US History · 11th Grade

Active learning ideas

FDR & The First New Deal

Active learning works well for this topic because the First New Deal involved rapid legislative action and competing economic ideas that students can analyze through hands-on tasks. When students examine primary sources, compare programs, and evaluate data, they grasp how FDR’s policies addressed urgent human needs while reflecting political trade-offs.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Eco.13.9-12
• C3: D2.Civ.5.9-12

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: New Deal Programs Compared

Expert groups each research one First New Deal program: CCC, AAA, TVA, NIRA, or the Emergency Banking Act. Each group prepares a two-minute explanation covering the program's goal, how it worked, and who it primarily helped. Mixed groups then teach each other and collectively evaluate: which programs were most effective, by what standard, and who was left out?

Analyze the goals and key programs of the First New Deal (e.g., CCC, AAA, TVA).

Facilitation Tip

During the Jigsaw activity, assign groups so that each expert topic (Relief, Recovery, or Reform) includes students with varied reading levels to ensure all voices contribute to the final comparison.

What to look for

Provide students with three index cards. On the first, ask them to identify one goal of the First New Deal and one program designed to meet it. On the second, ask them to write one sentence explaining the purpose of the 'fireside chats.' On the third, ask them to list one positive and one negative immediate impact of the First New Deal.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Problem-Based Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Primary Source: FDR's First Fireside Chat

Students read or listen to excerpts from FDR's March 12, 1933 fireside chat on the banking crisis. Pairs identify the problem FDR described, what he was asking Americans to do, and which specific rhetorical choices made his message persuasive. The class debrief discusses how communication itself functions as a policy tool during economic crisis.

Explain how FDR's leadership and 'fireside chats' restored public confidence.

Facilitation Tip

When analyzing FDR’s First Fireside Chat, have students highlight phrases that reveal how FDR sought to restore public confidence and explain their choices in pairs before sharing with the class.

What to look for

Pose the following question to the class: 'Considering the goals of Relief, Recovery, and Reform, which of the First New Deal programs discussed (CCC, AAA, TVA, NIRA) do you believe was most successful in its initial implementation, and why? Be prepared to support your argument with specific details about the program's objectives and outcomes.'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Problem-Based Learning
• 35 min · Pairs

Data Analysis: Did the New Deal Work?

Students examine charts showing unemployment, GDP, bank failures, and agricultural prices from 1929 to 1940. Pairs identify turning points and evaluate: did the First New Deal produce measurable improvement, how strong is the evidence, and what limitations does the data reveal about what the programs accomplished?

Evaluate the immediate impact of the First New Deal on unemployment and economic recovery.

Facilitation Tip

For the Data Analysis activity, provide a simple line graph of unemployment or GNP from 1929 to 1941 and ask students to mark where major New Deal programs began to see trends over time.

What to look for

Display a list of key New Deal programs (CCC, AAA, TVA, NIRA) and the three 'R's (Relief, Recovery, Reform). Ask students to draw lines connecting each program to the 'R' or 'R's' it primarily addressed. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining the connection for one of the programs.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by emphasizing the improvisational nature of the First New Deal rather than presenting it as a flawless plan. They avoid framing FDR’s actions as purely successful, instead using primary sources to show the human impact and contradictions. Research suggests that grounding discussions in specific programs and immediate outcomes helps students move beyond simplistic views of the New Deal’s effectiveness.

Successful learning looks like students confidently connecting New Deal programs to the three Rs, questioning assumptions about immediate success, and using evidence from primary sources or data to support claims. They should also recognize that economic recovery was uneven and that policies sometimes worked at cross-purposes.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Data Analysis: Did the New Deal Work? activity, students may assume the New Deal immediately ended the Great Depression. Watch for this when students analyze the unemployment graph, as the data clearly show persistent high rates through the 1930s.

  During the Data Analysis activity, direct students to calculate the percentage change in unemployment from 1933 to 1937 and note the dip in 1937–1938. Ask them to explain what the data suggest about the New Deal’s immediate impact and how that challenges the idea of a quick fix.

• During the Jigsaw: New Deal Programs Compared activity, students may believe FDR had a unified economic plan from the start. Watch for this as groups compare programs like the AAA and NIRA.

  During the Jigsaw activity, have each group present one contradiction they found between programs (e.g., AAA cutting production while NIRA encouraged industrial output) and discuss how this reflects competing advice in FDR’s Brain Trust rather than a single coherent plan.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Problem-Based Learning