The New Deal
U.S. HISTORY
The New Deal role-play focuses on the Second New Deal of 1935, after the Supreme Court struck down key legislation from FDR’s first 100 days. As students respond to the Great Depression and the failures of the First New Deal, they must tackle the question: How big a role should the federal government play in improving people’s lives?
Students then debate and vote on three key issues:
Finance - How should we support people's financial security?
Employment - What's the best way to support American workers?
Stability - How can we ensure stability for everyday Americans?
At the end of the VOXPOP, an epilogue video lays out what actually happened.
GET STARTED
Role-plays take roughly 45-70 minutes for a class to play through. To run the role-play over multiple days, use the link VOXPOP will send you to re-open your session.
Create a different session for each class that you intend to use this role-play with.
Not sure how sessions work? Feel free to create a session and step through it to get a feel for the role-play. You can create as many sessions as you need.
PREPARE TO LEAD THE ROLE-PLAY
The VOXPOP software will deliver this content to students during the role-play. Use this outline to familiarize yourself with the content of the scenario, the roles students will be assigned and the choices they will be asked to make.
DETAILS
Students: 6 to 50
Running Time: 60-80 minutes (the role-play can be broken into multiple sessions)
BACKGROUND
This video provides historical context.
ROLES
Students are assigned to the following groups:
Federal Advisors
Federal Advisors include Cabinet members, Black community leaders in D.C., and prominent academics. Although their personal priorities differ, they agree that the federal government should play an active role in the country’s recovery.
State Reps
Many state governments have no money with which to help their people. Governors, members of Congress, and other state reps need help helping their voters. But many fear that the administration will use this crisis to expand federal power.
City Workers
Many workers, especially women and minorities, were fired when the Depression hit. Those lucky enough to keep their jobs had their pay cut. Workers have little bargaining power, because they can easily be replaced.
Small Farmers
While the first New Deal helped big farms, it did so at the cost of small family farms, tenant farmers and sharecroppers across the country. Most small farmers were already living in poverty before the Depression.
THE ISSUES
These videos will provide students with more detailed background on specific issues.
Finance
How should we support people's financial security?
Proposals students consider:
Deposit insurance
Banks must contribute to a pool of money that insures everyone's personal bank accounts.
Wealth tax
Raise taxes on the wealthy. It won't raise a lot of money, but it sets a precedent that wealthy people pay more taxes.
Employment
What's the best way to support American workers?
Proposals students consider:
Recognize unions
Businesses must let workers form unions, engage in collective bargaining, and take collective action such as strikes.
WPA: Public works
Fund new state and local infrastructure such as public roads and buildings.
Stability
How can we ensure stability for everyday Americans?
Proposals students consider:
Social Security
A nationwide unemployment and retirement plan. Tax working people now and distribute the money to retired people.
National healthcare
Fund new and existing hospitals around the country, and fund states so they can run statewide insurance.
EPILOGUE
A short video that lets students know what really happened.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Here are a few suggested discussion questions to pose at the end of the role-play. Please feel free to use your own.
Should the federal government wield extra power during a national crisis?
How big a role should the federal government play in improving people’s lives?
ADDITIONAL TEACHER RESOURCES
The New Deal
These additional materials, activates and assessments strengthen support for student processing, engagement and comprehension. They are available as Google Docs for you to save to your Drive and share with your students. We encourage teachers to adjust these digital materials to fit the needs of your classroom.
Want to start the role-play quickly, but give your students some context before you begin? These materials allow students to preview the issues and groups before the role-play, and to summarize and reflect after the role-play. They can be done in class or assigned as homework.
Preview material ᐧ 30 mins or less ᐧ Print & go
Google Docs
Before the Role-Play
Want to create complex understanding and support for students before the role-play? These materials build understanding of issues & groups your students will be discussing before the role play through a whole-class primary source inquiry lesson.
Context & inquiry ᐧ 1-1.5 hours ᐧ Set up required
Google Docs
Before the Role-Play: Primary Source Analysis Lesson
Want a follow up reflection to check for comprehension? This activity can be done in class or assigned as homework.
Reflection ᐧ 30 mins or less ᐧ Print & go
Google Docs
After the Role-Play
CREDITS
Production
Jenny Lim
Mattia Romeo
Greg Trefry
Teacher Toolkit
Frances Starn
Sources
Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945, by David M. Kennedy (Oxford University Press)
The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, Jonathan Alter (Simon & Schuster)
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl, by Timothy Egan (Houghton Mifflin)
Media
Calisphere, University of California
Explore UK
Library of Congress
National Archives and Records Administration
New York Public Library, Digital Collections
UCLA Library Digital Collections
Wikimedia Commons
Special Thanks
Mordecai Moore