IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Divide the class into groups and have each discuss a different piece of New Deal legislation that
2. Divide the class into two groups; have one group explain why Franklin D. Roosevelt drew criticism
3. Assign groups the task of determining what major cultural changes occurred in the 1930s. Ask the
students to consider a broad perspective that includes family life and gender roles, the retrenchment
4. The materials produced by New Deal programs give us a special window into the period. Check out
the collections at the Library of Congress website and have your students explore several of these
5. The Great Depression was not just an American phenomenon, but also an international one. Divide
the class into groups and assign each a different country, such as Britain, France, Germany, and the
Soviet Union. Ask the groups to outline the impact of the Depression on their respective countries and
share their findings with the class. Then, as a class, draft a point outline or chart comparing the
different experiences worldwide. What similarities and differences were there in each country’s
6. The New Deal is typically divided into three broad categories: relief, recovery, and reform. Divide the
students into three groups, and assign each group one of these categories. As part of their homework,
ask the students to research New Deal legislation and select laws that fit within their category. You