Roaring 20s, Great Depression

--Robert J. Stevens and Jared A. Fogel
Students compare and analyze two Great Depression-era photographs and a color poster by Ben Shahn and read his biography (all are handouts).

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 0.8 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/35/MLL35.pdf

--Jill M. Beccaris and Christine Woyshner
A variety of activities help students learn about the coal miners and steels workers (many of them new immigrants) during the Industrial Age. A handout is based on an oral interview, and provides a photo of child coal miners, 1911.

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 1.2 MB:   --> read more »

--Dan Schuchat
A radio drama project helps students learn about the 1920s and 30s as well as the important role that technology plays in our lives. Handouts include "Early Radio in the U.S." and "Bandwidth Problems ca. 1912: The Need for Federal Regulation."

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 1.0 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/23/MLL23.pdf

--Mary Mason Royal
In small groups, students read and analyze letters written by children to "Eleanor" during the Great Depression. Handouts include text of seven letters.

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 1.0 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/22/MLL22.pdf

--Rebecca C. Maher
North Carolina eighth grade students work on a project involving history, music, art, and interviews with elderly citizens. Includes handouts with primary sources and the story of Train Schedules, Standardization, and "The Day of Two Noons."

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 0.8 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/21/mll21.pdf

--Lindsey B. Downey
Third graders research the memorials in the cemetery in the town of Otterbein, Ohio, and write tributes in response.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/yl/2102/210225.pdf

--Angela Hines
Students in third and fourth grade use historical fiction and primary source materials to create their own classroom newspaper about a historical era.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/yl/2102/21024.pdf

--Brenda Betts
A brief survey of four major U.S. migrations of homeless children: the Cherokee Trail of Tears; the Underground Railroad; the Orphan Train Riders; and the One Thousand Children program (during the Holocaust). Includes brief accounts from four children.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/yl/1803/180309.pdf

--Gail McEachron
Children's literature helps elementary students "understand the human side of struggling during difficult economic times."

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/yl/1703/170315.pdf

--Michael J. Berson and Bárbara C. Cruz
The seventy-fifth anniversary of the Buck v. Bell case is an appropriate time for students to explore the ethical questions underlying eugenics principles, policies, and practices—from Nazi Germany’s sterilization laws to the Human Genome Project.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/6505/650507.html