Social Studies - United States History II
Lesson Plans

U.S. II Strand 5: ECONOMIC BOOM, BUST, AND THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT

(Ca. 1920-1940)

Economic cycles of expansion and contraction have had a profound impact on the lives of Americans. There have been a number of economic crises throughout U.S. history, but the Great Depression and the New Deal have had the most significant impact on redefining the role of the government in economic and social policy. The arguments for and against intervention continue to reverberate to the current day.

Possible Guiding Questions to Consider:

• What were the post World War I economic conditions and policies that led to the economic boom of the 1920s?
• What are the pros and cons of government involvement during economic crises?
• How and why are segments of a population affected differently by periods of economic boom and bust?
• What was the impact of New Deal policies on the Great Depression?
• What is the relationship between economic factors and international conflicts?
• How did the Great Depression affect families?
• What role did the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl play in the extensive internal migration of this era?

U.S. II Standard 5.1:

Students will investigate how individual and institutional decisions made during the 1920s, such as over-production, buying on credit, poor banking policies, and stock market speculation helped lead to the boom of the 1920s and then the Great Depression.

• The Roaring Twenties Explained in 11 minutes
  The 1920s, known as the Roaring Twenties, was a time of many changes - sweeping economic, political, and social changes. There were many aspects to the economy of the 1920s that led to one of the most crucial causes of the Great Depression - the stock market crash of 1929.

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