The Great Depression Webquest

Name: ______Date: ______The Great Depression WebQuest

Rationale: In this unit, you will be reading novels that deal with American life in the 1930s. To build your background knowledge about this time period, you will complete this webquest.

Task: This project is divided into two parts—a researching component and a writing component. First, you will research the responses to questions about life during this time period. Second, you will write a letter to President Roosevelt from the perspective of an individual living during the 1930s. You will (1) advise President Roosevelt of the difficult living conditions you are experiencing, (2) report to him the impact, if any, that the New Deal has had upon you, and (3) propose one additional action that the government should take to improve your situation.

Pacing Guide: Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five Complete first Unit introduction Continue research Conclude research Revise first draft draft Peer-edit first Begin research Prewrite Publish final draft draft Submit all Begin first draft materials

Rubric: 3 2 1 The student made the most The student did not work of his/her class time and The student worked diligently Time and diligently OR project materials worked diligently to complete most of the time. All project are smudged, ripped, folded, Effort the project. All project materials are neat. etc. materials are neat. Responses to all questions are Responses to most questions Responses to questions are Research thoughtful and research- are thoughtful and research- not research-based. based. based. The student may have devoted The student completed the insufficient attention to one The student devoted entire writing process. During Writing stage of the writing process or insufficient attention to two peer editing, (s)he gave may not have given thoughtful or more stages of the writing Process thoughtful feedback to feedback to his/her peer- process. his/her partner. editing partner. The letter is five paragraphs The letter does not address in length, comprising an The letter is not organized Final Draft one or more of the required introduction, three body appropriately OR the letter Content and topics OR it fails to fully paragraphs addressing the fails to fully develop one of the develop two or more of the Organization required topics and a closing required topics. required topics. paragraph. The letter contains no more The letter contains no more Final Draft The letter contains four or than one spelling error and no than three spelling errors and Grammar and more spelling errors and six or more than two mechanical no more than five mechanical more mechanical errors. Mechanics errors. errors.

14 points = A 12 points = B 11 points = C 10/15 or less = Not Yet

Instructor Comments:

1 Research Component

Directions: Use the websites bookmarked on your computer to respond to the following questions. Remember to be conscientious of the learners around you by using headphones if your website includes sounds, music, or videos.

1. In your own words, what was the Great Depression? Explain it in language a third- grader could understand. ______

2. What were some of the causes of the Great Depression? ______

3. How did the Great Depression affect farming and food production in the United States? ______

Continued on the next page

2 4. How did the Great Depression affect banks in the United States? ______

5. Compare and contrast Herbert Hoover’s and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s attitudes toward the Great Depression. ______

6. In your own words, what was the New Deal? Explain it in language a third-grader could understand. ______

3 Prewriting

Directions: Use this page to plan your first draft. Feel free to draw a mind map, to create an outline, or to implement your favorite prewriting technique.

4 First Draft

______5 ______

6 ______

7 Final Draft

Publish your final draft on lined composition paper. Follow all letter-writing conventions with which you are familiar.

When you sign your letter, please do so legibly. That way, if your project materials become separated, we will know that the letter belongs to you. 

When you are ready to submit your final draft, please paperclip it behind this packet and submit all materials together.