Great Depression — Testing images of the Great Depression

Case Study Overview

This unit provides a way of introducing students to the social impacts of the Great Depression on Australia in a simple, entertaining and challenging way. Its aim is to help students be more aware of the variety of experiences and the complexity of the factors involved in determining how people were affected by the Depression. It does this by using an empathic approach to the period, while still tackling it in a historically accurate way.

Case Study unit of work inquiry structure (pdf)

  • Teacher’s Guide
  • Activity 1: What is your image of the Great Depression?
    Completing a Great Depression survey
  • Activity 2: Becoming a family in the Great Depression
    Forming groups to become different families in the Depression
  • Activity 3: Visiting the scene of the events
    Looking at the video segment of this case study and answering questions about it
  • Activity 4: Responding to the Great Depression as your family
    Exploring 25 situations in family groups
  • Activity 5: Understanding an image of the Great Depression
    Investigating one historian’s view of the Depression
  • Activity 6: How might the National Museum of Australia represent this historical theme?
    Exploring key objects in the museum which illustrate the case study theme
  • Appendix: Teacher’s Great Depression score sheet

For Secondary Students

AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM:
HISTORY YEAR 6
• Australia as a nation

HISTORY YEAR 10
• Modern World and Australia: Overview

Case Study Resources

  • Teacher Guide
  • Print Resources (PDF)
  • Downloadable High Quality Video
You need to be logged in to access these resources.

Purchase Options

This case study is available as a: