SENATE IMMERSION MODULE (SIM) The New Deal emkinstitute.org EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE SIM Curriculum: THE NEW DEAL p. 2 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Welcome to the Kennedy Institute ON THE COVER: Unemployed men queued 4 About this Curriculum outside a depression soup kitchen opened in 5 Background Overview Chicago by Al Capone. U.S. Information Agency. Series: Photographic 6 PRE-VISIT LESSON File of the Paris Bureau of the New York Times, 7 Pre-Visit Lesson Plan ca. 1900–ca. 1950 Pre-Visit Materials: 9 The New Deal Vocabulary 10 The Great Depression Timeline 12 New Deal Compare and Contrast Worksheet 13 Compare and Contrast Worksheet: Teacher Sample Primary Sources: 14 Highlights of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Inaugural Address March 4, 1933 15 Excerpts from “Republican Party Platform of 1936” 16 Excerpts from Huey Long’s “Every Man a King” Speech in a national radio address on February 23, 1934 17 Highlights of Frances Perkins Speech “The Roots of Social Security” Speech 1962 18 POST-VISIT LESSON 19 Post-Visit Lesson Plan Post-Visit Materials: 20 Considering My Vote Worksheet CONCLUDING MATERIALS 21 Standards Alignment 23 Additional Resources emkinstitute.org EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE SIM Curriculum: THE NEW DEAL p. 3 Welcome WELCOME TO THE EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE We are delighted to welcome you to the The Edward M. Kennedy Institute Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The Kennedy Institute aims to teach students for the United States Senate about the role of the Senate in our representative is dedicated to educating the democracy, introducing important elements of the legislative process to young audiences and public about the important role encouraging participation in civic life. Our programs of the Senate in our government, serve the general public, students of all ages, teachers, scholars, senators, Senate staff, international visitors, encouraging participatory and others in public service. democracy, invigorating civil The materials in this curriculum are designed to discourse, and inspiring the next enhance the Institute’s immersive Senate Immersion generation of citizens and leaders Module (SIM). The SIM program is an educational, role-playing experience, developed to engage new to engage in the civic life of their generations of Americans. This program is conducted communities. in the Institute’s full-scale representation of the United States Senate Chamber. Running with up to 100 students at a time, participants take on the roles of senators to study issues, debate, negotiate, and vote on legislation. Digital projections, handheld tablets, and a life- size replica of the U.S. Senate Chamber enhance the immersive role-play. The resources in this curriculum help students and teachers prepare for the SIM program and discuss the experience afterwards. They can also be used independently as print outs in the classroom. The Institute encourages classroom preparation for the SIM, active play at the Institute, and debriefing at the end of the experience. emkinstitute.org EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE SIM Curriculum: THE NEW DEAL p. 4 About this Curriculum ABOUT THIS CURRICULUM The purpose of this learning module is to help students learn how a U.S. senator might address an SIM Learning Goals issue of public significance under consideration in Using this curriculum and the Kennedy Institute the United States Congress. Learning about personal, SIM, students will be able to: state, party, and national interests will help students understand representation more fully. It will also • Understand the basic tenets of representation: help them play their roles more effectively when balancing personal convictions with state, party, taking part in the Institute’s SIM. and national interests • Research and analyze issues of national The pre-visit lesson introduces students to the importance history of the New Deal legislation of the 1930s. The post-visit lesson acts as a debrief and reflection on the • Negotiate, persuade, and develop strategies to SIM experience. reach consensus • Take a stand on issues and proposed solutions emkinstitute.org EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE SIM Curriculum: THE NEW DEAL p. 5 Background Overview BACKGROUND OVERVIEW What Was the New Deal and Why Did the United States Need It? The New Deal was a series of programs enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933–1936 to address the economic crisis in the United States known as The Great Depression. The Great Depression started in 1929 with the crash of the stock market. In the 1930s, a severe drought intensified the economic downturn. Farmers from North Dakota to Texas, in an area that became known as the Dust Bowl, were forced to leave unproductive land and look for jobs. Unemployment reached record highs, climbing from 3.2 percent in 1929 to 19.4 percent in the 1930s. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt assumed office in 1933, he worked with Congress to create programs that would steady the economy, create jobs, and assist those living in poverty. Roosevelt’s efforts created a powerful New Deal Coalition that consisted of interest groups that supported New Deal programs and voted for Democratic presidential candidates from 1932 to the 1960s. The Coalition consisted of state party organizations, labor unions, city political groups (called political machines), as well as women, blue-collar workers, minorities, farmers, white Southerners, new immigrants, seniors, intellectuals, and liberals. Republicans had been blamed for their lack of response to the Great Depression, which caused many white Southerners to support the New Deal and for some Republications to either vote with the Democrats or switch to the Democratic party. Southern Democrats were critical members of the New Deal Coalition needed to pass the New Deal legislation in Congress, and some New Deal achievements were marred by discriminatory politics. The Social Security Act of 1935 and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 excluded agricultural and domestic workers from benefits, which effectively excluded many African American, Latino, and other minority workers. emkinstitute.org EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE SIM Curriculum: THE NEW DEAL p. 6 Pre-Visit Lesson PRE-VISIT LESSON: THE NEW DEAL Pre-Visit Lesson Introduction LESSON KEY VOCABULARY DURATION • See Vocabulary Worksheet on In this lesson, students will analyze a timeline of 50 minutes page 9 The Great Depression from 1929–1940 to understand the challenges that citizens faced and how the New Deal Coalition developed. They will compare President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s goals for the New Deal to the Republican Platform of 1936, which questioned many aspects of the New Deal effort. They will learn about key figures in the New Deal debate, including Southern Democrat Huey Long and Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins. Frances Perkins was the first woman in the United States to hold a cabinet-level position. Students will also reflect on their position, whether they support the New Deal, think it didn’t go far enough, or went too far in giving the federal government power over social and economic reform. Lesson Learning Objectives Essential Questions By the end of this lesson students will: • What circumstances caused the Great Depression? • Understand the economic and psychological toll that the Great Depression had on American • How did the Great Depression affect the quality citizens, and how New Deal programs brought of life for most Americans? together diverse members of society to form the • How did the New Deal work to rebuild the New Deal Coalition economy and lead to a realignment of voters • Identify the differences of opinion among from many different walks of life? Democrats and Republications regarding the constitutionality of the New Deal • Learn about the impact of key historical figures, Enduring Understandings including Huey Long and Frances Perkins • The New Deal programs have had lasting effects on American government and society. • Becoming aware of the New Deal legacy can help inform one’s positions on important issues facing the United States today. emkinstitute.org EDWARD M. KENNEDY INSTITUTE SIM Curriculum: THE NEW DEAL p. 7 Pre-Visit Lesson Pre-Visit Lesson Plan TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes TIME ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION 10 minutes Warm-Up Assign students the Timeline of the Great Depression 1929–1940 to read and the vocabulary worksheet. Assign these before the lesson. Have them write down their comments and questions. Materials: - Timeline of the Great Depression If possible, before the lesson, enlarge and copy the timeline and post 1929–1940 (p. 10) it horizontally in the classroom. Allow for writing space under the timeline. Introduce the topic of the New Deal, using the key vocabulary terms and images of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Ask students to describe to what extent they have heard of or understand the terms: The Great Depression, stock market crash, the Dust Bowl, the New Deal, and the New Deal Coalition. Display a list of groups that formed the New Deal Coalition, such as labor unions, women, blue-collar workers, minorities, farmers, white Southerners, new immigrants, seniors, intellectuals, poor people, and liberals. Activity: Walk students down the timeline and make notes under any programs and events that might appeal to specific interest groups, e.g., the National Labor Relations Act appealing to blue-collar workers. Have students also comment on programs they have heard of or know something about. Lead a discussion on the comments or questions students have about the timeline. Ask these questions: 1. What would life have been like during that time? Describe how this relates to FDR’s famous quote, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” 2. What appeal did certain programs have for particular interest groups? 3. What programs included some exclusionary racial policies? 15 minutes Compare/Contrast Have students work in pairs to read the two primary documents, Worksheet highlighting the main ideas, and then work together to fill out the New Deal Debate compare and contrast worksheet.