Objectives:
- Describe President Herbert Hoover's strategies for dealing with the Great Depression.
- Explain the election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression.
- Analyze the goals of the New Deal.
Scene 1 — Engage
Student Activity
Students are introduced to the experience focus on presidential responses to the Great Depression and review the lesson objectives. They examine images and short background texts about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s disability and his efforts to conceal it, then consider modern examples of political leaders with disabilities, such as Senator Tammy Duckworth. After reading a quote from Chelsea Clinton about the importance of visible role models, students respond to a collaborative prompt explaining why it is important for minorities, people with disabilities, and women to see role models who “look like them” in positions of power and influence.
Teacher Moves
Present the lesson overview and objectives, highlighting that students will compare Hoover’s and Roosevelt’s responses to the Great Depression and examine the New Deal. Use the images and background information on Roosevelt’s disability and modern role models to prompt discussion about representation in leadership. Then divide students into small groups for the next two scenes and, when ready, unlock the next scene.
Scene 2 — Explore and Explain 1
Student Activity
Working in small groups, students view an image and caption about the Hoover Dam to see an example of a major public works project associated with Hoover’s presidency. They read background text on Herbert Hoover’s presidency, the stock market crash, and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, then use Herbert Hoover on the Great Depression and New Deal, 1931–1933 and The Great Depression to identify three key responses Hoover took to address the crisis in each account, recording their findings in two graphic organizers. Groups then compare the two articles and post a response explaining which account is more favorable to Hoover and why they think that is the case.
Teacher Moves
Guide students to recognize that the second article, from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, is more sympathetic to Hoover, portraying him as misunderstood and crediting him with influencing some of Roosevelt’s policies. Use this comparison to highlight how source origin can shape bias, and point students to the third, more balanced article in the Student Pack as an additional perspective. When groups are ready, unlock the next scene.
Scene 3 — Explore and Explain 2
Student Activity
In small groups, students read about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 election, his message that government and people could work together to overcome the Depression, and the creation of the New Deal and its “three Rs”: relief, recovery, and reform. Using an overview of the New Deal, they complete a graphic organizer by defining each “R” and giving an example of a related program or action. Next, they analyze a political cartoon about New Deal “alphabet agencies,” discussing its main idea and whether the cartoonist supports or criticizes the New Deal, and post a group explanation.
Teacher Moves
After students complete the organizer, briefly summarize the overall goals of the New Deal in terms of relief, recovery, and reform. Then facilitate discussion of the political cartoon by sharing interesting or exemplary student responses and providing historical context from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum description, including the role of agencies like the CCC, FDIC, PWA, and NRA and the appearance of Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Clarify how the cartoon comments on New Deal spending. When students are ready, explain that they will complete the remaining scenes individually and unlock the next scene.
Scene 4 — Elaborate
Student Activity
Students read explanatory text about three lasting New Deal institutions—the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Social Security Administration (SSA)—to understand how they protect citizens and regulate the economy today. They also learn about Social Security numbers and their uses as proof of identity. Next, students read about entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ pensions, including how they are funded and why they are controversial, and use Landmark Entitlement Programs: Pro & Con Reactions at the Time of Their Passage to examine historical arguments for and against such programs. After viewing an image illustrating the scale of federal mandatory spending, students respond to a class wall prompt stating whether they think the federal government should provide aid through entitlement programs and citing evidence to support their view.
Teacher Moves
After presenting the descriptions of FDIC, SEC, SSA, and Social Security numbers, pause to invite and address student questions. Later, as students form opinions about entitlement programs, circulate to support their use of evidence from the reading. Conclude by sharing interesting or exemplary viewpoints with the class to spark discussion about the role of government in providing social welfare. When students are ready, unlock the next scene.
Scene 5 — Evaluate
Student Activity
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher Moves
Facilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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