Thematic Lists

Have you ever wondered what it was like to live during the Great Depression? Perhaps you think of the stock market crash of 1929, unemployed workers standing in breadlines, and dust storms swirling on the Great Plains. But the 1930s were also a time when neighbors helped neighbors, librarians delivered books on horseback, and an army of young men rebuilt the nation's forests, roads, and parks. The Great Depression for Kids provides a balanced and realistic picture of an era rife with suffering but also deep-rooted with hope and generosity. Beginning with a full chapter on the 1920s, the book provides important background knowledge to help set the stage for an in-depth look at the decline of the economy and attempts at recovery over the next decade. Twenty-one hands-on activities invite young history buffs to understand and experience this important era in American history. Kids can recreate Depression glassware; simulate a windstorm; learn how to research, buy, and sell stocks; design a paper block quilt; play "round ball"; and much more.

The incredible true story of how Americans from all walks of life weathered one of the most turbulent periods in our nation's history--the Great Depression--and emerged triumphant. Crash tells the story of the Great Depression, from the sweeping fallout of the market collapse to the more personal stories of those caught up in the aftermath. Packed with photographs, primary documents, and firsthand accounts, Crash shines a spotlight on pivotal moments and figures across ethnic, gender, racial, social, and geographic divides, reflecting many different experiences of one of the most turbulent decades in American history. Marc Favreau's meticulous research, vivid prose, and extensive back matter paints a thorough picture of how the country we live in today was built in response to the widespread poverty, insecurity, and fear of the 1930s.

It's the Spring of 1933 in Washington D.C., and the Great Depression is hitting young Muriel's family hard. Her father has lost his job and her family barely has enough food most days-- let alone for a Passover Seder. They don't even have any wine to leave out for the prophet Elijah's ceremonial cup. With no feast to rush home to, Muriel wanders by the Lincoln Memorial, where she encounters a mysterious magician in whose hands juggled eggs become lit candles. After she makes a kind gesture, he encourages her to run home for her Seder, and when she does, she encounters a holiday miracle- a bountiful feast of brisket, soup, and matzah, enough for their whole community to share. But who was this mysterious benefactor? When Muriel sees Elijah's cup is empty, she has a good idea.

During the Great Depression, food, education, and opportunities were scarce. Kentucky had fallen behind its neighboring states in electricity and highways, and the folks who lived in the craggy, mountainous, Appalachia region were struggling to survive. But courageous librarians were up to the challenge! Edith, a young Pack Horse Librarian, and her faithful horse Dan, adventure through rough terrain and a pending storm in order to deliver books to kids who desperately need them in this richly illustrated tale. Edith, like all Pack Horse Librarians, heroically risked their own safety to serve the most vulnerable members of their community. Librarians like Edith helped an entire generation learn to read and gain lifesaving knowledge in a critical time in history.

In an exquisitely curated volume of 140 full-color and black-and-white photographs, Martin W. Sandler unpacks the United States Farm Security Administration's sweeping visual record of the Great Depression. In 1935, with the nation bent under unprecedented unemployment and economic hardship, the FSA sent ten photographers, including Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, and Gordon Parks, on the road trip of a lifetime. The images they logged revealed the daily lives of Southern sharecroppers, Dust Bowl farmers in the Midwest, Western migrant workers, and families scraping by in Northeast cities. Using their cameras as weapons against poverty and racism--and in service of hope, courage, and human dignity--these talented photographers created not only a collective work of art, but a national treasure. Grouped into four geographical regions and locked in focus by rich historical commentary, these images--many now iconic--are history at its most powerful and immediate. Extensive back matter includes photographer profiles and a bibliography.

With a mind for ingenuity, Henry Ford looked to improve life for others. After the Great Depression struck, Ford especially wanted to support ailing farmers. For two years, Ford and his team researched ways to use farmers' crops in his Ford Motor Company. They discovered that the soybean was the perfect answer. Soon, Ford's cars contained many soybean plastic parts, and Ford incorporated soybeans into every part of his life. He ate soybeans, he wore clothes made of soybean fabric, and he wanted to drive soybeans, too. This nonfiction picture book brings to life an amazing story from American history that will inspire young readers.

During the Great Depression six-year-old Marvel, her seven siblings, and their mother find a tar-paper shack in the woods and, over the course of a year, turn it into a home. Based on the author's grandmother's childhood; includes historical notes

Some days, ten-year-old Margaríta Sandoval feels as if the wind might blow her away. The country has been gripped by the Great Depression, so times are hard everywhere. Then she has to leave her família in New Mexico -- especially her beloved Abuelita -- to move to Fort Steele, Wyoming, where her father has taken a job on the railroad. When Margaríta meets Evangeline, she's excited to have a friend her own age in Wyoming. But it often seems like Evangeline, and everyone else in town, doesn't understand or appreciate the Sandovals' Hispanic heritage. At the same time, the Sandovals discover they might lose Abuelita's land and their ancestral home unless they can pay off her tax bill. Can Margaríta keep her friend, help her family in New Mexico, and find a place in Fort Steele for good?

It's 1932, and twelve-year-old Cal Black and his Pop have been riding the rails for years after losing their farm in the Great Depression. Cal likes being a "knight of the road" with Pop, even if they're broke. But then Pop has to go to Washington, DC--some of his fellow veterans are marching for their government checks, and Pop wants to make sure he gets his due--and Cal can't go with him. So Pop tells Cal something he never knew before- Pop is actually a Creek Indian, which means Cal is too. And Pop has decided to send Cal to a government boarding school for Native Americans in Oklahoma called the Challagi School. At school, the other Creek boys quickly take Cal under their wings. Even in the harsh, miserable conditions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, he begins to learn about his people's history and heritage. He learns their language and customs. And most of all, he learns how to find strength in a group of friends who have nothing beyond each other.

Berlin, 1936. The Olympic finals of the eight-oared rowing race. Germany, Italy, USA. The American boat touches the finish line first, beating all odds and sending Hitler away in a silent rage. In the midst of the Great Depression, the nine rowers showed the world what true grit really meant. They were western, working-class boys who never expected to beat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did. At the center of the tale is Joe Rantz, whose personal struggle -- and ultimate triumph -- captures the spirit of his generation, the one that would prove in the coming years that the Nazis could not prevail over American determination and optimism

Brought up in a privileged family, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had every opportunity in front of him. As a young man, he found a path in politics and quickly began to move into the public eye. That ascent seemed impossible when he contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. But with a will of steel he fought the disease-and public perception of his disability-to become president of the United States of America. FDR used that same will to guide his country through a crippling depression and a horrendous world war. He understood Adolf Hitler, and what it would take to stop him, before almost any other world leader did. But to accomplish his greater goals, he made difficult choices that sometimes compromised the ideals of fairness and justice. FDR is one of America's most intriguing presidents, lionized by some and villainized by others. National Book Award finalist Albert Marrin explores the life of a fascinating, complex man, who was ultimately one of the greatest leaders our country has known.

On October 29, 1929, life in the United States took a turn for the worst. The stock market - the system that controls money in America - plunged to a record low. But this event was only the beginning of many bad years to come. By the early 1930s, one out of three people was not working. People lost their jobs, their houses, or both and ended up in shantytowns called "Hoovervilles" named for the president at the time of the crash. By 1933, many banks had gone under. Though the U.S. has seen other times of struggle, the Great Depression remains one of the hardest and most widespread tragedies in American history.

It's 1936, in Flint Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud's got a few things going for him: 1. He has his own suitcase full of special things. 2. He's the author of Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself. 3. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!! Bud's got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road to find this mystery man, nothing can stop him--not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even Herman E. Calloway himself.

"We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful" is the motto of Deza Malone's family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression has hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.

In 1931 Cameroon, young Kedi is upset to learn that children in her American teacher's village of New York are going hungry because of the Great Depression, and she asks her mother, neighbors, and even the headman for money to help. Includes historical notes.

Rachel, Cassie, and Joey live in the city with their Pop, until Pop's search for work lands the family on a run down farm. Dreamy Rachel loves to read, and doesn't know much about the country. Times are hard there, too--the school and library are closed.  When Pop gets work near Canada, he has to leave the children on the farm alone. For two months! But Rachel's the oldest, and she'll make sure they're all right. Somehow.

When 10-year-old Allie learns that her family will be moving from a two-family home to their very own house, she's hesitant until she finds out they will be living on a street with the magical name of Strawberry Hill. That changes everything! But strawberries aren't the only things Allie will have to look for in her new neighborhood. As Allie struggles to find a new "best friend" and adjust to all of the changes she faces, she takes readers on her journey to make Strawberry Hill feel like home.

The causes and results of the Dust Bowl and how the lessons learned are still used today.

This true story took place at the emergency farm-labor camp immortalized in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Ostracized as "dumb Okies," the children of Dust Bowl migrant laborers went without school -- until Superintendent Leo Hart and 50 Okie kids built their own school in a nearby field.

In the 1930s huge dust storms swept through the Great Plains. Farmers lost their crops. Businesses closed. Hundreds of people moved West for the chance of a fresh start. Hear the words they spoke. Read the words they read. And see the differing points of view about the Dust Bowl through the eyes of the people who lived it.

Presents a chronological exploration of the people and events that have shaped societies through time--from Mesopotamia to Mao, the Incas to Iraq, and the Spartans to the space shuttle.
Includes a section entitled "Great Depression: a dollar bill illustrates the economic collapse in 1930s USA"

It is the winter of 1929, and cousins Hildamar and Santiago have just moved to enormous, chilly New York from their native Puerto Rico. As Three Kings' Day approaches, Hildamar and Santiago mourn the loss of their sunny home and wonder about their future in their adopted city. But when a storyteller and librarian named Pura Belpre arrives in their classroom, the children begin to understand just what a library can mean to a community. In this fitting tribute to a remarkable woman, Lucia Gonzalez and Lulu Delacre have captured the truly astounding effect that Belpre had on the city of New York.

Joey's life is quickly changing. His 2 A.M. milk route is getting shorter and shorter as people leave town to find work elsewhere. And his pa has fewer windows to wash after being given the choice between a new job for less pay and no job at all. Joey's immigrant family is suffering--as are many others. Joey's girlfriend Kate's father, a journalist, has been fired for wanting to publish an article on the bank failures and business closings that are rapidly spreading throughout their part of Massachusetts. When veterans of World War I plan a protest march on Washington, D.C., to gain the bonuses promised them for their service in the war, Joey and his father join the marchers. Once in the nation's capital, they, like thousands of others from across the country, set up a makeshift tent in one of the "Hoovervilles." But their hopes are shattered as the president calls in federal troops with rifles, tear-gas, and flaming torches. Stricken with fear, Joey runs away, and ends up riding the railroads with a group of homeless young people. Skillfully blending historical fact and fast-paced fiction, Milton Meltzer brings alive a period when families desperately tried to cope as hopelessness gripped the nation.

After the Civil War, the South went through a period of rebuilding, termed Reconstruction, but because many white people in the South were not ready to accept African Americans as equals, unfair laws were passed which restricted the rights of blacks. These Black Codes and Jim Crow laws left African Americans adrift in a segregated world. Life was better in the North in many ways for African Americans. The 1920s brought jobs and money--until The Great Depression hit. The Depression left many homeless and jobless. Many blacks left the cities seeking jobs wherever they could find them. Despite the hard times that followed, living in the North continued to bring a renewed sense of freedom to many African Americans.

Explains what caused the Great Depression and how presidents Hoover and Roosevelt dealt with the situation, discusses the social conditions of the United States at this time, and presents the key people involved with rebuilding America.

Life was hard for children during the Great Depression: kids had to do without new clothes, shoes, or toys, and many couldn't attend school because they had to work. Even so, life still had its bright spots. Take a closer look at the lives of young Americans during this era

The 1930s in America will always be remembered for twin disasters-the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Michael L. Cooper takes readers through this tumultuous period, beginning with the 1929 stock market crash that ushered in the Great Depression and continuing with the severe drought in the Midwest, known as the Dust Bowl. He chronicles the everyday struggle for survival by those who lost everything, as well as the mass exodus westward to California on fabled Route 66. The crisis also served as a turning point in American domestic policy, prompting the establishment of programs, such as welfare and Social Security, that revolutionized the role of the federal government. Vivid personal anecdotes from figures such as John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie, and an extensive selection of photographs by Dorothea Lange and others, illuminate the individuals who faced poverty, illness, and despair as they coped with this extraordinary challenge.

From woman's suffrage to Babe Ruth's home runs, from Louis Armstrong's jazz to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's four presidential terms, from the finale of one world war to the dramatic close of the second, War, Peace, and All That Jazz presents the story of some of the most exciting years in U.S.history. With the end of World War I, many Americans decided to live it up, going to movies, driving cars, and cheering baseball games a plenty. But alongside this post-WWI spree was high unemployment, hard times for farmers, ever-present racism, and, finally, the Depression, the worst economicdisaster in U.S. history, flip-flopping the nation from prosperity to scarcity. Along came one of our country's greatest leaders, F.D.R., who promised a New Deal, gave Americans hope, and then saw them through the horrors and victories of World War II. These three decades--full of optimism anddespair, progress and Depression, and, of course, War, Peace, and All That Jazz--forever changed the United States.

Discusses the causes and effects of the disastrous dust storms that hit the Great Plains in the 1930s, in particular Boise City, Oklahoma

Drawing on the tragedies and struggles that defined the Great Depression era, artists of all genres endeavored through their works to touch the millions of Americans whose lives were abruptly changed in the 1930s. These artists found a freshly American voice, expressing not only the sorrows but also the hopes and joys of a generation. Their works came to define what America was and what it would become.

The Samuels family is made of tough stuff. That's a good thing, because it's another trying year in the Dust Bowl. Weeks pass without rain, and it seems that all the plow stirs up is dust. But fortified with hope, love, determination, and ingenuity, eleven-year-old Rose and her family weather the toughest of times. And although Rose's older brother, Floyd, prefers drawing to farming, he comes through when he is needed most, in his own special way. Carefully and poignantly rendered, Rose's story will linger in the hearts and minds of young readers.

Through photographs, illustrations, and both factual and fictionalized anecdotes, shows what life was like in the United States during the Depression

In 1934, Kit Kittredge & her family feel the effects of the Great Depression when her father loses his job & her mother takes in boarders.

On a visit to Cincinnati from rural Kentucky during the Great Depression, Aunt Millie impresses Kit with her money-saving cleverness. Includes information on life in America during the Great Depression.

Focuses on the experiences of children during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, when prolonged drought, coupled with farming techniques, caused massive erosion from Texas to Canada's wheat fields

Describes the economic and environmental conditions that led to the Great Depression and the horrific dust storms that drove people from their homes westward during the 1930s

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico--she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.

Tramping is for people with nothing to lose and nowhere to call home. Twelve-year-old Frances Elizabeth Barrow thinks that describes her when she clips her hair and, disguised as a boy, "flips" a train west. Left a penniless orphan after her father's bankruptcy and subsequent suicide, Frances is sure that hoboing is better than being sent to live with an unfamiliar aunt in Chicago. On the drag, she meets Stewpot, a fifteen-year-old boy who teaches her the ropes -- everything from the jargon to the signs the hoboes leave for one another, to how to outwit the cops. She also learns that being "free" exacts a price and comes to appreciate her old life.

Eleven-year-old Margo Bandini has never been afraid of anything. Her life in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with Mama and Papa and her little brother, Charlie, has always felt secure. But it's 1933, and the Great Depression is changing things for families all across America. One day the impossible happens: Papa cannot make the payments for their house, and the Sheriff Sale sign goes up on their door. They have two weeks to pay the bank, or leave their home forever. Now Margo is afraid--but she's also determined to find a way to help Papa save their home.

What happens when Joey and his sister, Mary Alice--two city slickers from Chicago--make their annual summer visits to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town? August 1929: They see their first corpse, and he isn't resting easy. August 1930: The Cowgill boys terrorize the town, and Grandma fights back. August 1931: Joey and Mary Alice help Grandma trespass, poach, catch the sheriff in his underwear, and feed the hungry--all in one day. And there's more, as Joey and Mary Alice make seven summer trips to Grandma's--each one funnier than the year before--in self-contained chapters that readers can enjoy as short stories or take together for a rip-roaringly good novel.

During the Great Depression, a family seeking work finds employment for two weeks digging potatoes in Idaho.

Leah loves her pony. Together they ride through tall fields of corn and race across green pastures, chasing cattle under summer skies. But now the land is devastated by a terrible drought. Like many farmers, Leah's papa faces losing the family farm. Without corn to sell, he cannot repay his loan from the bank, which has put his farm and equipment up for auction. But when the auction day arrives, the crowd is surprised by the sight of Leah, who makes a bid for her father's tractor. She has raised the money by selling something very precious--her pony. Set in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, Elizabeth Friedrich's deeply felt story, vividly portrayed through Michael Garland's stunning oil paintings, tells of one child and what she would sacrifice for love of her family.

Focuses on 14 films, including films such as The Patriot, Glory, Dances with Wolves, The Grapes of Wrath, The Long Walk Home, American Graffiti, Matewan, Air Force, Hester Street, Shoulder Arms, and Amistad. Enhances students' exploration of U.S. history through the study of appropriate films. Provides bibliography, feature films index, introduction to historical films, glossary, and film analysis guide.
The section "The Great Depression" focuses on the film "The Grapes of Wrath"

Role-playing can teach life-long skills--and it's fun, too! Another in the Reader's Theatre series, this edition presents scenarios that teach students how to problem-solve with creativity. Each play includes a vocabulary guide and before-and-after reading activities. Grades 5-7
Includes a section entitled "Snapshots from the Great Depression"

Includes a section entitled "Why do we call it the "Great" Depression?"

Make U.S. history fun for students with this extensive collection of engaging activities. You'll find activity after activity arranged by U.S. themes and eras: Native Americans, American Colonies, American Revolution, Historical Documents, Formation of a New Government, Westward Expansion, Civil War and Reconstruction, Industrialization, World War II, Great Depression, Nation Symbols. Use Find Someone Who to have students pair with many partners to answer questions about the Revolution. Use Think-Write-RoundRobin to have students share with teammates their writing about the dangers of the Pony Express. Play Showdown in teams to respond to questions about the Constitution. Move beyond the textbook and dive deep into U.S. history with these interactive activities, all based on engaging Kagan Structures. Loaded with reproducibles.

99 Jumpstarts for Kids' Social Studies Reports is divided into broad topical sections. Each topic is arranged in alphabetical order under its section. Topics include the Ancient World, Historic World Events, State and Local History, US History, Government and Citizenship, Sociology, Culture and Economics. The book includes the following sections in each Jumpstart: A cited quote about the topic, Related Jumpstarts, New Words, You are There, Topics to Consider, Books, Internet, For the Teacher, and a relevant activity. Each Jumpstart provides a helpful pathfinder that enables students to efficiently access information and learn new information literacy skills as they research topics of personal interest or gather information for school reports. Grades 3-8.
Includes a Jumpstart related to the Great Depression

Documentary about the Great Depression in Nebraska emphasizing the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration programs

Our daily bread (King Vidor 1934) is a depression-era drama in which a young couple leads a group of unemployed people in making a communal farm succeed. Includes a prologue to the movie by King Vidor. -- The fake newsreels "California Election News #1 and #2 (1934), were secretly produced by MGM as "dirty tricks" in the film industry's political war against Upton Sinclair. -- The River (Pare Lorentz 1937) dramatizes the stripping of the Mississippi River basin and the effort to restore this region. -- The Plow that broke the plains (Pare Lorentz 1936) focuses on the ecological and human tragedy of the Dust Bowl. -- Power and the Land (Rural Electrification Administration), elevates the photogenic Parkinson family to iconic figures of Americana. -- The New Frontier is a government documentary

This compilation chronicles the Great Depression. Rare footage covers people in hardship and Hollywood in its heyday

This 5 disc set focuses on a number of topics from the 1930s, including The Crash of 1929, The Civilian Conservation Corps, Hoover Dam, Surviving the Dust Bowl, and Seabiscuit

Explore economic history, theory, and practice through case studies and interviews with Nobel-prize winning and major economists. The series covering macro, micro, and international economics features Milton Friedman, Paul Samuelson, John Kenneth Galbraith, Alice Rivlin, and Ben Bernanke, among others. Major economic events, including the 2008 banking crisis and technology's influence on the economy, connect economic theory to the headlines. The full complement of material includes audio interviews and a coordinated Web site.
Includes a section entitled "The Great Depression and the Keynesian Revolution"

On October 29, 1929, the New York stock market crashed, heralding the onset of the Great Depression. By 1933, between 12 and 15 million workers were unemployed. What were conditions really like in the cities? What problems did the farmers face? How was the discontent of the nation manifested? Through the use of historical documents such as newspapers, photo-graphs, flyers, and posters, students will experience the fear, discouragement, futility, and anger of Americans as they attempted to survive the black days of the Depression. Students will also learn how Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal policies started to turn things around, and how these policies shifted power and control from big business to the federal government.

Introduce your students to the inspiring life and outstanding achievements of this remarkable woman who they may only know as the First Lady, wife of F.D.R. An intriguing array of hands-on documents chronicle her life’s activities — start with her schoolgirl essay and report card, read her magazine articles and letters, learn about her women’s rights and civil rights activism in the White House, her relationship with President Roosevelt, her trips abroad during WW II, her leadership at the U.N., and see what she carried in her wallet; everyone will be surprised.
Includes a broadsheet entitled "The Great Depression"