US History · Week 21 · The Great Depression and World War II
New Deal Debates
Students weigh arguments for and against New Deal programs, including the Central Valley Project that reshaped California water, and practice evaluating a policy by its intended and unintended effects.
- Students will
- Students analyze the effects and controversies of New Deal policies, including Social Security, the WPA, and the Central Valley Project, by weighing intended and unintended outcomes.
- SEL skill
- Use a feeling as a clue, then check it against evidence before judging a policy
- What it looks like
- Students practice using emotions to think more clearly when evaluating a policy and apply judgment.
- Content focus
- New Deal debates
- Format
- Structured discussion
Responsible decision-making
Responsible decision-making is choosing carefully by weighing evidence, ethics, and consequences, and not letting strong feelings take over. More responsible decision-making activities
What you get
A teacher guide with what to say, step by step, plus student pages and a supports page for students with diverse learning needs, including those with IEPs. Print or Project it, or assign it in Google Forms and Google Docs for Google Classroom. Your first 10 activities are free.
Standards
- 11.6.4: CA History Social Science Content Standard, Grade 11: United States History and Geography: Continuity and Change in the Twentieth Century (standard 11.6, item 4)
- CA HSS Analysis Skill: HREP3 Evaluate major debates among historians about alternative interpretations of the past. (Historical Research, Evidence, and Point of View)
- C3 Framework (national): D2.Civ.13.9-12 Evaluate public policies in terms of their intended and unintended outcomes and consequences.
- Literacy in history: RH.11-12.6 Compare the point of view of two or more authors on the same or related topics.
Fits these textbook chapters
- American History: Reconstruction to the Present, Module 10: The New Deal
- History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals, Chapter 18: Progressivism on the National Stage
- History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals, Chapter 31: The Response to the Economic Collapse
- History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals, Chapter 32: The Human Impact of the Great Depression
- History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals, Chapter 33: The New Deal and Its Legacy
- History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals, Chapter 48: The Great Society
- History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals, Chapter 55: A Shift to the Right Under Reagan
Textbook names are used only to help you find activities that fit what you teach. RoseThread Connect is not affiliated with these publishers.
More responsible decision-making activities for US History
- Freedom of Conscience Responsible decision-makingStudents examine the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses and the ongoing debate over church and state, weighing several perspectives before forming a view.
- Titans of Industry Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh whether leaders like Carnegie and Rockefeller were captains of industry or robber barons and practice judging evidence rather than labels.
- Becoming a World Power Responsible decision-makingStudents map the Spanish American War and expansion in the Pacific, including Filipino and Native Hawaiian perspectives, and weigh the costs of a choice for everyone it affects.
- The Atomic Decision Responsible decision-makingStudents weigh the arguments made for and against dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and practice holding a difficult decision with care and humility.
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RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.