueled the market craze?

  ---

4. Reflection on Consumerism, Credit & Lessons Learned

• How did consumer credit contribute to the mania?

  ---

• What can today’s economy learn from the 1920s?

  ---

---

Assessment Description

• Formative: Guided notes with student input allow real-time individual feedback and monitoring understanding throughout the lesson.
• Summative/Formative: Exit ticket assesses key factual and conceptual understanding quickly and individually at the end of class.
• Formative: Group discussion engages social learning and conceptual depth.

---

Differentiation and Extensions

• For diverse learners: Provide sentence starters on the guided notes worksheet, allow use of graphic organizers for analysis.
• Extension: Students can research a modern stock market bubble (e.g., dot-com bubble) for a follow-up assignment, linking past and present.
• Technology integration: Using polling apps for real-time check-ins or a collaborative digital board for shared note-taking.

---

Reflection & Teacher Notes

• Emphasize conceptual understanding over rote memorization to align with IB principles.
• Encourage students to make global and inter-temporal connections, not just US-centric facts.
• Use varied teaching modalities (lecture, group work, writing, discussion) to engage multiple ATL skills and meet diverse learner needs.

---

This detailed guided-notes lesson plan on the 1920s Stock Market Mania brings historical complexity alive with critical thinking, reflection, and authentic assessment — perfectly suited for 12th grade IB Social Studies classrooms!