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School Life During the Depression
Peter Doig
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The students will learn about the differences between school life during the Depression and today using primary documents and personal experiences.
Item 1"The Course of Study LaGrange Public Schools 1920-21".
Item 2 "The Depression - Further Changes" - The Dual System, 1903 - 1970. p.48 - 50. Clark and Keller 1998 found at The Troup County Archives http://www.trouparchives.org/
Item 3 "Life During the Depression" by Julie Lassa http://www.pchswi.org/archives/misc/lifedepression.html
Item 4 chart for organizing information about the school day from the two periods of time.
Item 5wordfind puzzle that uses key words from the 1920's and 30's. Can be made at www.edhelper.com/wordfind.htm
Item 6 transparency"First Grade Class, Dawson Street School" - photo found at The Troup County Archives 1864 Print (See linked file for photo)
Item 7 grading rubric - www.doe.k12.ga.us/curriculum/testing/writing.asp
Item 8"Photograph Analysis Worksheet" - National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC (www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/shoto_analysis_worksheet.pdf)
Paper and pencil
2 x 50 mins
1S2
Essential Question:
What effect did the Great Depression have on school life for children of this time period?
Content Specific Question:
How was school different for children during the 1920s and early 1930s from school today?
The students will complete a word find puzzle (item 5) that uses key words from the 1920s and 30s.
(Suggested key terms: hardships, speller, broke, composition, depression, postponed, dejection, physiology, arithmetic, crash, Woodrow Wilson, melancholy, drills, homeless, depressed, unoccupied, suffrage, despair, Roaring Twenties, New Deal, poor, stocks, hungry, speculation, credit, unhappy, abandoned)
Students will be asked to look at the transparency "First Grade Class, Dawson Street School" and write down everything they notice about the picture. Teacher should remove this transparency and replace it with the transparency entitled "Photograph Analysis Worksheet" (item 8). With the help of the students and their observations, complete steps 1-3 in Instructional Activities.
1. Refer to the board on which the following questions have been written: How was school different for children during the 1920' and early 1930's from school today? How do you think school life for children of the 20's and 30's was affected by the Great Depression? Discuss the questions with the students.
2. Distribute "The Depression - Further Changes" (item 2) and "The Course of Study LaGrange Public Schools 1920-21" (item 1) to each student. Read to the students the account from "Life During the Depression" by Julie Lassa: http://www.pchswi.org/archives/misc/lifedepression.html and discuss. Read each of the handouts and discuss what students believe to be the most interesting and important parts of each. Ask students to pay particular attention to school life observations. Write the students observations on the board and discuss.
3. On the board draw the Comparison Chart (item 4) and have students copy it onto their own paper. In partners, ask students to complete the organization chart. Remind students that they are only making notes about each of the subject areas and not complete sentences. Explain to the students that they will be using this chart to complete a Venn diagram showing similarities and differences between the 1920's/30's and today. (The students will need at least 20 to 30 minutes to complete this chart)
4. Discuss the information the students collected on their comparison chart (item 4 ). Have each student draw a Venn Diagram (Draw an example of two circles on the board) and explain that they are to complete the diagram using the information found on their organization chart (item 4). Allow ample time for the students to complete this assignment.
5. Disccuss with the class information gleaned from both the organization chart and the Venn Diagram.
1. Direct the students back to the essential questions written on the board. Have a student re-read each question and explain that the students are to write a paragraph answering both questions. Students are to utilize specific examples from their chart and Venn Diagram within their paragraphs. Remind the students of the rules they have learned about writing paragraphs previously. Allow the students to take this home and complete for homework.
2. Use a rubric to assign a grade to each student's paper. A sample one may be located at www.doe.k12.ga.us/curriculum/testing/writing.asp.
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The Depression_Further Changes Item2_SI2 Doig
Course of Study LaGrange Public Schools Item1_SI2
Comparing the 1920_1930 to School Today Item4_SI2
1932 First Grade Class Dawson Street School_SI2 Do