The effects of the Great Depression in North Carolina

This lesson is designed to give the students a better understanding of the personal effects of the Great Depression on the people of North Carolina. It also uses the student's creativity to help others understand these effects.

A lesson plan for grade 8 Social Studies and Theater Arts Education

By Yvonne Carroll

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Related pages

• The Craft Revival and economic change: In this lesson plan, originally published on the Craft Revival website, students will interpret photographs and artifacts as representations of western North Carolina’s economy at the turn of the century. They will also analyze historical census data and produce a visual web that will represent the changing nature of the economy of western North Carolina.
• Hickory Ridge Homestead: Visitors get insight into the lifestyle of early mountain settlers, how they lived, and what constituted a 'typical' mountain homestead at this eighteenth-century living history museum.
• Grooming in 1930s North Carolina: Using primary source materials, this lesson plan provides a glimpse into the lives of girls and women from the 1930s and will give students the opportunity to study what was considered attractive for the time, how the Depression affected grooming practices, and the universal concept of healthful living.

Related topics

• Learn more about Great Depression, North Carolina, arts, causes, effects, history, playwriting, social studies, and theater.

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Learning outcomes

The students should learn the effects of the Great Depression, on a personal level, on the lives of North Carolinians.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 weeks

Materials/resources

• Copies of The Spirit of The Roanoke, North Carolina the History of an American State or another NC eighth grade text book
• List of causes and effects of The Great Depression
• Access to the library

Technology resources

• one computer per group
• internet access

Pre-activities

The students should have already read pages 473-477 in North Carolina the History of an American State.

Activities

1. The teacher will read The Spirit of the Roanoke to the students with discussion of pages five and six. The book can be accessed on the internet at the Eastern North Carolina Digital Library.
2. Students will be split into groups and given a copy of The Spirit of the Roanoke (or the URL) to use as a template. Each group will be assigned an effect of The Great Depression.
3. The group must come up with an act or part of a play dealing with their assigned effect. Students may access the web site Federal Writer’s Project to gain voice or ideas for their characters. Here the students can read interviews of people who lived through the Great Depression. Students should be given ample classroom time for research and composition. Students will prepare a bibliography listing all sources used.
4. After teacher collects the project the teacher may assign the prologue, interludes and epilogue for extra credit or compose them themselves.

Assessment

Teacher will assess the acts for historical accuracy making sure students have included the effect assigned to their group.