Writing Assignment: The Great Depression
Background Information: The 1920’s was a time of prosperity for the American
people. Production and employment was on the rise and American businesses boomed.
Consumerism was at an all-time high with more people buying various household goods, houses,
and cars. More people were going out and were planning vacations with their families. In early
1929, it was said that the American economy was at its best in years. However, all of that changed
on October 23, 1929 when the stock market dropped sharply. The next day, investors started
selling off their stocks which caused the market to drop lower. On October 29, 1929, the stock
market collapsed completely. Banks started calling in loans and many middle-class families
suddenly found themselves without any money.
Assignment Directions: After reviewing Chapter 14, imagine that you are a citizen of the United
States in 1930. Your task is to create a letter in the voice of a person growing up in the 1930’s. This
letter will be written to a person living today. Your letter should:
o Be 3-4 paragraphs
o Include an introduction to the person that you are writing to
o Include enough detail and description for your reader to gain a sense of what your
life was like.
Your letter must cover the following topics:
o Causes and Effects of the Great Depression
o What life was like after the stock market crash (Were you able to stay in school? Did
you need to start working? Did your family lose their money? What did your family
do?)
o Did the New Deal affect your family?
Additional Research Links:
o http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/war-prosperity-and-depression/the-
great-depression.php
o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/dustbowl-great-
depression/
*Wikipedia is not a credible internet source.
Grading Rubric: This assignment is worth 50 points.
Focus (30 pts) Support (10 pts) Mechanics (10 pts)
Includes ample facts Cites resources Spelling, grammar, and
punctuation are correct
The writer focuses on family life and Speech is 3-4 paragraphs
(with 5-8 sentences per
the Great Depression. The writing does
not stray from the topic. Every fact paragraph)
deals directly with the given topic.
Writing is clear and focused