Aimee Holcombe

Great Depression Interview

Directions:

Find a friend or relative (or anyone you can talk with) who was alive during the Great Depression era in our country’s history and interview this person. You may choose to present your interview for a grade through either a VHS video (10-15 minutes max.) or a news paper style report where you as the reporter discuss the main points and stories from the interview you had with the Depression victim.

Below is a list of SAMPLE questions you can use in your interview. You do not have to use these questions, you may come up with some on your own; however make sure that your own questions are directly related to the historical event of the Great Depression and that these questions I have provided for you are used as a guide for the kind that are desired.

Have fun soaking up all the knowledge you can about the Great Depression!!! 

SAMPLE Questions:

  • When was the first time you remember hearing about or recognizing what the great depression meant? Describe this.
  • What one image do you picture when you think of the Great Depression.
  • How did you and your family manage in those times?
  • Where did you live and how did you and your family come to live there?
  • Describe your family then (size, wealth, emotions…)?
  • What kind of meals do you remember?
  • Was your clothing store bought? Homemade? Recycled hand-me-down?
  • How many pairs of shoes did the children typically get in a year? Toys?
  • Describe what the school was like if you attended during the Great Depression? (including memories of teachers and other students)
  • What kind of transportation did you and your family have?
  • What sort of activities did you do for fun/ recreation?
  • Tell me about a game you remember playing?
  • What were the prices of things? (Candy bar?, Movie ticket?, Loaf of bread?...)
  • How old were you when you began to work? Where? Pay?
  • Do you remember songs from the Depression years?
  • What do you remember about the Fireside Chats?
  • What was personal hygiene like? (Bathing, washing hair and clothes, brushing teeth…)
  • What disaster—besides the Depression—happened in your area during the time of the Depression?
  • What advice would you give young people today about the best way to make it through hard times?