51

Last updated

1 March 2025

This 1920s and Great Depression unit lesson plan covers US History during the “Roaring Twenties” and the 1930s. Days 1-12 consist of individual one-day lessons, Day 13 consists of a unit review, and Day 14 consists of a unit test. For the complete list of lessons and all topics/events covered, see the end of this description.

This unit is intended to be ready-to-use for any teacher regardless of their prior experience with the content. All student documents are pre-formatted for immediate classroom use, and all answer keys are provided. It is a very content-rich unit and could easily be extended beyond 14 days if a teacher chooses to do so.

Bundle Contains (in downloadable .zip files):

  • Daily Lesson Files (to be used during Days 1-12):
    • Each daily lesson .zip file includes a PowerPoint presentation, student guided notes, and a multiple-choice quiz. Keys are included.
    • Each lesson is ready-to-use with no prep required. All answer keys are included.
  • Review & Test Files (to be used during Days 13-14):
    • Unit Study Guide and Scavenger Hunt Review Activity for interactive student engagement.
    • Unit Test with 20 multiple-choice questions, many of which include documents or visuals.
    • Full Unit Question Bank containing 47 multiple-choice questions (for test customization).
    • All answer keys are included for easy and efficient grading.

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Topics Covered By Lesson Include:

  • Preventing Another War - 1920s Foreign Policy
    • Washington Naval Conference, arms control/disarmament, German hyperinflation crisis, the Dawes Plan, the Kellogg-Briand Pact, the Young Plan, impact of U.S. efforts to prevent war in the 1920s
  • Post-WW1 Demobilization & the Lost Generation
    • Demobilization and its economic impacts, unemployment, groups affected, farm overproduction, “The Lost Generation”, key Lost Generation writers (Stein, Fitzgerald, Hemingway)
  • The First Red Scare & Post-WW1 Nativism
    • The First Red Scare (definition, causes, impact on civil liberties), the Palmer Raids, Red Summer, post-WW1 nativism, the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan, the Sacco and Vanzetti trial
  • The Roaring Twenties Economy
    • “The Roaring Twenties”, Henry Ford, mass production, urbanization, the “Race into the Sky”, new forms of entertainment (incl. radio and movies), rising 1920s consumerism, economic boom, the Roaring Twenties stock market
  • The Jazz Age - Social Change & Cultural Conflicts in the 1920s
    • Emergence of nationwide popular culture, mass media development, jazz music, flappers, major cultural conflicts in the 1920s, the John Scopes “monkey” trial, fundamentalism vs. modernism, Prohibition, speakeasies, organized crime
  • The Harlem Renaissance
    • Harlem Renaissance (definition and major causes), New Negro Movement, importance of Harlem in New York City, Black achievements in music, art, literature and theatre, prominent figures in the Harlem Renaissance, 1920s racism/racial violence (incl. Tulsa Race Riots and Rosewood Massacre, themes and impacts of the Harlem Renaissance
  • Major Causes of the Great Depression
    • The Great Depression – major causes, overproduction, income inequality, easy consumer credit, consumerism, unstable banking system, laissez-faire, lack of financial regulations, stock market speculation, over-speculation, buying stock “on margin”, the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929
  • Life During the Great Depression
    • The Great Stock Market Crash, impact on investors and on banks, bank runs and bank failures, rising unemployment, “Hoovervilles”, breadlines , the Dust Bowl, Dust Bowl migration
  • Rise of FDR & the New Deal
    • Republican presidents of the 1920s, laissez-faire economy, Herbert Hoover, “voluntary co-operation”, “rugged individualism”, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, “Hoovervilles”, the Bonus Army march, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s background and philosophies on the Great Depression, the 1932 Election, the New Deal, “First 100 Days”
  • FDR and the First New Deal
    • FDR’s initial approach to the Depression, “fireside chats”, the First New Deal, end of the banking crisis, temporary relief programs created during the First New Deal, permanent government agencies created during the First New Deal, goals and impacts of these programs and agencies
  • The Second New Deal & 1936 Election
    • Difference between the First New Deal and the Second New Deal, temporary programs of the 2nd New Deal, permanent reforms of the 2nd New Deal, lasting impacts and long-term challenges of these reforms, the 1936 Election, the New Deal Coalition, African American political realignment
  • New Deal Challenges and Legacy
    • Supreme Court rules against New Deal programs, Judicial Procedures Reform Bill, “Court-Packing”, the “Roosevelt Recession”, Keynesian economics, short-term impacts of the New Deal on the Great Depression, long-term impacts of the New Deal

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Slides/Pages: 529 total (441 slides, 88 pages)

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Why Teachers Love This Resource:

  • Huge savings — by purchasing this unit bundle, you save over 50% compared to buying each individual component. Comprehensive, No-Prep Unit—everything you need in terms of content for an entire unit of instruction.
  • Ready-to-use materials—perfect for any teacher, experienced or new.
  • Great for substitutes—all the materials are pre-formatted with answer keys provided.
  • Ideal for virtual classrooms—easily adaptable for online teaching platforms.

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51/Usage Statement:
This digital resource is my intellectual property, and all rights are reserved. Purchase of this product grants the buyer a single license for personal classroom use only. It may not be resold, distributed, or posted online in whole or in part without prior written permission.

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