History Unit II: the Years of Boom and Bust

Social Studies 11

History Unit II: The Years of Boom and Bust

Canada in the Interwar Years 1919-1939

Prescribed Learning Outcomes:
A8 – Assess the influence of mass media on public opinion
F4 – Demonstrate understanding of the history and present status of Aboriginal land claims and self-government in Canada
I2 – Describe economic cycles in Canada and the world, including the Great Depression
G1 – Explain how political spheres of influence have changed throughout the work during the 20th century
Prerequisites:
·  Canada’s role in WWI
·  The Bolshevik Revolution / ·  Use and interpret political cartoons / ·  Growth of industry in Canada during the war
Key Vocabulary
1920s
·  Socialist
·  Communism
·  Collective bargaining
·  Regionalism
·  Minority government / ·  Autonomy
·  British Commonwealth
·  Amending formula
·  Branch plants
·  Flapper / ·  Secondary industries
·  Plebiscites
·  Urbanization
·  Aboriginal Title
·  Primary industries / ·  Cut-off lands
·  Depression
·  Citizens Committee of 1000
·  Balfour Report
1930s
·  Protectionism
·  Laissez-faire
·  Prohibition
·  On to Ottawa Trek
·  Statute of Westminster / ·  Equalization payments
·  Totalitarian state
·  Regina Riots
·  Appeasement / ·  Fascist
·  Holocaust
·  Regina Manifesto
·  The St. Louis / ·  Isolationists
·  Pogey
·  The Dole
·  Riding the Rails
Key People
1920s
·  Arthur Meighan
·  Agnes Macphail
·  Frederick Banting
·  J.S. Woodsworth / ·  Lord Byng
·  Charles Best
·  Emily Murphy
·  Wilfrid “Wop” May / ·  Emily Carr
·  Peter Kelly
·  Andrew Paul
·  Henry Ford / ·  Benito Mussolini
·  William Lyon Mackenzie King
1930s
·  William Aberhart
·  R.B. Bennett
·  Franklin Roosevelt / ·  Maurice Duplessis
·  Dufferin Patullo
·  Adolp Hitler / ·  Dionne Quintuplets
·  Neville Chamberlain
·  Grey Owl / ·  Josef Stalin
·  Francisco Franco
Basic Concepts:
·  The state of Canada in 1919
- Returning soldiers – labour unrest
- Contributions made during the war
·  New political landscape
·  The move towards more autonomy
·  Closer ties with the US – branch plant economy
·  The economy in the ‘20s – Boom Times
- New fashions, new machines, labour saving devices, new industries, affordable transportation
·  Continued urbanization
·  Treatment of Aboriginal Peoples
·  Women and their changing role
·  New leisure activities / ·  The Depression
·  Impact of the Depression
·  Rise of political parties
·  Methods used to “fight” the Depression
·  The Dust Bowl
·  Strain on social services
·  Federal/Provincial relations
·  World scene
- New Soviet leadership
- Rise of Fascism in Europe
·  League of Nations and its failures
·  Appeasement – Why?
·  Steps towards war

Focus Questions/Critical Challenges

·  Why was there labour unrest in Canada following the First World War?

·  What is regionalism and how did it express itself in the 1920s?

·  How did Canada become independent from Great Britain?

·  How did the growth of Canadian industry affect life in the cities? In the country?

·  What was society like following the Great War?

·  What technologies were invented/improved upon at this time?

·  What sort of leisure activities did Canadians enjoy?

·  What caused the Stock Market Crash in New York?

·  What was the Federal government’s immediate response to the economic crisis in the early 1930s?

·  Which parts of Canda suffered the most from the Depression?

·  What remedies did the federal and provincial governments use to try to deal with the Depression?

·  What steps did the Canadian government take to try to protect Canadian culture?

·  What events led to the rise of fascism and eventually World War II?

·  How were Aboriginal peoples treated by the government at this time?

·  How did the role of women change during this period?

Suggested Strategies and Activities:

·  Examine primary resources (newspaper excerpts, political cartoons, etc.) for the Winnipeg General Strike. Write a newspaper article (set during the time period explaining both sides in the strike. As a follow-up, write and article about what happened.

·  Make a data retrieval chart of all of the inventions and improvements made in Canada, their inventors, and the impact the invention/improvement had on Canada.

·  Write a journal entry for a teenager living in a Canadian city during the 1920s. Comment on fashion, school, work, leisure activities – entertainment, sports, books, etc.

·  Make a Venn Diagram comparing Canada’s new independence from Britain and its new dependence on the US

·  On a map of Canada, draw in the major transportation lines that were constructed during this time period. Assess the effect that this had on society.

·  Examine the growth of one Canadian city fro 1900 to 1920. Is it typical of Canadian cities of the time?

·  It is October 29, 1929. Write a letter to your stock broker complaining about the poor performance of your stocks and the effect is has had on you.

·  In a group (of up to 4), make an audio recording of a sporting event, a news story, a soap opera, a music show (1920s/30s music)

·  Make a poster detailing what life was like for Canadians during the Depression.

·  Make a chart which lists the main attempts by the government to deal with the Depression, then comment on how successful each attempt was.

·  Draw a recruiting poster for a new political party which promises to “fix” the problems of the Depression. What would you promise?

·  On a map of Europe, show the path the Nazi’s took to re-establish Germany as a great nation, also leading the world closer to war.

·  Make a list of Canada’s contributions internationally during this time.

·  Write a brief report outlining the impact (Boom and Bust) on First Nations peoples during the Interwar years.