The Great Depression & the New Deal
Aligned to C3.D2.His.5 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
The stock market crash of October 1929 triggered the Great Depression, the worst economic collapse in U.S. history, with unemployment reaching about one in four workers. President Franklin D. Roosevelt responded with the New Deal, a set of programs that gave people jobs, relief, and new protections while expanding the role of the federal government.
Worked example
The Civilian Conservation Corps, created in 1933, put more than three million young men to work planting trees, building trails, and fighting erosion; workers sent most of their small monthly pay home to struggling families.
Practice questions
- What event marked the start of the Great Depression?
- Explain what the New Deal was and name one of its programs.
- Analyze how the New Deal changed what Americans expected from their government.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
La Gran Depresión y el New Deal
La caída de la bolsa de valores en octubre de 1929 desencadenó la Gran Depresión, el peor colapso económico en la historia de EE. UU., con un desempleo que alcanzó a cerca de uno de cada cuatro trabajadores. El presidente Franklin D. Roosevelt respondió con el New Deal, un conjunto de programas que dio a la gente empleos, ayuda y nuevas protecciones, a la vez que amplió el papel del gobierno federal.
Ejemplo: El Cuerpo Civil de Conservación, creado en 1933, dio trabajo a más de tres millones de jóvenes plantando árboles, construyendo senderos y combatiendo la erosión; los trabajadores enviaban la mayor parte de su pequeño salario mensual a sus familias necesitadas.
More History lessons
Teach this lesson today
An AI tutor that guides with questions instead of just giving answers — all K–12 core subjects, every child in the family.
Start free — no card required