When Math Meets History: Great Depression Data Analysis

Example of a student produced graph used to analyze the impact of the First and Second New Deal programs during the Great Depression.

Perhaps driven by my math background, but I find the analysis of historical data to be a great way to look for cause and effect correlations. I use this method of historical inquiry in my United States History class during our unit on the Great Depression. Students are given a chart full of data relating to various measure of economic health—bank suspensions, money spent on new construction, wholesale prices, etc.—and they are asked to select two measures to create graphs showing change over time. These graphs they then analyze looking for changes which could be explained by measures of either the First or Second New Deal.

This analysis allows those students who feel more comfortable in the realm of numbers to bring their number sense to bear in historical analysis, and it allows all students to consider the actual and measurable impacts of the various components of the New Deal.

In this post, you will find the assignment sheet, the data sheet, and several student examples. Most students choose to complete their graphs by hand on paper, but my examples come from students who used various iPad applications to create their graphs.