This is an experiential lesson plan to be used in accordance with the requirements of The Virginia Standards of Learning USII.5.d: “The student will demonstrate knowledge of the social, economic, and technological changes of the early twentieth century by d.) identifying the causes of the Great Depression, its impact on Americans, and the major features of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal." The plan for this overview is derived from "Designing Experiential Curricula" by Jed Williamson.(1)

•  Theme of the Plan

Overall purpose : To allow students to experience 30s era culture through the implementation of multimedia elements. The activity provides an inter-textual tool for contextualizing and explaining an historical event, as well as teaching students how to think about history and culture.

Desired results

Cognitive : Through immersion in primary and secondary sources, students will cultivate analytical skills necessary for historical research.

Affective : The medium of drama (listening, seeing, and acting out) will allow students to establish emotional connections with the material and to understand the information through multi-sensory perception.

Behavioral : To focus the student's energy on his or her personal experience of the activity in an effort to develop learner autonomy. As a result, students should become more confident with asking questions and standing before the class.

•  Resources and needs: A DSL connection or cable modem is essential for these exercises. The classroom computer must run Windows 98 or higher and it must have Flash Player 5 or higher. To down load Flash Player, click here.

•  Logistics: The activity can be used in the classroom or as a homework assignment. If the teacher wishes to assign the activity for homework, then the students' home computers must meet the above criteria.

•  Plan: 5 step Process (presented in detail on next page)

•  Assessment procedures for student learning

               click here for a printable assessment form

proceed to the next page for a teacher's guide to the activities

1. Jed Williamson, "Designing Experiential Curricula," Experiential Learning in Schools and Higher Education, Richard J. Kraft ed. (Dubuque, IW: Association for Experiential Education, 1995) 26.