Broken+World+Part+III+The+Great+Depression

Objectives:

 * The student understands the causes and global consequences of the Great Depression.
 * Analyze the financial, economic, and social causes of the Depression and why it spread to most parts of the world.
 * Assess the human costs of the Depression, and compare its impact on economy and society in different countries and economic regions of the world.
 * Analyze ways in which the Depression affected colonial peoples of Africa and Asia and how it contributed to the growth of nationalist movements.
 * Analyze how the Depression contributed to the growth of socialist and communist movements and how it affected capitalist economic theory and practice in leading industrial powers in Western countries.
 * Describe how governments, businesses, social groups, families, and individuals endeavored to cope with the hardships of world depression.



Analyzing the Great Depression
In teams, you will be asked to examine one of the following questions based on last night's reading: 1. What caused the Great Depression? Why was it a global problem? AGD1B AGD1D 2. How did governments respond to the problem? AGD2B AGD2D 3. What impact did it have on societies all over the world? AGD3B AGD3D 4. Why did it last so long? AGD4B AGD4D 5. What did we learn from it? AGD5B AGD5D

We are counting on you to compose thorough answers to these questions that we can upload to the wiki at the end of this activity for students to study from as we move towards our Broken World Quest at the end of this unit, so please supplement your analysis with excellent, specific examples from your reading.

Visualizing the Great Depression
While the Great Depression had serious impacts all over the world, it hit the U.S. especially hard for various reasons. It exposed the lack of a social safety net that could pick people economically back up after such a sudden, sharp fall. It also coincided with other trends that were going on within society that caused loss and displacement for millions: the Dust Bowl in the Great Plains states, the Great Migration of blacks all over the U.S., and overpopulation in boom cities and towns. People became inundated with images like the one in this photo essay, which made the problem even worse because no one had confidence to reinvest in the economy for years. When you take a look at the following photo essay, come up with an overarching thesis for it, and be ready to share your thesis and impressions with the rest of us.

[|Great Depression Photo Essay]

Another Great Depression...Today?
We have never heard more references to the Great Depression than today. Many are calling the current economic crisis, the Great Recession, because we learned so much about the Great Depression that we can hopefully keep the most terrible aspects of it from happening again, but not enough to correct the problem very quickly. This is a tricky topic to explain, so let's leave it to our friends at //South Park// to help us here. How did this happen anyway?

[|South Park Explains the Current Economic Crisis]

[|Global Downturn in Graphics] Okay, so how did it really happen? Check out the graphic at the bottom of the link above and get to the bottom of how this happened. It's important that you take note of the main ideas being presented in this short overview because you will need to address them in a moment.

As many of you hopefully know, the G20 summit just happened in London last week, and many people proposed ideas on how to solve this mess. Many of these ideas stem from initiatives tried during the Great Depression. Taking what you know from the Great Depression and the current economic crisis, you must make a policy proposal to the G20 summit where you make recommendations about what to do and why it will get the global economy back on track. Your policy must pass the approval of the G20 heads of state: Mr. Spivey and Mr. Brightman. Sell your policies to us pronto!

Top 5 Proposals B
 * G20 Proposal B Jenny Claire Soojin Sharon || G20 Proposal D Allison Minhee Shawn Hyun ||
 * G20 Proposal B Jennifer Stella Joodi || G20 Proposal D Ashley Jenny DK Sangwoo ||
 * G20 Proposal B YoungQ Brian M. David Brian || G20 Proposal D Jorma Terry Winston Patrick ||
 * G20 Proposal B Andy Dennis Ryan Ho Joon || G20 Proposal D Rachel Staci Rachel ||
 * G20 Proposal B Jiheon Sujin Lisa Jenny || G20 Proposal D Jeemin Lisa Soyon Janet ||

Top 5 Proposals D

[|What will the U.S. do about it?] If you would like to read more about the real policy proposal submitted by one of President Obama's Head of White House Economic Advisers, Ms. Christina Romer, click on the link above and see what policies she submitted to the President and have started being put into effect. What do you think of her plan?

Broken World Part IV: Arts and Letters link for more details.
 * Homework:** Broken World Captivation Station. Refer to p. 421-426 in //MWH// to begin your research for this assignment. Due next class. See the