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United States History and Geography
The Crisis of Capitalism and Responses
SS0905
Ninth Grade: United States History and Geography
Unit 5: The Crisis of Capitalism and Responses
Duration 4 weeks from Jan 30 to Feb 24
Overarching Question:
How did domestic and international events affect the changing meaning of freedom and
equality?
Previous Unit:
Becoming a World
Power
This Unit:
The Crisis of Capitalism and
Responses
Next Unit:
World War II
Questions To Focus Assessment and Instruction:
1. How did post-war changes in society manifest themselves in cultural conflict?
2. How did the economic, political, and social/cultural choices in the early 1900s contribute to the
Great Depression?
3. How did the responses to the Great Depression both reflect and then shape the meaning of
freedom in the United States?
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January 4, 2009
United States History and Geography
The Crisis of Capitalism and Responses
Types of Thinking

Cause and Effect

Description

Compare and Contrast

Evidentiary Argument

Identifying perspectives

Issue Analysis
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Public Issues
 Government and Social Change: Contemporary public
policy issues related to the role government should play
in effecting social change.
 Balance of Power: Contemporary public policy issues
related to the distribution of power among central
government, state governments, and the people.
Unit Historical Overview
The interwar period in America (between World War I and World War II) was marked by a fundamental shift in culture,
economics, and politics. World War I provided opportunities for women and minorities that influenced post-war
America. Women achieved suffrage after proving themselves invaluable to the war effort and some began rejecting
the traditional ideas of womanhood and embracing new lifestyles. African Americans, who moved north for jobs in the
war industries, now sought to carve out their own cultural identity and changed the nation’s demography. As more
Americans now lived in urban areas than rural ones, cultural changes manifested into conflicts between proponents of
the traditional ways of life and the new “modern” spirit. These changes exposed conflicts that exploded onto the
national scene as witnessed through events such as the Scopes Trial, Prohibition, the Sacco and Vanzetti Trial, and
the revival of the Ku Klux Klan.
The postwar world also experienced a renewed business boom spurred by the mass consumption of consumer
products. The availability of easy credit allowed many businesses to over produce and many consumers to spend
beyond their means. Left relatively unchecked by a lassiez faire government, businesses grew dramatically and
Americans believed everyone could be rich. These economic attitudes and practices would eventually lead to the
crash of the stock market and the subsequent depression. As the United States experienced economic turmoil,
Americans debated the proper role of government in a capitalist democracy. Many Americans feared that the political
and economic systems in the United States might not be able to manage or withstand the crisis of the Great
Depression. The 1932 Presidential election of Franklin Roosevelt confirmed a call for increased government resulting
in New Deal reforms, some of which are still in effect today. Roosevelt’s administration would also bring into question
the extent of executive power and the changing definition of American rights and freedoms.
Unit Abstract
In this unit students use primary and secondary sources (including literature and statistics) to understand how this era
reshaped modern American capitalism and the role of government. They begin by examining cultural movements in
the United States with particular attention to the Harlem Renaissance and the “Lost Generation.” After analyzing
literary works to gain insight into the cultural movements emerging in the 1920s, students consider how these
developments represented post-World War One tensions and/or social changes in America. Students also explore
events from the 1920s such as the Scopes Trial, Second KKK, “new women,” Prohibition, and nativism. They analyze
historical arguments that attempt to explain these events in a broader context such as the impact of a shifting
demography from rural to urban America and the change from a traditional to a new culture. Next, students learn about
the rise of consumerism, examine the circular flow model, and explore economic indicators to compare the state of the
economy before and after the stock market crash of 1929. In doing so, students examine the causes of the Great
Depression (speculation, overproduction, uneven distribution of wealth) and compare it with a recent economic
problem. They then assess initial responses to the plight of Americans during the Hoover administration and examine
how Americans coped with the economic crisis. After analyzing the competing views of Herbert Hoover and Franklin
Roosevelt through excerpts from popular speeches, students explore a variety of New Deal programs and their impact
on American life. As students assess the shifting role of government in American society during the New Deal period,
they evaluate the New Deal in light of their own views of the role and purposes of government. They then explore the
growing opposition to the New Deal, evaluate the relationship among the branches of government, and consider
constitutional issues that faced the nation during the New Deal. To conclude the unit, students examine the legacy of
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United States History and Geography
The Crisis of Capitalism and Responses
SS0905
the New Deal. They read and discuss the historiography surrounding this topic, and consider how the responses to the
Great Depression reflected the changing meaning of freedom in the United States.
Content Expectations
USHG 7.1.1: The Twenties – Identify and explain the significance of the cultural changes and tensions in the “Roaring
Twenties” including
 cultural movements, such as the Harlem Renaissance and the “lost generation”
 the struggle between “traditional” and “modern” America (e.g., Scopes Trial, immigration
restrictions, Prohibition, role of women, mass consumption).
USHG 7.1.2: Causes and Consequences of the Great Depression – Explain and evaluate the multiple causes and
consequences of the Great Depression by analyzing
 the political, economic, environmental, and social causes of the Great Depression including fiscal
policy, overproduction, under consumption, speculation, the 1929 crash, and the Dust Bowl.
 the economic and social toll of the Great Depression, including unemployment and environmental
conditions that affected farmers, industrial workers, and families
 Hoover’s policies and their impact (e.g., Reconstruction Finance Corporation).
USHG 7.1.3: The New Deal – Explain and evaluate Roosevelt’s New Deal Policies including
 expanding federal government’s responsibilities to protect the environment (e.g., Dust Bowl and
the Tennessee Valley), meet challenges of unemployment, address the needs of the workers,
farmers, poor, and elderly
 opposition to the New Deal and the impact of the Supreme Court in striking down and then
accepting New Deal laws
 consequences of New Deal policies (e.g., promoting workers’ rights, development of Social
Security program, banking and financial regulation, conservation practices, crop subsidies). 1
C1.1.3:
Identify and explain competing arguments about the necessity and purposes of government (such as
to protect inalienable rights, promote the general welfare, resolve conflicts, promote equality, and
establish justice for all).
C2.1.4:
Explain challenges and modifications to American constitutional government as a result of significant
historical events such as the American Revolution, the Civil War, expansion of suffrage, the Great
Depression, and the civil rights movement.
C3.1.5:
Use case studies or examples to examine tensions between the three branches of government (e.g.,
powers of the purse and impeachment, advise and consent, veto power, and judicial review).
E2.1.2:
Circular Flow and the National Economy – Using the concept of circular flow, analyze the roles of and
the relationships between households, business firms, financial institutions, and government and nongovernment agencies in the economy of the United States.
E2.1.7:
Economic Indicators – Using a number of indicators, such as GDP, per capita GDP, unemployment
rates, and Consumer Price Index, analyze the characteristics of business cycles, including the
characteristics of peaks, recessions, and expansions.
1
This expectation has been modified to reflect proper grammar.
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United States History and Geography
The Crisis of Capitalism and Responses
Key Concepts
checks and balances
consumerism
depression
economic indicators
executive power
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fundamentalism
judicial review
limited government
nativism
social conflict
social welfare
Lesson Sequence
Lesson 1: Harlem Renaissance and the “Lost Generation”
Lesson 2: Conflict in the 1920s
Lesson 3: Causes of the Great Depression
Lesson 4: Initial Responses to the Great Depression
Lesson 5: Life During the Great Depression and the New Deal
Lesson 6: New Deal Programs
Lesson 7: FDR and the Courts
Lesson 8: Growing Opposition to the New Deal
Lesson 9: The New Deal’s Legacy
Assessment
Selected Response Items
Constructed Response Items
Performance Assessments
USHG 7.1.1
USHG 7.1.2
USHG 7.1.3
USHG 7.1.3
C1.1.3
C2.1.4
C3.1.5
USHG 7.1.2
E2.1.2
E2.1.7
Students design an electronic collage using moviemaker or PowerPoint
that identifies the four people, events, or things that best represent the
1920s and 1930s. For each item selected, students describe the item
and explain the reasons for its selection, emphasizing its impact both
then and today.
Draw a political cartoon that addresses the question: How did the
responses to the Great Depression reflect the changing meaning of
freedom in the United States? In the cartoon, take a position on the role
and purposes of government during the New Deal era. The cartoon
should identify at least one modification to American constitutional
government as a result of New Deal policies and use symbolism to
describe tensions among the branches.
Write an essay that answers the question: How did the economic,
political, and social/cultural choices in the early 1900s contribute to the
Great Depression? The essay should include an explanation of the
circular flow model, describe characteristics of business cycles
including the characteristics of peaks, recessions, and expansions, and
use economic indicators for support.
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www.micitizenshipcurriculum.org
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January 4, 2009