Introduction
Imagine banks saying that they have no money. Envision only having enough food to make a few meals for the week. Visualize jumping onto a moving train to find your next job with just the clothes on your back. Picture living in makeshift houses constructed of newspapers. During the Great Depression, this was the way of life for many Americans. The Great Depression was a period of economic struggle that lasted more than a decade before the Second World War. Through web research you will be able to understand the causes of the Great Depression and what steps were taken to ease the hardships of the American people before the beginning of World War II.
As you work through these tasks, think about this:
Considering the actions taken to end the Great Depression in America, what led to the crisis and could it have been averted?
Task
You will research the Great Depression by visiting several websites. You will be required to complete a worksheet with guided questions to assist you in completing your final project. After completing the questions you will need to complete the following tasks. All three tasks are required and will be a project grade.
Create a timeline.
You are a research assistant for an author writing a book about the Great Depression. The author needs information about what caused the Great Depression and significant events during the decade long struggle. Research what factors caused the Great Depression and signficant events during the Depression Era. You must include a minimum of ten events on your time line (specific months and years may not always be available and that is okay). At least three of the events must be events leading up to the Great Depression (prior to Black Thursday).
Write a photo essay.
You are a writer for a local newspaper. You will review photographs from the Great Depression. Make note of what elements help indicate that it is a depression era photograph. Select one photograph, take the information you learn from this lesson, and write a detailed and well-developed story for that photograph for the newspaper. The photograph must be included on your final project. The story should be a minimum of three well developed paragraphs.
Design an informational flyer.
You will explore the New Deal programs and discover which ones were successful, unsuccessful and why. Your job, as staff members for President Roosevelt, is to design an informational flyer about the New Deal explaining at least 2 new programs and ideas with supporting pictures. It will be posted outside banks, soup kitchens, general stores and in newspapers across the country. You may use Publisher or any Web 2.0 tool you prefer but make sure the and images are in line with the Depression era. It must be printed in color.
Process
You will complete your learning experience throught the Great Depression by completing the following tasks:
1. Follow the directions on the worksheet until you have thoroughly answered each question. The information gathered in this step will be necessary to complete the 3 mini projects.
2. After you have completed the worksheet select a partner from class to work to complete the three mini projects. It is up to you and your partner to decide how to divide up the project work between yoursevles.
3. Once you have completed the worksheet you will begin completing the 3 mini projects. If time still remains during our bell you can begin working on one of the projects here at school. Otherwise, the mini projects are to be worked on and completed at home.
4. You will turn in the worksheets and the projects on January 29th. The break down of the points are as follows: 15 points Webquest Worksheet, 10 points Lab Behavior, 25 points Timeline, 25 points Essay, 25 points Poster.
Extra Credit: Type the answers to the questions listed under the "Conclusion" section of this webquest. (15 points)
You many consider using one of the following technology websites to complete one or more of your mini projects:
You may also use any Microsoft Publisher.
Additional Great Depression Photos: