Indiana Social Studies IS.1.20

Social StudiesGrades 9–12History

The Standard

Analyze the causes of the Great Depression and explain how they affected Indiana society.

2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies · Prosperity, Depression, and World War II

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students trace how bank failures, reduced spending, and falling crop prices led to lost jobs and farm income in Indiana. They explain how these problems affected factory workers and farm families.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can connect a bank failure to fewer business loans, slower production, and layoffs at a Gary steel mill. They can explain why falling corn prices made it harder for an Indiana farm family to pay its debts.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat the stock market crash as the only cause of the Depression. They may think lower crop prices helped farmers or that every Hoosier lost a job.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Draw two cause-and-effect chains, one from bank failures to a Gary steelworker and one from falling corn prices to an Indiana farm family. Label each link.

Lesson moves

Give pairs cards labeled bank failure, fewer business loans, Gary mill layoffs, crop surplus, falling corn prices, and farm debt; have them build two chains.
Ask students to write two sentences comparing the problems a Gary steelworker and an Indiana corn farmer faced when spending fell.
Run a matching relay: students pair a cause card with an Indiana effect card and explain the link before scoring.
Use a current grocery flyer to plan a $40 food budget, then cut it to $30 and discuss choices a jobless family might face.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to IS.1.20, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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