Students are introduced to the Roaring Twenties and listen to an early jazz recording by Louis Armstrong. Then they examine the causes and effects of the Great Depression. Next they learn about the Dust Bowl and analyze the photograph “Migrant Mother.” Finally they explore the New Deal and present a WPA project from their state.
Students read an introduction to the Roaring Twenties, including how new technologies and jazz music shaped leisure and culture, and how this prosperity led into the Great Depression. They view a historical photograph of a jazz band and listen to an early jazz recording by Louis Armstrong, then respond to a word cloud prompt by describing the music in a word or short phrase.
Teacher MovesPreview the experience by outlining how students will study the Great Depression, Dust Bowl, and New Deal, and review key vocabulary. Clarify the lesson objectives, then play the Louis Armstrong recording and invite students with prior knowledge of jazz to share what they know about the music and its culture before moving on.
Students examine a photograph of unemployed men outside a soup kitchen and read an explanation of how the stock market crash, bank failures, business closures, and falling wages led to widespread unemployment and loss of homes during the Great Depression. They then answer multiple-choice questions to identify major effects of the Great Depression and the consequences of bank failures.
Teacher MovesUse the photograph and explanatory text to highlight the economic chain reaction from stock market crash to bank and business failures. Optionally direct interested students to the article The Great Depression in the Student Pack for additional detail. Review student responses to the questions, clarifying that some options describe indirect effects and that some factors can be both causes and effects.
Students view images of a dust storm and the photograph “Migrant Mother,” then read about how drought and human modification of the land created the Dust Bowl and forced many families to migrate. They learn how plowing up native grasses and overuse of the land led to erosion and dust storms, and read Dorothea Lange’s description of the migrant mother’s situation. Students post to a class wall describing what they see in the photograph and what it reveals about life during the Great Depression.
Teacher MovesExplain the interaction between natural drought and human land use that produced the Dust Bowl, emphasizing erosion and loss of topsoil. Guide students in analyzing “Migrant Mother” as a primary source that illustrates migrant labor, low wages, and desperation. Share selected student responses from the wall to prompt discussion, and, if desired, point students to additional Dust Bowl photographs in the Student Pack to deepen visual analysis.
Students read about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, the New Deal, and the creation of agencies such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to combat unemployment by building public infrastructure. They also learn about Roosevelt’s disability and compare it to modern examples of leaders with disabilities, such as Senator Tammy Duckworth. Using The Living New Deal, students select a WPA project in their state, upload or insert a photo of the project, and write a caption explaining how people still benefit from it today.
Teacher MovesClarify how the New Deal responded to the Great Depression by creating jobs and strengthening national infrastructure, and connect WPA projects to students’ local communities. Highlight leadership and resilience by discussing Roosevelt’s disability and contemporary leaders like Senator Duckworth as role models. Support students in researching a WPA project, ensuring they accurately describe its purpose and ongoing impact in their captions.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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