Contextualization

The Great Depression (1929-1939) was the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world. It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and unemployment rates. By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest point, some 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the country's banks had failed.

The effects of the Great Depression were felt worldwide. Although it originated in the United States, the Great Depression caused drastic declines in output, severe unemployment, and acute deflation in almost every country around the world. Its social and cultural effects were no less staggering, especially in the United States, where the Great Depression accounted for the largest one-year decline in the federal budget in the 20th century, and led to many of the New Deal welfare programs that are still in place today.

The Great Depression was a time of hardship for many families. Jobs were scarce, and those fortunate enough to have them often had to work for low wages and long hours. Many people lost their homes and were forced to live in makeshift shantytowns called "Hoovervilles." Soup kitchens, where people could get a free meal, and breadlines, where people could get a loaf of bread, became a common sight.

Importance of the Great Depression

The Great Depression was a pivotal event in world history and its implications still resonate today. It led to fundamental changes in economic theory, macroeconomic policy, and financial regulation. The experience of the 1930s also shattered the earlier widespread belief in the inherent stability of market economies and of the policy responsibility of governments to maintain that stability. Instead, the Depression showed that economies could collapse and that governments were capable of making things worse rather than better.

Understanding the Great Depression is crucial for comprehending the complexities of the modern global economy. It provides valuable lessons on the causes and consequences of economic downturns, the role of government in managing economic crises, and the impacts of economic inequality. Moreover, the Great Depression has left an indelible mark on popular culture, from literature and film to music and art.

References

1. The Great Depression: A Curriculum for High School Students
2. American Experience: The Great Depression
3. The Great Depression: Crash Course US History #33
4. The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "The Great Depression: A Journey Through Time"

Objective of the Project:

The objective of this project is to create an interactive timeline highlighting key events, causes, effects, and solutions of the Great Depression. This will require students to research, organize, and present information in a visually engaging and informative manner.

Detailed Description of the Project:

In groups of 3 to 5, students will research, collect, and organize information about the Great Depression. The information will be used to create an interactive timeline, which will allow users to navigate through the timeline and access detailed information about each event, cause, effect, or solution. The timeline should be accompanied by brief explanations and related images or videos for each key point.

Necessary Materials:

• Access to the internet for research
• A computer with a word processing software for the report writing
• A presentation software (like PowerPoint or Google Slides) to create the interactive timeline
• Access to a printer to print the final report if needed

Detailed Step-by-Step for Carrying Out the Activity:

1. Form a Group and Assign Roles: Form groups of 3 to 5 students. Assign each member a role: Researcher, Writer, Designer, and Presenter. These roles can be rotated throughout the project to give each student a chance to participate in each aspect of the project.

2. Research: The Researcher(s) will begin by conducting comprehensive research on the Great Depression, using the provided reference materials and other reliable sources. They should focus on finding key events, causes, effects, and solutions, and gather related images or videos.

3. Organize and Summarize: After gathering the necessary information, the group should work together to organize the information into a chronological order. Each key point should be summarized in a concise and clear manner.

4. Create an Interactive Timeline: The Designer(s) will use a presentation software to create an interactive timeline. Each key point should be a separate slide with its corresponding summary, image, and/or video.

5. Write the Report: The Writer(s) should start writing the report, which should follow the structure of Introduction, Development, Conclusion, and Bibliography. The Introduction should provide an overview of the Great Depression and why it is important. The Development section should detail the research process, the findings, and the methodology used to create the interactive timeline. The Conclusion should summarize the main points and discuss what was learned from the project.

6. Prepare for Presentation: The Presenter(s) should prepare a brief presentation of the timeline, explaining each key point and its significance.

7. Submit the Project: The final product should be an interactive timeline with a comprehensive report. The report should detail the research process, the findings, and the learning outcomes. It should also include a bibliography of the reference materials used.

Project Delivery and Report Writing:

After completing the interactive timeline and the written report, each group will present their project to the class. The presentation should be no longer than 15 minutes and should cover all the key points of the Great Depression.

The written report should detail the entire process of the project, from research to final presentation. It should include the following:

• Introduction: Contextualize the Great Depression, its importance, and the objective of the project.
• Development: Detail the theory of the Great Depression, explain the project in detail, indicate the methodology used, and finally present and discuss the obtained results.
• Conclusion: Conclude the work by revisiting its main points, explicitly stating the learnings obtained, and the conclusions drawn about the Great Depression.
• Bibliography: Indicate all the sources used during the project.

The project will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Research: Depth of research, sources used, and accuracy of the information gathered.
• Organization: How well the information was organized and presented in the interactive timeline.
• Writing: Clarity, coherence, and depth of the written report.
• Presentation: Clarity, coherence, and effectiveness of the oral presentation.
• Teamwork: Collaboration and effective use of each member's skills.