Teacher: Laura Deren
Course: U.S. History
Grade Level: 11
Date: March 13, 2012
Dates of Lesson: April 16-17, 2012
Lesson Title: The New Deal
I. Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to:
· Analyze the causes and effects for the implementation of the New Deal
· Identify and define New Deal programs
II. Lesson Context: This fits into overall unit plan because the New Deal is one of our major topics for the unit, and it will help the students answer the following two unit essential questions:
- How did the concept of checks and balances relate to the New Deal?
- What parts of the new deal legislation are still in effect today?
- What parts of the new deal legislation are still in effect today?
III. Standards:
NYS Standard 1.1 - describe the evolution of American democratic values and beliefs as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the New York State Constitution, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other important historical documents
NYS Standard 5.4 - explain how democratic principles have been used in resolving an issue or problem
Common Core – Writing Standard 10 – Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
IV. Materials: Students will need a writing prompt and a New Deal graphic organizer. Teacher will need a computer and projector and PowerPoint presentation.
V. Anticipatory Set/ The Hook: When students enter the room they will be provided with a written scenario similar to the life situations many Americans faced during the Great Depression. There will also be images from the Great Depression displayed via the projector to help students get into the correct mindset. They will then be asked to take 5 minutes and write a reflection as to how they would feel if they found themselves in this situation. (5 min)
VI. Procedures: After the students have finished their reflection the teacher will play one of FDR’s famous fireside chats and ask for their reactions. The teacher will ask questions such as do you trust FDR? Do you think he will be able to make things better for you? What emotions do you feel after listening to FDR and how do they compare to the way you felt after completing the reflection at the beginning of class? (5 min)
After this the teacher will debrief the activity and explain how people felt during the Great Depression and the success of FDR’s fireside chats. The teacher will then explain how the fireside chats were instrumental in explaining to the public the ways in which FDR planned to fix many of the nation’s problems. (1-2 min)
Students will then be told that for the next segment of class time they will be acting as FDR’s brain trust. They will work in groups to fix the different problems faced during the Great Depression. The class will view a PowerPoint presentation in which one slide will present some specific problems faced during the Great Depression which relate directly to New Deal legislation, they will then discuss in their groups a possible solution to this problem and what they think FDR should do. During this time the teacher will be checking in with each group and raising questions about their proposed solution to help further their critical thinking. After a couple of minutes of discussion each group will present their solution, and the group with the best solution (meaning the one closest to the actual New Deal program) will receive a point (the group with the most points at the end of the lesson will receive candy or some sort of prize). After listening to the group solutions the teacher will show the next slides within the PowerPoint presentation which give a brief overview of certain New Deal programs that relate to the problems that were addressed. During this time students will fill in their New Deal graphic organizer with the full name of the program and a brief description of the program. Students will repeat this process to learn about the following New Deal programs; Social Security Act, Federal Emergency Relief Act, Tennessee Valley Authority, Civilian Conservation Corps, Public Works Administration, Agricultural Adjustment Agency, Federal Deposits Insurance Corporation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. (1 hr.)
After learning about the different new deal programs the teacher will discuss some of the reactions to the New Deal, such as the fact that some parts of the new deal were considered to be unconstitutional, as well as ideas put forth by other people during the time period such as Huey Long and Father Caughlin (15 min)
VII. Conclusion: On a separate piece of paper students will be asked to state whether they agree or disagree with the New Deal legislation and to provide 3 – 5 reasons to support their decision. They will hand this in as a ticket out the door.
VIII: Assessment: To make sure the students understand the New Deal programs they will be given cut out pieces of paper that have New Deal agencies on some and actions or duties of the agency on the other. Working with a partner they will have to match the agency with the correct action. This will be a quick assessment after the students have finished their activity on the new deal programs.
IX. Differentiation: Grouping for the New Deal activity will be predetermined by the teacher to ensure that the most effective groups are being formed. The new deal activity is a take on the special education strategy of “heads together” which has been proven to be an effective teaching strategy since it allows for peer educating as well as multiple opportunities to respond.
X. Reflection: What changes did/ will you make for next time
