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Life During the Great Depression
An Oral History Project
Overview
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The Great Depression affected all Americans and most of the world in some significant way. Use this activity to prepare for upcoming guest expert Errol Lincoln Uys, author of Riding the Rails: Teenagers on the Move During the Great Depression. Have students create their own primary source material on life during this era by conducting interviews of Great Depression survivors.
Objectives
- To distinguish between primary and secondary sources
- To understand how a historic event affected family, friends, and/or neighbors
- To accurately compile data obtained in an interview
- To heighten understanding of the Depression era by analyzing and presenting the information to the class
Time Frame
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3-4 class periods leading up to (or following) Errol Uys's session
Grade Level
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Secondary
Resources
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Students can use the following online resources to prepare for this assignment.
- The Decade That Roared
[http://www.beyondbooks.com/ush11/11.asp]
Gilded Age to the Depression, Unit 11 - Old Values vs. New Values
[http://www.beyondbooks.com/ush11/12.asp]
Gilded Age to the Depression, Unit 12 - The Great Depression
[http://www.beyondbooks.com/ush12/1.asp]
Depression to New Millennium, Unit 1 - The New Deal
[http://www.beyondbooks.com/ush12/2.asp]
Depression to New Millennium, Unit 2 - Truth or Dare: Taming the American West
[http://www.beyondbooks.com/lam12/3.asp]
American Literary Voices: Part 2, Unit 3 - Steinbeck and the Social Conscience
[http://www.beyondbooks.com/lam12/3b.asp]
American Literary Voices: Part 2, Unit 3b - Grapes of Wrath
[http://www.beyondbooks.com/lam12/3c.asp]
American Literary Voices: Part 2, Unit 3c - Of Mice and Men
[http://www.beyondbooks.com/lam12/3d.asp]
American Literary Voices: Part 2, Unit 3dOther Online Resources
- Errol Lincoln Uys homepage
[http://www.erroluys.com] - Uys's Information about Riding the Rails
[http://www.erroluys.com/RidingtheRails.htm] - Letters and narratives from former boxcar kids and teen hobos
[http://www.erroluys.com/BerkeleyHackett.htm]
- Errol Lincoln Uys homepage
Beyond Books Resources
Teacher Activity Directions
Handouts
Assessment
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Teachers can use the interviews, transcripts, conclusions, and presentations to assess student learning.
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