Essential Question: How did economic booms and busts reshape American society between 1920 and 1940?
The first six lessons introduce scholars to the 1920s and the economic, cultural, and societal “booms” that transformed and modernized American society. In Lesson 1, scholars explore the Roaring Twenties and the emergence of and backlash to modernity across the United States, studying flappers, prohibition, fundamentalism, and economic instability. Lessons 2 through 4 introduce scholars to the Great Migration and the mass movement of African Americans from Jim Crow in the South to the booming economies of the North. Throughout these DBQ lessons, scholars will consider the extent to which the North actually provided new opportunities to African Americans during this era. In Lesson 5, scholars will explore one of the most salient and lasting impacts of the Great Migration: the spread of jazz music throughout the nation and its pervasive impact on American society. Scholars will further explore the transformational impact of the Great Migration through their examination of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement that redefined art and culture in the United States. By the end of these lessons, scholars will understand how American society transformed as a result of the economic “booms” of the 1920s and will be prepared to study how these booms came to a sudden halt during the Great Depression.
Lesson 1: The Roaring Twenties (Jigsaw)
- Central Question: How “roaring” were the 1920s?
Lessons 2–4: The Great Migration (DBQ Writing)
- Central Question: To what extent did Northern cities provide opportunities for African Americans during the Great Migration?
Lesson 5: The Jazz Age (Video Analysis)
- Central Question: Why were the 1920s called the “Jazz Age”?
Lesson 6: The Harlem Renaissance (Jigsaw)
- Central Question: How did the Harlem Renaissance transform American arts and culture?
In Lessons 7 and 8, scholars will understand the causes and consequences of the Great Depression. In Lesson 7, scholars will simulate a bank run to understand how and why the banks failed immediately after the stock market crash. Scholars will also consider how the economic excesses and instability of the 1920s helped lead to the crash. Lesson 8 introduces scholars to the harsh realities of the Great Depression for Americans across the country, introducing scholars to how the Great Depression and its hardships stopped the forward modern movement of the 1920s and forced Americans to focus on their survival instead. By the end of these lessons, scholars will understand how the economic “busts” of the Great Depression transformed American society and halted the progress of modernity and will be prepared to consider how the New Deal attempted to revive the nation.
Lesson 7: The Crash of 1929 (Simulation)
- Central Question: Why did the banks fail in 1929?
Lesson 8: The Great Depression (Jigsaw)
- Central Question: How did the Great Depression affect the quality of life for Americans across the country?
Lessons 9 through 12 introduce scholars to the New Deal and its lasting impact on American society. In Lessons 9 through 11, scholars consider the extent to which the New Deal and its many programs were a success at relieving the era’s hardships and bringing the nation out of depression. In Lesson 12, scholars will explore the lasting legacy of the New Deal, both on programs and infrastructure that still exist today, as well as on the role of government, more broadly. By the end of these lessons, scholars will understand how the New Deal transformed and modernized American society and government both during the Great Depression and through the present day and will be able to explain how the economic booms of the 1920s, the economic busts of the Great Depression, and the government efforts to end the busts reshaped American society.
Lessons 9–11: The New Deal (DBQ Writing)
- Central Question: To what extent was the New Deal a success?
Lesson 12: The Legacy of the New Deal (Gallery Walk)
- Central Question: How did the New Deal affect American society over time?