Great Depression JournalDuring the Great Depression unit, you will be keeping a

journal each class period. In your notebook, you will write a journal entry according to the writing prompt

given each day. It will be a new topic each class and you will create a character with a family, story and

personality to make it more original and creative. Mrs. Janiak will read the journals at the end of the unit to give a final grade on the journal so please do a good

job!Use facts to make your entries accurate (from the

textbook, PowerPoint and video information we discuss in class) and be creative!

At the end of the Depression unit, you will type up your written journal entries from the notebook and turn in as

a final project.

Depression Journal Write #1:

Oct. 30, 1929

• Directions: Write a journal entry as a stockbroker in New York explaining

your experiences. How are you affected by the crash? What is your reaction?

Will you be able to survive?

• BE CREATIVE!

Feeling the Pain of Loss

1. What feelings did you just experience?

2. What do you think some people must have felt when they learned that their life savings had been lost due to bank failures after the Crash of 1929?

Journal Entry #2

• March 2, 1930

• Directions: Imagine that the bank where your parents have a savings account suddenly closes. Their money is gone. Then your parents lose their jobs and cannot pay the rent on your house. One day you come home from school to find your furniture and all of your belongings on the sidewalk- you have been evicted.

Journal Write #3:• (Use the same character from journal write

#2)

• Your journal write should:– Question the safety of the banks– Question the government-> what is the

government going to do about this depression?– What is the government going to do for all the

unemployed and homeless people?

Extra Credit Journal Write

• July 1932-

• You are a WWI veteran that went to Washington D.C. hoping to get the $500 bonus for serving in WWI, known as the Patman Bill. You are part of the 10,000-20,000 people marching and waiting in D.C. Describe the atmosphere of the Bonus Army and what happens when the Patman Bill is voted against?

Journal Entry #4• Date: March 8, 1932• Directions: Describe how you and your

family have been dealing with the dust storms, why you think there are dust storms and whether your family will move away.

• (Don’t worry if you have to change characters from the previous entries. This journal may not necessarily follow one type of person or family as we are learning about various Americans during the 1930s)

Journal Journal Write # 5Write # 5• Your family is moving west to California

• Explain why you’re moving and leaving the farm

• Thoughts, feelings, concerns for the future and what California might be like

Journal Journal Write # 6Write # 6• March 9, 1932

• As the U.S. sinks further into the Depression, Roosevelt wins the presidential election in 1932. He begins a massive legislative effort to fight the nation’s economic problems.

-> Write about your hopes, needs and desires for help and changes from the new president.

Depression Journal #7• Year: 1935• Choose a group from the textbook to

be in this journal entry-– P. 504 women– P. 505 African Americans– P. 506 Mexican Americans– P. 507 Native Americans

• Describe the ways in which your family or yourself are helped or hurt by New Deal legislation.

JournalJournal Write # 8 Write # 8

• Take a stand and defend or critique FDR’s New Deal programs.

• Use your ‘supporters and critics of New Deal’ chart to help you.

Typing the Depression Journals-• Create a cover page with title (Great

Depression Journal), your name, period, class

• Type each entry (8 total), 1 entry per page

• Use 12 size font and a readable font style, double spaced

• You may choose to use different font styles per entry if you like

• Staple or bind together the pages