Unit 9 - The Great Depression of the 1930s

Unit 9: The Great Depression of the 1930s
Frameworks for America's Past

Click on the links below -

	Teacher Key - for Unit 9
	Map - for Unit 9
	Review - take a quiz!

Historical photo sets

1. The impact of the Great Depression

2. The causes of the Great Depression

3. The Dust Bowl and migrant farm workers

4. Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal

5. FDR's New Deal programs:

5a. Federal work programs
     Example: WPA - Works Progress Administration

5b. Farm assistance programs
     Example: AAA - Agricultural Adjustment Administration

5c. Environmental improvement programs
     Example: CCC - Civilian Conservation Corps

5d. Increased rights for labor (workers)
     Example:  National Labor Relations Act

5e. Social Security
     Example: The Social Security program

History food feature

Spam - a famous food from the 1930s

Exploring further

From primary sources: FDR on the Great Depression

Videos and
Internet sites

Students: Check with your parents for permission before visiting Internet links.

The Great Depression begins - segment from The Century: America's Time - Stormy Weather (1 of 3). Watch from 3:00 to 14:58.

FDR and the New Deal - segment from The Century: America's Time - Stormy Weather (2 of 3). Watch from 11:00 to 14:59.

The New Deal continues, but Hitler rises in Germany - segment from The Century: America's Time - Stormy Weather (3 of 3). Watch from 9:10 to 13:58.

Dow Jones Industrial Average interactive chart (see graphs of this stock index going back as far as 1915)

Works Progress Administration (WPA) (a short video about one of the New Deal programs designed to create jobs during the Great Depression)

FDR visits a CCC camp in Virginia (a short video)

Music:

In the Mood (a video of the Glenn Miller Orchestra playing this jazz standard)

Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) (a video of two middle school age kids dancing to a famous big band hit of the 1930s)

Consider also:

America: The Story of Us (on DVD) TV mini-series, Episode 9, "Bust," has several good video segments for this unit, including a brief overview of the stock market crash, bank failures, and the Dust Bowl. This widely praised production originally ran on the History Channel. Less than $20 on Amazon for the 3 DVD set.

Copyright 2009, 2022 by David Burns. All rights reserved. As a guide to the Virginia Standards of Learning, some pages necessarily include phrases or sentences from that document, which is available online from the Virginia Department of Education. The author's copyright extends to the original text and graphics, unique design and layout, and related material.