"SOCIAL SECURITY?"

II. LESSON PLAN:

An inquiry lesson into “The Social Security Act of 1935”

1)  Brief Overview
In this lesson students will examine the Great Depression and the New Deal, especially the Social Security Act of 1935. They will investigate the varying arguments for and against the Social Security Act to determine its effectiveness as an economic safety net as well as whether or not this government program was appropriate.

Understanding this topic is important because students should have an understanding of the history of Social Security, a system that is integral to American life today, one that is currently being questioned. 

2)  Before You Teach

• Be sure that students understand the causes of the Great Depression
• Be sure that students understand the debate between Hoover and FDR in terms of solving the problems of the Great Depression
• Be sure that students understand the historical role of government in the American economy

3)  Lesson in Brief

Time frame:

Two – three 50-minute class periods

Lesson Steps:

1. Background readings: Have students read, for historical background, the chapter(s) on the Great Depression and New Deal in your textbook.  (Our students read Chapter 26, especially pages 749-754, in “America Past and Present” - Divine). You might also add more historical context to this lesson by having students read “The Discovery of Poverty” by Caroline Bird and “ and letters from “Dear Mrs. Roosevelt.”  Have a full-class discussion on the conditions faced by ordinary Americans during the Great Depression.

2. Assign roles for the nine panelists who will discuss what role the government should play in providing a safety net. Each panelist will be given a primary source but must also seek out two additional sources to embellish their presentations.

3.   All the students will read “Frances Perkins on Social Security (1935) http://www.ssa.gov/history/perkinsradio.html for homework,” resulting in a full-class discussion.

4. Panel discussion

5. Non-panelists will write a letter-to-the-editor based on all of the information gathered from this unit.