Deepen student's understanding of the Great Depression!

This quick three-page Reading Assignment and Worksheet provides an overview of the various experiences of women during the Great Depression and how society viewed women's roles. Great resource for one class period!

It works well as a Guided Reading activity or as an exercise for Reading Comprehension.

It covers the time period 1929-1939. Both politically and economically, society began to question gender equality during this period. By no means were these issues resolved then, nor were they resolved in succeeding decades. Nonetheless, the Great Depression highlighted the fissures of this era.

Students can read this on their own as a homework assignment or it can be a group activity in a classroom. It is also ideally suited for home-schoolers or independent learners who want to learn more about women's contributions. A Worksheet with questions based on the reading is included, along with an Answer Key.

Reading Assignment - 2 pages

Worksheet - 1 page
Answer Key - 1 page

Student Focus Levels: 8th-12th Grades

Consider purchasing these other resources from the Women in American History Series!

Women in the US Military during WWII: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Women during the 1920s: Reading Assignment and Worksheet

Progressive Era Women: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Women's Suffrage Movement: Reading Assignment and Worksheet

Women during the Industrial Era: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Early Women's Rights: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Women of the American Revolution: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Women in Colonial America: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Native American Women: Reading Assignment and Worksheet

Do you or your students like historical fiction? Consider Hearts of War, a novel about a Nisei soldier who served in the Military Intelligence Service and a woman who served in the Women Army Corps. In writing this book, I wanted to bring an unknown aspect of history to light. Available on Amazon or Kindle and I appreciate any reviews. Thank you! - Christa Nonnemaker

This 15-slide PowerPoint presentation covers the Great Depression between the years 1930 and 1939. It is an ideal lesson to augment a lesson about the 1930s or as a stand-alone resource for women’s history. The presentation includes descriptive text as well as primary sources. It is also a good resource during Women’s History Month!

Each slide contains information and graphics such as photos, newspaper articles and more that highlight how women's lives began to change during this decade. Topics include political issues, work, education, leisure and the arts. The lesson highlights the nuanced experiences of women of different cultures, races and socio-economic backgrounds.

This file has been secured via Flat Pack but if you'd also like the Power Point file, please email me at christa@historyprisms.com or via TeachShare.

This is part of the Women in American History Series which includes PowerPoint lessons as well as Reading Assignments and Worksheets, Analyzing Primary Sources and Activities for other eras.

Other resources about Women during the Great Depression include:
* Women during the Great Depression: Reading Worksheet
* Women during the Great Depression: Primary Source Analysis and DBQ's

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I have been a high school history teacher for over 15 years, both in-person and online with involvement in education for over 25 years. I have primarily taught U.S. History, AP World History, World History, AP World History and U.S. Women’s History. I have also been a Reader for AP World and APUSH.

Thank you for your interest in this resource!

Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns or comments about this resource at christa@historyprisms.com. Thank you! Christa Nonnemaker

This 22-page resource with 26 primary sources, 27 comprehension questions plus 2 DBQ prompts gives students a chance to identify the tensions for women between tradition and progress in the 1920s, along with the new opportunities. The first page includes Background, Notes on Primary Sources and Teacher Notes.

Here’s a chance for students to read documents and look at images that shed light on issues facing women during the Great Depression. These include newspaper pictures and articles about the difficulty of finding work, women's clubs, clothing advertisements, "wandering women", articles about women's need to be in the home, women's lack of equality in society as well as women's right and ability to hold jobs, photos of rural women, African-American women's activities and leisure activities, as well as excerpts from the Social Security Act and an ex-slave narrative. There are, of course, so many more documents and issues of the 1930s but these documents cover a broad range of what women experienced. Many of the political events of the time still minimized, or even excluded, women's input although sometimes women provided reflections, opinions and even participation when possible. Nonetheless, the included primary sources highlight many of the challenges of the era, although they also provide glimmers of progress during a troubled time.

Assign just one, a few or all of the sources depending on time constraints and student interest.

Primary sources include advertisements, photos, newspaper articles, excerpts and other documents. Each page of primary sources includes comprehension questions at the end in order for students to analyze perspectives, consider key ideas and identify bias.

Included is a one-page sheet that explains what primary sources are and how to analyze them using specific questions through a process called HAPPY. There is also a page at the end for students to apply the HAPPY process to one source.

Two DBQ prompts are included at the end with instructions on how to create a response to the prompt.

An Answer Key to all the comprehension questions and the DBQ prompts are available at the end of the packet.

This is excellent practice for all high school students, particularly Honors and AP students, but all students will find these resources engaging.

This is also available as a digital resource through Easel so students may complete it online.

Please check out my other Primary Source Analysis and DBQ Teaching Resources about Women's History

* Women in Colonial America: DBQ's and Primary Sources
* Women of the American Revolution: DBQ's and Primary Sources
* Early Women's Rights 1840-1865: DBQ's and Primary Sources
* Women during the Industrial Era: DBQ's and Primary Sources
* Women's Suffrage Movement: 1865-1920: DBQs and Primary Sources
* Women during the 1920s: DBQs and Primary Sources
* Women in the U.S. Military during World War II: DBQ's and Primary Sources

More are always being added so check back frequently!

Do you love historical fiction? My novel, Hearts at War, features a white girl and a Japanese-American boy who are childhood friends whose growing attraction to one another in high school will be severed by war, family and social pressures once they enter college. They come of age in California and coincidence will throw them together again in the Pacific theater of war as they both serve in the military. Will they be able face the challenges of war and find a way back to each other? Available on Amazon or Kindle/Kindle Unlimited. Young Adults/Adults/Interracial Romance. I appreciate any reviews!

Thank you!

Christa Nonnemaker