Depression Era Primary activity

Today we going to examine first hand the effects and people's reactions by looking at photographs, letters to FDR and wife, and looking at songs.

Your assignment is to immerse yourself in the depression era and start to understand what they were going through.

Pictures of the Depression
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/98/dime/photo.html

1. Choose a couple photographs and describe what is happening in them using the photograph analysis sheet.

Letters to FDR and Mrs. Roosevelt
2. Choose a couple of the letters from the children suffering through depression and answer the questions related to them.

http://newdeal.feri.org/eleanor/er3a.htm

What are they asking for?
How do they describe their home situation? Who is employed? Lost home etc…
List some details to help us understand the letter.
How does the White House respond back?


Songs of the Depression
http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/depress.html

3. Choose a song from the list it must be dated to 1932- 1938

You might have to print off the song due to the shortage of time.

For each song -- write down main idea and some details from the lyrics
to get a feel of the mood or what song is describing.

Finally pretend you are the person writing to FDR or Eleanor Roosevelt asking them for help you during the depression to alleviate your hardships. Describe your situation and what suggestions of what you want them to do to help you in your time of need.