Two new U.S. history lessons about economic boom, bust, and recovery under capitalism are available at the Zinn Education Project.

Both lessons were developed by high school history teacher and author Adam Sanchez, and originally published by Rethinking Schools.

What Caused the Great Depression? The Widget Boom Game In the simulation game, What Caused the Great Depression? The Widget Boom Game, students probe the origins of the Great Depression. This lesson (inspired by Bill Bigelow's Thingamabob Game) takes the standard textbook explanation, with its stock market crash, and delves deeper, to teach students about the root causes of economic depressions under capitalism.

Who Made the New Deal? The Economic Recovery Conference Role Play The second new lesson is Who Made the New Deal? The Economic Recovery Conference Role Play. It can be a follow-up to the Widget Boom Game lesson or be taught by itself. Through an economic conference role play and examining primary sources, students explore how different groups influenced New Deal legislation. They consider the motivations behind New Deal reforms and recognize the racist disparities in New Deal programs.

The Zinn Education Project heads to Austin, Texas, next month for the annual National Council for the Social Studies conference Nov. 22-23.

Bill Bigelow, Ursula Wolfe-Rocca, Adam Sanchez, and others from our team will be at the conference to lead workshops and talk with attendees at booth #333 in the exhibit hall.

Visit our booth for an opportunity to pick up a free book, subscribe
to Rethinking Schools, and chat with us about your classroom.

We look forwarding to seeing you!

Show your support with a union-made Zinn Education Project t-shirt. The front features our name and logo. The back features a Howard Zinn quote:

History should emphasize new possibilities by disclosing those hidden episodes of the past when people showed their ability to resist, to join together, and to occasionally win.

The Zinn Education Project lessons are made possible by support from individuals like you. Please donate today so that more teachers receive free lessons, books, and workshops to support social justice teaching in their classrooms. Donate now!