(www.michigan.gov) This is a typical farm couple living during the Great Depression. What do you think they meant when they said "We made do?" The Great Depression was a time of change for many people living in the United States.  People in urban and rural areas were affected during this time in American history.

You are a ten year old child living in 1930.   The class should divide into four equal groups.  Each group will choose one U.S regional area. Tell what your daily life would be like. Describe your community: Where is it? What does it look like? What is the population and the occupations? Describe your family life: What is your home like? Who lives there? What do you eat? What are your family's daily schedules? Do you go to school? How do you learn?   Compare and contrast your life then and now.
 

Students who have similar roles may work together to compare ideas based on the factual information they have collected. 

Once students have understood their roles and investigated the background material necessary to make informed decisions, then it is time for them to come together as a group and to discuss the issue(s). Group work should result in a consensus document or presentation.

Give students directions on this group work.

Provide options for how students may present their information to the group. Here are some ideas:

                  Flowcharts
                Multimedia Presentations
                Web Page
                Summary Tables
                Concept Maps
                Venn Diagrams
 
 

Identify for the students which resources they may use to complete their task(s). Other resources may include:
 

	Prices in 1930
	I Remember and/or ( Interview someone who lived during the Great Depression)
	Classroom Encyclopedias
	Books - Children of the Dust Bowl by: Jerry Stanley, Christmas with Ida Early by: Robert Burch, Treasures in the Dust, Song of the Trees by: Mildred Taylor, Ida Early Comes over the Mountain by: Robert Burch, The Dust Bowl

Students evaluation will be based on their ability to work within a group, to complete the Venn diagram, and to compose a short first person essay describing life during the Great Depression based on their research. Three rubrics will be provided to assess each student in these areas.  The three grades will be averaged into one grade for the entire project.

Rubric

At the completion of this project each student should have a better interpretation of a child's life during the Great Depression.  If a student wishes to explore this topic further they may attempt these activites.
 

	Create a grocery list of basic food needs.  Compare the prices of these foods with prices from the Great Depression.
	If you lost all of your money and your job, how would you earn money to help support your family?  Discuss this with your group and come to an agreement on the best possible ways to achieve this goal.
	Take a walk around your house and make a list of all of the unnecessary items for daily living.  List all of the items in your house that are necessary for survival.  Be prepared to share your ideas with your group.