Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
A Webquest of the Great Depression in America
What was life like during the Great Depression?
By now you have learned some valuable things about the Great
Depression. The 1930's was a difficult time for many people in
America. Jobs were lost, homes were taken away, and children were
starving. Many people had to resort to selling apples and newspapers
on street corners. Parents who once had no trouble putting food on
the table, now had to stand in line at soup kitchens with their hungry
children. Hoovervilles sprang up all over the United States.
Horrible dust storms ravaged mid-western towns. Even though times
were tough, President Roosevelt encouraged people to not lose hope.
He promised that things would get better, and eventually they did.
You are about to set out on a journey to explore this time
period in history, and learn about what life was like during this
time. Pay careful attention to what you read, for it is very
important information! Good luck on your journey through the Great
Depression!
Click here to learn more about the Great Depression.
As you journey through the Great Depression, you will be divided into groups of four to complete several tasks. Each group member will be responsible for participating in and contributing to the various projects. Your group will be evaluated on teamwork and cooperation. Work hard and do your best to learn as much as you can about the Great Depression. When you finish, you should be an expert on this time period!
The following tasks await you:
1.
You will write a bio-poem of a person photographed during the Great
Depression.
2. Create a newsletter about the Great Depression.
3. Compare prices of various products from the 1930's to prices today.
4. Create a PowerPoint presentation of life in the Great Depression.
You have a lot of work ahead of you, so don't wait! Get started today!
You have many tasks to complete. Let's get started!
Great Depression Bio-Poem
Your group will view various photographs taken during the Great Depression. As your group views the pictures, pay careful attention to the people photographed and to their expressions. Your group should decide on a photograph that you like the best. You will write a bio-poem about the person in the photograph. Your poem should express that person's thoughts and feelings about life during that time period. Your group will need to print out your photograph. The completed bio-poem needs to be typed in either Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher. It should also be illustrated somehow with clip art or photographs expressing your bio-poem.
The following websites should help you with this project:
Photographs
of the Great Depression
Writing a
Bio-Poem
Bio-Poem
Tips
Great Depression Newsletter
To show your knowledge of the Great Depression, your group will create a newsletter about this time period. Your newsletter should reflect your knowledge about this time period. You may choose to discuss topics such as the New Deal, Hoovervilles, dust storms in the west, and rapid unemployment. You will use Microsoft Publisher to create this task. Below is a link to a sample newsletter that you may use as a template to get started. Watch your spelling and grammar, this will count!
Use the following links to help gather your information:
Children and the Great Depression
Americans
React to the Great Depression
Price Comparison
Prices of items today are very different than those of the 1930's. Prices in the 1930's would be considered low compared to today's standards, and yet many people were starving. In this activity, your group will research prices of certain items from the 1930's. You will then compare the prices of those items to the prices of the same items in today's society. You will then complete some questions about your research. You will access the Great Depression Price Comparison worksheet and will complete this as a group. When you click on the sheet, you will need to click Open. When it comes up, go to File and then Print. To find some of today's prices, you may have to visit a grocery store with a parent or family member. This will be turned in for a grade!
Use the following websites to gather your prices:
Mooresville Times Prices - 1932
NetGrocer - you may use this
page to look up today's prices. DO NOT put anything in
your cart to buy, only look up prices.
PowerPoint Presentation
You have now journeyed through the Great Depression and you certainly have learned some valuable information. As a final project, your group will create a PowerPoint presentation to show your knowledge of life during the Great Depression. Your presentation should include at least five slides. The following is required in your presentation:
-
Title Page with your group members' names and graphics
-
Four slides describing life during the Great Depression. You may want to include things about the New Deal, the Dust Bowl, Stock Market Crash, Hoovervilles, Soup kitchens, etc.
-
Each slide must contain clip art and/or graphics. You should also have a background on your presentation.
-
Proper spelling and grammar is required.
Use all of your knowledge about life during the Great Depression and do your best work! This is your final project, so I am expecting great work!
Use these websites if you still need a little more research:
Memories of the Great Depression
The Great Depression in the United States
Click on the Evaluation page to see how you will be graded on each activity!
The following resources were used in the creation of this web:
United States in Modern Times. Harcourt Brace Social Studies, 2000.
Clip Art was obtained from the following sites:
Awesome Clip Art for Educators
Microsoft Clip Art Gallery
Congratulations! You have now successfully reached the end of your journey through the Great Depression. Certainly you have learned some interesting facts throughout your exploration of the 1930's. Hopefully you will not forget the hard times our country has endured. We are lucky that our country has learned from the Great Depression and that we will probably never experience another one. Don't forget the history you have learned throughout this journey!
The following rubrics outline how you will be evaluated on the activities in this webquest. Your group is responsible for completing the activities!
Great Depression Bio-Poem
|
Component |
Points Available |
| Bio-poem reflects extensive detail and insight into your character's life and feelings during this time period. | 30 |
| Bio-poem is well organized, shows creativity and effort, and follows the Bio-Poem format presented. | 30 |
| Bio-Poem includes graphics and clip art, is typed, and is free of spelling and grammatical errors | 30 |
| Bio-Poem reflects cooperation and teamwork within your group. | 10 |
Great Depression Newsletter
|
Component |
Points |
| Newsletter includes a catchy headline, has a title, and includes at least two stories related to the Great Depression. | 20 |
| Newsletter stories reflect your knowledge about the Great Depression and includes information relevant to the time period. | 40 |
| Newsletter includes clip art and graphics and looks professionally done | 10 |
| Newsletter is free from spelling and grammar errors and shows that your group has proofread the final copy. | 10 |
| Finished project reflects cooperation and teamwork within your group. | 20 |
Price Comparison Worksheet
This
worksheet will be turned in to the teacher for a grade. Each price
will count as 4 points. The questions at the bottom are 10 points a
piece and must be answered in complete sentences.
Breakdown of Score:
20 prices at 4 points a piece = 80 points
2 questions at 10 points a piece = 20 points
Total = 100 points
PowerPoint Presentation
|
Project Component |
Points Available |
| All material in presentation is in publishable form, free from spelling and grammatical errors |
5 |
| All information is well researched, well written, well organized, and in your own words. | 10 |
| Material presented in PowerPoint shows strong understanding of major ideas about the Great Depression | 25 |
| The presentation includes a minimum of five slides including a title page. | 15 |
| The presentation includes a variety of text fields, graphics, and includes a background. | 10 |
| Each slide includes text and graphics that communicate and compliment the information being shared. | 10 |
| The presentation is neat and appeals to the audience. | 5 |
| Your group used a different form to communicate to the group during your presentation other than just screen reading. | 10 |
| Your group worked together, maintained eye contact, and gave an interesting presentation to the class. | 10 |
|
Total Points |
