Stock+Market+Crash



Usha's comments in Blue.

Your name: Emina Muminovic

**Initial Reading and Assessment of Textbook Treatment of the Topic**
Name of textbook examined: "Canada: Face of a Nation" (2000) by Bolotta, Angelo, Charles Hawkes, Fred Jarman et al.

Name of more "scholarly" source examined: "The Stock Market Crash of 1929: A Review Article" (2001) by Maury Klein

__Your Initial Thoughts:__ I think that the textbook's treatment of the Stock Market Crash is one that would effectively initiate student learning. It not only describes what the event itself was and how it was caused, but also examines the social and economical consequences of the events and how individuals reacted afterward (economically). One particular aspect of the chapter that resonates with me is that the textbook provides readers with "checkpoints" to ensure students have understood what they have been reading after certain points in time. It asks students to summarize the positive and negative influences of the stock market crash and how it affected natural resources, the economy, buying on credit, standards of living, etc. I thought that this "examination" from a variety of perspectives is a good way of getting the students to think about the consequences and aftermath of an event as opposed to just what led up to it. Perhaps if the textbook explained what people actually said about the particular event as opposed to only how they reacted in economical terms, students would be able to get a better sense of social interaction and what the victims themselves thought of the situation. Also, a lengthier chapter would help provide more detail on the event. Nevertheless, I think the information provided is sufficient enough for student interaction and thinking to effectively take place.

Thanks, Emina. It sounds like you already have an interesting idea of how you might "bump up" the thinking required of students by having them critically examine historical voices through primary source documents. I look forward to hearing more.

__Critical Challenge Question (Type Three):__ Taking into consideration the **economic** and **social** factors that played a role in the event, would you consider the stock market crash to be one of the most devastating events in history? Why or why not? Good start, Emina. You might find this too broad for students to be able to answer because in addition to knowing about the stock market crash, they'd have to know about "the rest of history" to decide if it was one of the most devastating events in history. But, you may want to consider a question or task where students need to decide or compare HOW devestating it was (e.g. for different groups of Canadians, etc.). This would tie in to the content knowledge you identify below. Let me know what you think. You are right, I will change my challenge to consider different groups of Canadians and narrow it down a bit. Please let me know what you think (below).

__Content students would have to know prior to answering the question:__ Describe the economy prior to //and// after the occurrence of the stock market crash in 1929 (economic aspect). How did individuals react before and after the crash (social aspect)?

**Identify /Key Learning / “Big Idea” / Learning Target:** - Students will understand that not all individuals responded in the same way during the event because everyone was affected differently. Thus, people (depending on their status in society) had different perspectives and reactions to the event. The students must recognize and be able to learn how an incident can foster various perspectives in society and how this in turn contributes to multiple interpretations of a single event. Very well articulated.

** *Revised* Critical Question: ** - In your small groups, discuss whether or not the Canadian government made effective decisions to improve the standard of living for workers and Canadian businesses //after// the collapse of the stock market in 1929? How did this affect society as a whole? Good. Clearly a critical challenge. You are leaving the unit and entering the 1930s but that's OK - no worries - we can go with that.

** How will this lesson help students build skills they will need for the summative assessment task for the unit? ** - This task will help students recollect factual information about the different “groups” of people in 1929. Students will engage in critical thinking strategies (by assessing through discussion), comprehension of basic content and facts, and an overall understanding of the historical context to effectively complete the summative assessment task.

**Historical Thinking dimension:** Historical Perspective-taking = coming to terms with the notion that reality and living standards were different for people living within that time period

**Background Knowledge:** - Specific curriculum expectations: - Identify different viewpoints and explicit biases when interpreting information for research or when participating in a discussion //(Interpretation and Analysis)// - Draw conclusions and make reasoned generalizations or appropriate predictions on the basis of relevant and sufficient supporting evidence //(Interpretation and Analysis)// - Express ideas, arguments, and conclusions, as appropriate for the audience and purpose, using a variety of styles and forms (e.g., reports, essays, debates, role playing, group presentations) //(Communication)// – in this particular case, informal group presentation in front of the class

- Content/skills students will need: - Background information on what the stock market crash was and how it occurred - How individuals responded after the crash (what happened?), what the Canadian government did/responded and the politicians, how the workers were affected (became unemployed), what this meant for Canadian businesses and trade products = different “groups” of individuals and their perspectives

** Criteria for Judgment: ** a) Criteria for an effective solution = perspectives - //Definition// of “effective solutions” within society and how they can be implemented  - //Examples// of effective vs. non-effective governments throughout history (a couple)  - //Examples// of how one decision can affect other individuals as a whole = how this ties into “perspectives”  Maybe we can just streamline this a bit so it's easy for students to understand the criteria they will have to take into consideration when making their judgement. Try completing this sentence and see if that helps clarify the criteria: "An effective government decision is one that...  -  -  -

**Habit of Mind:** - Empathetic= imagining oneself in another individual’s place at that particular time period (1929)

**Critical Thinking Vocabulary:** - Evaluation= to determine who was affected most by the event (“who got hit the hardest,” so to speak- Canadian businesses or the unemployed workers, or both) - Both words go hand in hand – evaluation //as a result of// placing oneself in another individual's situation within a particular historical context (empathy)