Echoes from a Difficult Past- The Great Depression Resource Pack

Abstract

The objective of this resource pack is to empower teachers to help students to learn about key socioeconomic developments within Canada during the Great Depression, while also enhancing students’ understanding of the challenges that different groups of Canadians faced at this time. This resource pack utilizes the historical concepts of significance, evidence, continuity and change, cause and consequences, historical perspective, and ethical dimensions, in order to enable teachers to accomplish these objectives. The first lesson provides a means for teaching students to recognize the historical significance of Great Depression widespread poverty. The second lesson addresses the many causes and consequences of the Great Depression, and examines their impact on different groups of Canadians. The third lesson examines the ethical dimensions that surround the perspectives and policies of the Liberal and Conservative political parties. While the fourth lesson draws upon a wide array of activities and sources, in order to depict the historical perspectives of diverse groups of Canadians. The fifth lesson examines the historical continuity and change of various socioeconomic developments throughout the Great Depression. The sixth lesson advances students’ knowledge of the Great Depression by teaching students to transform primary and secondary sources into valuable historical evidence. This resource pack provides teachers’ with a valuable platform for immersing students within the economic and social changes of the Great Depression.