Contextualization

The 1929 Crisis, also known as 'The Great Depression', was the biggest and longest-lasting economic event of the 20th century. This economic crisis began in the United States, after the sharp drop in the New York Stock Exchange, and spread to virtually all countries in the world. Its effects were felt throughout the 1930s.

The crisis was triggered by the fall of stocks on Wall Street, in the episode known as 'Black Thursday'. This event led to a series of triggering events that led to the collapse of the global economy. Factories closed, banks went bankrupt, unemployment reached very high levels, and billions of dollars were lost.

Introduction

By delving into this topic, students will understand the complexity of economic systems and how they are interconnected, affecting not only the economy as a whole, but also the life of each individual. The Great Depression led to significant changes in how governments around the world viewed their economic responsibilities and the policy of state intervention in the economy.

Thus, the 1929 Crisis is a perfect example of how economic events can affect all aspects of life in society, resulting in profound political, social, and cultural consequences. The study of this crisis becomes relevant for understanding current economic and political relations, as well as for understanding the functioning of the stock market and the impact of economic crises.

In addition to the didactic resources that will be used in the classroom, students can further investigate the topic through reliable resources such as:

• 1929 Crisis - Mundo Educação
• 1929 Crisis - História do Mundo

Practical Activity

Activity Title: Role Play - The 1929 Crisis

Project Objective

This activity aims at understanding and experiencing the impacts of the 1929 Crisis on various sectors of society. Students will be immersed in a historical scenario and will perform a simulated representation of how the crisis affected people in different positions in society.

Detailed Project Description

In groups of 3 to 5 students, teams will have to research, prepare, and perform a small theatrical presentation showing how the 1929 Crisis affected a certain group of people. Each group will have to choose among the following profiles: industrial workers, farmers, stock market investors, small business owners, and bankers.

Students should research how the crisis financially, socially, and emotionally affected people from these different groups and create a script for a theatrical presentation, including the construction of characters and the elaboration of scenes that show examples of the effects of this historical event.

Required Materials

1. Books, online articles, documentaries, and other sources of information about the 1929 Crisis.
2. Materials for creating scenarios and costumes for the theatrical presentation.

Activity Steps

1. The teacher divides the class into groups of 3 to 5 students.
2. Each group chooses a profile to study (industrial workers, farmers, stock market investors, small business owners, and bankers).
3. Students start researching how the 1929 Crisis affected people from the chosen profile.
4. Based on the gathered information, each group must create a script for a theatrical presentation, describing the scenario and the characters.
5. Next, the groups should prepare the scenario and the characters for the presentation.
6. Each group presents their work to the class.
7. After all presentations, a discussion is held in the classroom about the impacts of the 1929 Crisis on different segments of society.

Project Deliverables

At the end of the project, each group must deliver:

1. A detailed script of the theatrical presentation, including descriptions of the characters, scenarios, and actions.
2. A written report, in the requested format, reporting their findings, the methodology adopted, and the conclusions reached. The report must also include an introduction, contextualizing the theme, and the bibliography used.

In the report, students must:

• In the introduction, contextualize the 1929 crisis, its relevance in global economic history, and the reason for choosing the socioeconomic group for representation.
• In the development, detail the research conducted, the methodology adopted, the construction of the script and the theatrical presentation. They must also present and discuss the results obtained, explaining how the crisis affected the people of the group they chose to represent.
• In the conclusion, discuss the main learnings obtained from the project and the conclusions drawn about the 1929 Crisis based on the research and practical activity.
• In the bibliography, list all sources of information consulted for the project.

Remember that the focus of the project is collaboration and teamwork, so also detail how the work was divided among the group members in the development section of the report.