Procedures

• This lesson can be adapted to suit the timing of class. The collection of videos can be jigsawed among student groups or viewed collectively over several classes.

  Students can complete the handout below as they view the videos in this lesson and take notes during class discussion.

  HANDOUT: Abundance, Wages, and the Great Depression

• GROUP 1

  Video Clip 1: Abundance of the 1920s (1:47)

  1. According to Professor Alexis McCrossen, what factors contributed to the U.S. holding 40% of the world's wealth at the beginning of the 1920s?

  Video Clip 2: Cost of Living in the 1900s (4:34)

  1. What is the Consumer Price Index?

  2. Explain the trend in the cost of living and inflation during the early 1900s.

  3. Describe the reason for the decline in the cost of some products including automobiles, refrigerators, radio sets, clothing, shoes, etc. during this time.

  Video Clip 3: Standard of Living in the 1920s (3:07)

  1. Explain the standard of living during the 1920s.

  2. According to Professor McCrossen, what percentage of people were living in poverty during this time?

  Video Clip 4: Distribution of Wealth in the 1920s (4:29)

  1. Describe the distribution of wealth among Americans during the 1920s.

  2. How does Professor McCrossen characterize the situation in the U.S. during this time?

• GROUP 2

  Video Clip 5: Income vs. Wants and Needs (3:26)

  1. Describe some of the strategies people use when their income does not meet their needs and wants as Professor McCrossen describes.

  2. What actions did Americans take to respond to their economic conditions between 1900-1930?

  3. How did the government respond?

  Video Clip 6: Managing Income in the 1920s (6:18)

  1. Describe some of the methods people used to stretch their dollars during the 1920s.

  2. In what ways did they attempt to increase their income?

  Video Clip 7: Credit in the 1920s (5:26)

  1. Explain the various credit options that were available to American consumers in the 1920s.

  Video Clip 8: The Great Depression: Crisis of Abundance (5:40)

  1. According to Professor Alexis McCrossen, why was the Great Depression a crisis of abundance?

  2. Explain how American agriculture and manufacturing were affected during this time.

• GROUP 3

  Video Clip 9: Stock Market Crash of 1929 (7:45)

  1. Explain the circumstances surrounding the stock market crash in 1929.

  2. How did this impact the financial sector?

  3. Describe the condition of the economy during this time.

  4. How were consumers affected?

  5. Describe the impact on the country.

  Video Clip 10: The New Deal (10:44)

  1. Describe the purpose of the legislation that was created in the New Deal as Professor Alexis McCrossen explains.

  2. Explain the government's approach to solving the problem of abundance in the economy during this time. What was the result?

  3. Explain the various measures the government took to increase income.

  4. How did the New Deal address the issue of expanding access to credit for Americans?

  Video Clip 11: Consumer Protection (2:28)

  1. Explain some of the measures the government took in the 1930s to protect consumers.

• As a class, have students share the information they learned from the videos using the accompanying questions to guide discussion.

• Culminating Activities

  Have students select one of the following activities to complete:

  • Classroom Museum Exhibit: Students can create or research and collect artifacts that reflect this time period to include in the exhibit along with a written explanation describing their significance.

  • Work with a partner or small group to write and perform a short skit that illustrates what your family is experiencing during this period.

  • Select a perspective from which you would like to create a journal entry or a newspaper article describing your experiences living in this time period.

  • Show examples of social media content you create to reflect this time period. You may want to create a short video, ad or call to action to demonstrate your experiences or ideas to affect change.