Curated OER
What Was Life Like During the 1920's?
What a wonderful way to begin an exploration of the Great Depression. Using this colorful and interesting presentation, teachers can give students an overview of the life in the 1920's and 1930's. The pictures, quotes and poetry used in...
Curated OER
Herbert Hoover and the Dust Bowl
Shanty towns made by Dust Bowl migrants were called Hoovervilles for a reason. Examine the policies Herbert Hoover put in place to help victims of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. You'll find he didn't do much and the result was...
Curated OER
Great Depression: Bank Runs and Economic Collapse
Eleventh graders list factors that helped cause the economic collapse during the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson plan, 11th graders view video clips, read, and research the Great Depression and identify bank runs and...
Curated OER
Worksheet: The Great Depression
In this Great Depression worksheet, students respond to 8 short answer questions about the migration during the era, Hoovervilles, and the impact of movies.
University of Washington
The Great Depression in Washington State: Hoovervilles and Homelessness
Information about the Hoovervilles in Seattle, Washington, and surrounding cities during the Great Depression. Find maps that show the locations of shack towns around the city, and follow hyperlinks that give a deeper look at...
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: A Photo Essay on the Great Depression
Series of annotated photographs that document the realities of Depression-era America.
![Federal Reserve Bank of Boston: Closed for the Holiday [Pdf] Article](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Federal Reserve Bank of Boston: Closed for the Holiday [Pdf] Article")
Other
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston: Closed for the Holiday [Pdf]
"Closed for the Holiday" is an excellent account of the consequential events of the Great Depression focusing on the Stock Market Crash of 1929 as the beginning of the Great Depression, and ending with the emergency bank actions Franklin...
Other
Austin Community College: The Crash & Early Depression
"The Crash and Early Depression" by historian L. Patrick Hughes looks at the reasons for the stock market crash of 1929, the political response, and the scope and severity of the Great Depression.
University of Washington
University of Washington: The Great Depression in Washington State
This comprehensive and well-organized resource walks students through the Great Depression using concise summaries, pictures, and many primary source documents.
University of Washington
University of Washington: Economics and Poverty
Each state felt the ramifications of the Great Depression in different ways. Learn how Washington dealt with the unemployed in their state and how the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped in...
Other
University of California: Hard Times
Lesson in which students analyze primary source photos and answer questions based on photos and informational text to learn about life during the Great Depression.
University of Virginia
Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Herbert Hoover
This resource contains a detailed biography on Herbert Hoover. From the left-hand toolbar, select information on his life before the presidency, campaigns and elections, domestic affairs, foreign affairs, and life after the presidency....
University of Washington
University of Washington in Seattle: The Great Depression in Washington State
This website provides a large collection of resources, many of them primary resources, for studying about the impact of the Great Depression on Washington State.
Digital Public Library of America
Dpla: America's Great Depression and Roosevelt's New Deal
Details on how the Great Depression affected the nation and how Roosevelt's New Deal created many relief and recovery programs to try to bring economic stability to the nation.
ibiblio
Ibiblio: Hoover Library: A Thousand Fronts
Provides a clear description of the problems Hoover faced as President during the Great Depression.
Digital History
Digital History: The Human Toll
The Great Depression took a terrible toll on individuals and families. Read about the massive unemployment, ways people tried to survive, and the subtle change in people's attitudes toward the role of government in helping its citizens.
University of Washington
University of Washington: Hoovervilles in Seattle: Map and Photos
Shack towns, known as Hoovervilles, housed the homeless during the Great Depression. Use the following pictures and map to visualize what these Hoovervilles looked like and where they were located throughout the state of Washington.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Hoover's Last Stand
The Great Depression was not the fault of Herbert Hoover, but see how he was unable or unwilling to take the steps to address it. Find out how the election of 1932 was the result of his misunderstanding of the economics of the time.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Great Depression
Looks at the impact of the Great Depression and how President Hoover tried to respond to the crisis.
A&E Television
History.com: Hoovervilles
Offers a concise overview of life during the Great Depression and the living conditions of Hoovervilles.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Freedom: A History of Us: Down and Out
Read about the response of Herbert Hoover to the suffering of those who were hurting during the Great Depression. From the PBS series, Freedom: A History of US, based on the books by Joy Hakim.
Library of Congress
Loc: Hoovervilles: Photographic Collage
A brief description of Hoovervilles with accompanying photos that show the different types of shelters throughout the United States.
Other
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: Strip District: Shantytown: Looking Southwest
Photo of a shantytown.
Other
Seattle Municipal Archives: Hoovervilles in Seattle
Read a brief acount of how the Great Depression affected Seattle, especially where the so-called Hoovervilles were located.