Understanding how the 1929 crash changed American lives Grade 8 U.S. History

Learning Goals: What I Can Do

I can describe how people's emotions changed before and after the 1929 crash using primary sources I can analyze letters and diaries to understand different viewpoints during the Great Depression I can collaborate in groups to share and discuss historical feelings and impacts

Do Now: Imagine Life in 1929

Write or draw: You are living in 1929, just BEFORE the stock market crash Describe a day in your life - what are you doing? How do you feel about the future? Share one feeling or activity with a partner

What Was the Stock Market Crash?

October 1929: Stock prices fell dramatically in just a few days People lost their life savings and investments Banks closed and businesses shut down Millions of Americans became unemployed This started the Great Depression

Emotions: Before vs. After the Crash

{"left":"Optimistic about the future\nConfident in making money\nExcited about new opportunities\nPlanning big purchases","right":"Panic and fear\nWorried about survival\nUncertain about tomorrow\nAshamed of losing everything"}

Primary Source Investigation

Work in groups of 4-5 students Read letters and diary excerpts from real people Look for clues about feelings before and after the crash Use sentence starters: 'The writer feels ___ because ___' Create a summary sentence about how feelings changed

Discussion Question

Based on the letters and diaries you read: How did the crash change people's daily lives? What words showed their strongest emotions? Why do you think feelings changed so dramatically?

Connecting Past to Present

Understanding historical emotions helps us learn from the past People today still face economic challenges We can show empathy for those experiencing hardship Learning from history helps us make better decisions Next: We'll explore how families survived during the Great Depression