US 1929-1945
Great Depression & WWII, 1929-1945
The assessments below focus on people and events during the Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945. During the Great Depression, Americans struggled to find jobs and maintain an adequate standard of living. However, in the 1940s, Americans witnessed a boost in the economy as World War II changed industry and society. Source topics include the migration of refugees, New Deal policies, wartime experiences, and race relations during World War II.
Standard 1 Assessments (Cite Evidence)
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Song), 1943
"Local Boy Makes Good" (Cartoon), 1944
Sumiko Shigematsu, “Foreman of Power Sewing Machine Girls” (Picture), 1943
Standard 2 Assessments (Determine Central Idea)
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
"Greenbelt, the New Deal's Model Suburb" (Magazine Ad), 1936
Adams, Manzanar War Relocation (Photograph), 1943
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Song), 1943
Standard 3 Assessments (Analyze Steps or Series of Details)
Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
Dust Bowl, “Migrant Agricultural Worker's Family” (Picture), 1936
Standard 4 Assessments (Determine Word or Phrase Meaning)
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
Taylor, "Migration of Drought Refugees to CA" (Report), 1935
Tenement Houses in NYC Poster, 1937
NAACP, "Come, let us take counsel together" (Flyer), 1944
Standard 5 Assessments (Analyze Structure)
Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
"Greenbelt, the New Deal's Model Suburb" (Magazine Ad), 1936
NAACP, "Come, let us take counsel together" (Flyer), 1944
"Local Boy Makes Good" (Cartoon), 1944
Standard 6 Assessments (Analyze Point of View)
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
Tenement Houses in NYC Poster, 1937
Adams, Manzanar War Relocation (Photograph), 1943
Dust Bowl, “Migrant Agricultural Worker's Family” (Picture), 1936
Sumiko Shigematsu, “Foreman of Power Sewing Machine Girls” (Picture), 1943
Standard 7 Assessments (Integrate Information from Diverse Formats)
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
Coming soon
Standard 8 Assessments (Evaluate or Compare Claims)
Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
Taylor, "Migration of Drought Refugees to CA" (Report), 1935
Standard 9 Assessments (Compare and Contrast Sources)
Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Coming soon
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Southern Illinois University has been a proud member of the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program and other collaborators listed here does not indicate an endorsement of the Library of Congress, the National Science Foundation, or any other agency.