In The Great Depression: Experience the 1930s From the Dust Bowl to the
New Deal, readers ages 12 to 15 investigate the causes, duration, and
outcome of the Great Depression, the period of time when more than 20
percent of Americans were unemployed. They discover how people coped,
what new inventions came about, and how the economics of the country
affected the arts, sciences, and politics of the times. The decade saw
the inauguration of many social programs that Americans still benefit
from today. The combination of President Roosevelt's New Deal and the
dawning of World War II gave enough economic stimulus to boost the
United States out of its slump and into a new era of recovery.
In The Great Depression, students explore what it meant to live during
this time. Projects such as designing a 1930s outfit and creating a
journal from the point of view of a kid whose family is on the road help
infuse the content with realism and practicality. In-depth
investigations of primary sources from the period allow readers to
engage in further, independent study of the times. Additional materials
include a glossary, a list of current reference works, and Internet
resources.