In this lesson, students will learn about Herbert Spencer's "social Darwinism" theory and how many Americans enthusiastically embraced it to justify laissez-faire capitalism. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students will review proposed federal estate tax laws and vote on which one they believe is the fairest law.

In this lesson, students use primary source documents to compare perspectives on helping the poor during the Great Depression. Students will examine different approaches to relief presented in two primary documents, answer questions relating to the documents, and explain which approach they think best and why.

In this lesson, students learn about the rivaling policy proposals for aid to the aged in the early 1930s. They examine a poster for the Social Security Act that was created by the Social Security Board. Then, they design posters for the different policies proposed by Huey Long and Francis Townsend. Finally, students analyze posters from other eras of American history.

In this lesson, students engage in an inquiry focused upon different historical interpretations of Social Security and the New Deal. They examine the different ways that historians Carl Degler, Barton Bernstein, and Anthony Badger have addressed the question: Did the Social Security Act and the New Deal fundamentally change the role of American government in the economy? Students learn elements of historiography—in particular that interpretations of history may differ, in part, due to the evidence used by historians and their particular perspectives. Finally, students answer the inquiry question themselves and support their arguments with evidence from both primary and secondary documents.

In this lesson, students will analyze the Four Big Questions in President Barack Obama's 2016 State of the Union Address and reflect on what they say about the present when compared to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Four Freedoms State of the Union Address.

In this activity, students study a political cartoon and answer a series of questions. The questions are designed to guide students into a deeper analysis of the source and sharpen associated cognitive skills.

In this lesson, students learn about the Teapot Dome Scandal, one of the most shocking stories of government corruption in our country's history. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students will consider four areas where people today voice concern of potential corruption, or the appearance of corruption, in government.

A chapter from The American Yawp open source history textbook focusing on, "The Triumph of the Right."

Students can dig deeper, discover relationships, and explore concepts related to the economic history of the United States from 1900 to today.

This inquiry uses the New Deal and the expansion of federal government programs designed to stimulate the economy and support citizens in need as a context for considering the larger question about the proper role of government. Students examine a wide range of historical sources while focusing on questions concerning the extent to which government should take care of its people.

In this lesson, students act as newspaper reporters to learn about this time in history. These reporters look for information from fictitious letters that reflect actual problems and people’s concerns during this tragic time in our economic history. Based on what they learn through the letters, students construct a newsletter explaining the cause(s) of this economic catastrophe.

In this lesson, students participate in an activity that illustrates falling wages, rising unemployment and falling prices. They learn about the role of the collapsing U.S. banking system in causing the Great Depression. They participate in a simulation to learn what a bank failure is and how bank failures can lead to bank panics. Finally, they observe the impact that many events occurring at the same time might have on the economy.

In this lesson, students will be able to analyze and compare points of view regarding who or what editorial cartoonists are blaming (or not blaming) for gas prices.

This lesson is designed to introduce students to the social life of the Roaring Twenties thru slang terms.