Idaho Social Studies 9-12.US2.47

Social StudiesGrades 9–12United States History II

The Standard

Evaluate the causes and consequences of the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession.

Idaho Content Standards: K-12 Social Studies · Globalization, Information Technology, Terrorism, Political and Social Polarization 1992- Present

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students trace how risky mortgages and mortgage bonds spread losses when home prices fell. They weigh which causes mattered most and explain effects on jobs, homes, and public policy.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can explain how mortgage defaults caused bank losses and reduced lending. They can use unemployment or foreclosure data to support a claim about the recession's effects.
Common Misconceptions: Students may blame only borrowers, leaving out lender practices and weak oversight. They may also confuse the stock market crash with the whole recession or assume every bank failed.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Explain how risky mortgages could lead to bank losses and job cuts. Name another cause and argue which mattered more.

Lesson moves

Give pairs household, lender, mortgage bond, and investor cards; have them link the cards, then mark what happens when borrowers miss payments.
Read a short 2009 foreclosure report, then write: Who was hurt, and how did the crisis reach them?
Give teams four event cards: falling home prices, loan defaults, bank losses, and layoffs; have them order the cards and explain each link.
Plot your state's unemployment rate for 2007 and 2009 using FRED data, then write what the change meant for job seekers.

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