The Great Depression, Author(s): Patricia Nojaim and Dina Vashio, Grade Level: 8, Subject Area: Social Studies-Economics, - The teacher will launch (Launch-Link) the unit with a demonstration of the Domino Theory. Using the wooden tiles, each tile would represent the chain reaction of events at the beginning of the Great Depression. To hook (Launch-Hook), the students will set up the wooden tiles to form a visual chain representing events of the Great Depression. One student will push one tile which will initiate all to fall one at a time, casting a chain of events, emulating various episodes of the Great Depression.

Planning Guide

Creating Learner-Focused
Schools

* Madison-Oneida BOCES- This document may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the District Superintendent or his designee.

LU Title: The Great Depression	Author(s): Patricia Nojaim and Dina Vashio
Grade Level: 8	School Address: 1701 Noyes Street, Utica, NY 13502
Subject Area: Social Studies-Economics	School Phone/Fax: (315)792-2007

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative	Procedural
Students will identify the causes of the Great Depression, listing them in chronological order.	Using a computer, students will develop a time line indicating the events leading to the Great Depression.
Students will explain how scarcity requires people and nations to make choices concerning their very survival.	Students will demonstrate, using wooden tiles, the concept of the Domino Theory as it applies to overproduction.
Students will describe how overproduction of goods contributed to the Great Depression.	Student will plan a meal using alternative protein sources (scarce capital) as opposed to meat.
Students will explain how our society attempted to satisfy basic needs and wants by utilizing scarce capital, natural, and human resources.	Using the computer, students will research programs created by the government following the Great Depression, that continue to exit today--(e.g., FDIC Social Security, TVA, etc.).

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What were the primary causes of the Great Depression?
What are some examples of the choices people had to make to survive the Great Depression?
What is overproduction of goods and how does it impact the economy?
What are some of the government programs/agencies initiated during the Great Depression that continue today?

INITIATING ACTIVITY

The teacher will launch (Launch-Link) the unit with a demonstration of the Domino Theory. Using the wooden tiles, each tile would represent the chain reaction of events at the beginning of the Great Depression. To hook (Launch-Hook), the students will set up the wooden tiles to form a visual chain representing events of the Great Depression. One student will push one tile which will initiate all to fall one at a time, casting a chain of events, emulating various episodes of the Great Depression.

Connection to State Learning Standards

Content Area: N.Y.S. Social Studies Standard #4-ECOMONICS

Level: Intermediate, Grade 8

Benchmarks: Explain how societies and nations attempt to satisfy their basic needs and wants by utilizing scarce capital, natural, and human resources.

Benchmarks: Understand how scarcity requires people and nations to make choices which involve costs and future considerations.

Standard: Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resource, how major decision-making units function in the U.S. and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.

Standard:

Unit Theme:

The Great Depression

Benchmarks: Organize and classify economic information by distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information, placing ideas in chronological order, and selecting appropriate labels for data.

Benchmarks: Develop conclusions about economic issues and problems by creating broad statements which summarize finding and solutions. -Present economic information by using media and other appropriate visuals such as tables, charts, and graphs to communicate ideas and conclusions.

Learning Experiences

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should e in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

The students will identify the causes of the Great Depression, listing them in chronological order.

Students will explain how scarcity requires people and nations to make choice concerning their vary survival.

Students will describe how overproduction of goods contributed to the Great Depression.

Students will explain how our society attempted to satisfy basic needs and wants by utilizing scarce capital, natural, and human resources.

Students will draw their own conclusions as to how the Great Depression might have been avoided.

Students will and identify and understand the governmental programs and agencies initiated during the Great Depression and continue to exist today.

Oral Brainstorming and Group Discussion

Note-Taking

Graphic Organizers-Cause and Effect

Create a Time Line

visual Representation using a DOL Deduction Graphic Organizer

Plan a meal

Deduction and Reasoning Organizer-DOL

Oral Collaboration

Learning Chart

Conduct Interviews

View video: "Grapes of Wrath"

Comparison Chart of Governmental Programs and Agencies

Wooden Tile Demonstration

Brainstorming using the Three-Minute Pause Strategy

Teacher-directed deductive reasoning using teacher made questions

Note-Taking

Think-Pair-Share and Pairs-Check Collaboration Strategies adapted from DOL Learning Unit

Deductive Reasoning Methodologies

KWL Techniques

Interviewing Techniques

Form Completion (during video)

Writing Process and Oral Presentation Strategies

Review and Practice Rubric Expectation

Cooperative Learning Groups

Extending and Refining Knowledge

The teacher will demonstrate, using wooden tiles, the Domino Effect (see Initiating activity).

Through brainstorming, prior knowledge, and use of a textbook, the students will identify the causes of the Great Depression. These causes will be recorded individually on a 3" X 5" index cards. Students will then create a Time Line with this information.

Using a computer, [Website Yahoo-http://newdeal.feri.org/ (New Deal Network)] the students will research, identify and print governmental programs and agencies initiated during the Great Depression.

Using the research information regarding the governmental programs and agencies created during the Great Depression, the students will complete a Compare/Contrast Graphic Organizer (DOL). The students will identify/deduce which programs are still in existence today.

**The students will plan a meal using alternative protein sources (scarcity) as opposed to meat.

The students will compose an illustrated booklet pertaining to the Great Depression addressing the following concepts: How scarcity required people and nations to make choices concerning their very survival; How overproduction of goods contributed to the Great Depression; How and if the Great Depression could have been avoided; and What governmental programs and agencies were created during the Great Depression that still exist today?

Learning Experiences

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

The students will be in the process of acquiring and integrating the use of computers/technology skills, economic principles, English Language Arts in order to create an illustrated booklet of the Great Depression. This booklet will include research of governmental programs and agencies created after the Great Depression that still exist today.

The students will acquire and integrate Home Economics skills while planning a "depression" meal.

Using an overhead projector, the teacher will instruct students on developing a Time Line of the Great Depression.

The teacher will model appropriate interviewing techniques needed to complete the interview outlines.

The teacher will instruct students to use computers in creating illustrations and a well developed story of the Great Depression.

The teacher will instruct students to create a "depression" meal.

The teacher will demonstrate how to use compare/contrast DOL Graphic Organizer.

The students will create a Time Line on a half-piece of poster paper.

The students will interview people knowledgeable of the Great Depression, asking predetermined questions.

The students will create an illustrated booklet telling the story of the Great Depression, using the computer.

The students will plan a "depression" meal.

The students will create a chart of the governmental programs and agencies initiated during the Great Depression, and compare those still in existence. (Rubric Assessment)

Learning Experiences

Extending and Refining

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

The students will extend and refine their knowledge of:

-The primary causes of the Great Depression

-Examples of the choices people had to make to survive the Great Depression

-Overproduction of goods and how it impacted the economy

-Governmental programs and agencies initiated during the Great Depression that continue today

Comparing

Classifying
Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Error Analysis
Analyzing Perspectives
Constructing Support
Abstracting
Other:

See Procedural Knowledge above

Planning Guide

Unit:

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
*What knowledge* will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to...........**	What reasoning process will they be using?	Describe student's products and performances and the criteria for evaluation.
	[ ] Decision Making (selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decisions of others) [ ] Problem Solving (seeking to achieve a goal by overcoming constraints or limiting conditions) [ ] Invention (creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation) [ ] Experimental Inquiry (generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation) [ ] Investigation (resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something) [ ] Systems Analysis (analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact) [ ] Other:	Products/Performances
		Criteria for evaluation

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?

	Element #1	Element #2	Element #3	Element #4
Elements Scale	Includes much accurate and relevant supplementary information regarding primary causes of the Great Depression	Presents analysis which reflects understanding of complex terms and concepts (e.g., overproduction, scarcity, resource, Domino Theory, etc.)	Recognizes patterns and distinctions, draws conclusions, and evaluates relative importance.	Uses rules of English usage accurately
Weights	Weighted the same	Weighted the same	Weighted the same	Weighted the same
4	Proficient--Student shows proficiency meeting all Element #1 specifications	Proficient--Student shows proficiency meeting all Element #2 specifications	Proficient--Student shows proficiency meeting all Element #3 specifications	Proficient--Student shows proficiency meeting all Element #4 specifications
3	Competent Response-Student shows competency meeting all Element #1	Competent Response-Student shows competency meeting all Element #2	Competent Response-Students shows competency meeting all Element #3	Competent Response-Students shows competency meeting all Element #4
2	Incomplete/Confused Response-Student is deficient in meeting the majority of Element #1	Incomplete/Confused Response-Student is deficient in meeting the majority of Element #2	Incomplete/Confused Response-Student is deficient in meeting the majority of Element #3	Incomplete/Confused Response-Student is deficient in meeting the majority of Element #4
1	Uses no accurate or relevant information-is totally unrelated to topic of Element #1	Uses no accurate or relevant information-is totally unrelated to topic of Element #2	Uses no accurate or relevant information-is totally unrelated to topic of Element #3	Uses no accurate or relevant information-is totally unrelated to topic of Element #4

NOTE: Rubric or other performance assessment instruments may be used.

Have You Considered These Yet?

Learn to Learn Skills:

The students may need additional practice in refining the writing process through the use of mini-lessons. This will be accomplished by the teacher demonstrating how to organize their research in a well-defined, logical manner, incorporating the chronological order of events. Graphic organizers (e.g., DOL Sequence Chain) will also be used to assist students in creating an accurate Time Line.

Assessment Modifications:

Rubrics in this unit were modified by unit authors. The Rubric will be used for assessment only in those areas noted. All other assessments will be teacher observations and/or teacher-made tests.

Unit Schedule/Time Plan:

Approximately 4 weeks

Written Overview:

This unit was designed to increase students' knowledge of economics, as well as their understanding of real-life skills in applying that knowledge.

This unit will aid students in achieving higher levels of understanding in the field of economics and other curriculum areas, and assist them in making informed economic decisions in their personal life.