The Great Depression for Kids: Hardship and Hope in 1930s America, with 21 Activities

Description

Have you ever wondered what it was like to live during the Great Depression? Perhaps you think of the stock market crash of 1929, unemployed workers standing in breadlines, and dust storms swirling on the Great Plains. But the 1930s were also a time when neighbors helped neighbors, librarians delivered books on horseback, and an army of young men rebuilt the nation's forests, roads, and parks. The Great Depression for Kids provides a balanced and realistic picture of an era rife with suffering but also deep-rooted with hope and generosity. Beginning with a full chapter on the 1920s, the book provides important background knowledge to help set the stage for an in-depth look at the decline of the economy and attempts at recovery over the next decade. Twenty-one hands-on activities invite young history buffs to understand and experience this important era in American history. Kids can recreate Depression glassware; simulate a windstorm; learn how to research, buy, and sell stocks; design a paper block quilt; play "round ball"; and much more.

Cheryl Mullenbach is a former history teacher, librarian, and public television project manager and is currently a social studies consultant. She has contributed to Arizona Living Magazine, the Des Moines Register, Iowa Council for the Social Studies Journal, and Iowa Heritage Illustrated, as well as several entries to Women in American Military History: An Encyclopedia. She lives in Panora, Iowa.

"Mullenbach presents a thorough but readily accessible account of the Great Depression." Publishers Weekly "The information is solid, and Mullenbach provides facts not usually found elsewhere." School Library Journal