A Timeline of the Great Depression

The decade of the Great Depression and the years preceding it were full of events that contributed to the cause and eventual end of the Depression. By creating a timeline, students will be able to visually understand the sequence of events, how things were connected, and also the political change that came with it. They should examine of the major events leading to, taking place during, and following after the Great Depression. Teachers can provide a list of events for students to research, or students can select the events they deem important.

For an alternative to the timeline layout, have students create a timeline poster to incorporate into a presentation or gallery walk. You can add more than one template to this assignment to give students lots of options, and update the instructions accordingly.

Extended Activity

Have students create a timeline of the major events leading to the recession of 2008. Students can start at any point within the decade (this can also be teacher led), and end with how the recession was finally resolved. This again will provide a comparative analysis with what occurred in 1930s America, during the Great Depression.

Student Instructions

Create a timeline that illustrates the major events of the Great Depression.

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Add additional cells as necessary.
3. In the title of each cell, note the major events in the rise and fall of the Great Depression.
4. In each description box, describe the event.
5. Create an illustration using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.