FDR and the Great Depression Like World War I, the Great Depression made a deep and lasting impact on the United States.

FDR and the Great Depression

Like World War I, the Great Depression made a deep and lasting impact on the United States. President Franklin Roosevelt took office during the Great Depression, and his administration created programs aimed at fixing the economic and social problems of this period. On this topic, you will write a one- to two-page essay that answers the following prompt:

Analyze the responses of President Franklin Roosevelt's administration to the problems of the Great Depression. How effective were these responses?How did they change the role of the federal government?

Follow the Process section below, and use the links to help you formulate a well organized essay with a clearly stated thesis, or argument, in response to the assignment. Submit your final version to your teacher, along with notes taken during the course of your essay development, using the drop box.

Here are some helpful resources you can use for your additional research--online or otherwise--to formulate your answer and essay:

Examining and Evaluating Reference Sources
Research and Writing Info Center
Creating a Thesis Statement
Developing a Thesis Statement
Developing an Argument
Methods for Writing a Quality Paper
Chicago Manual of Style: Author-Date System

Your essay should discuss the following concepts:

the events that caused the Great Depression
the effects the Great Depression had on US citizens
the measures President Roosevelt's administration took to fix the Great Depression
the effectiveness of the programs put in place
the changing role of the federal government during Roosevelt's presidency

Follow the steps below to complete your essay, and use the links provided to assist with your research and writing. When you have finished your short essay, use the drop box to submit it to your teacher.

1. Gather sources. Begin gathering additional sources to build your argument and support your thesis. For each source, consider the following questions:

Who authored the document?
What is the purpose of the document?
When was the document written?
How will this document help your argument?

2. Read and evaluate sources. Next, examine each source and think about how you will use it to support a thesis. Be an active researcher by asking the following questions about each source you reference:

What is the credibility of the source?
Is there any noticeable bias?
How does the argument differ from others you have read?
What is the value of the source to the topic you are investigating?

3. Develop your thesis statement. Now that you have analyzed sources to use as evidence, revisit the essay question. Then develop your thesis statement with the following factors in mind:

Your thesis statement should be well-supported by your research and should focus on specific issues relating to Roosevelt's policies to combat the Great Depression.
If you need additional guidance, many writing resources are available to help you create a strong thesis statement.

4. Form your argument. Once you have a clear, strong thesis statement, develop your argument. Make a particular effort to match the evidence in your sources to the points in your argument.

5. Write your essay. As you write your paper, use quotations from and summaries of your sources to support your argument. Be careful to keep the following ideas in mind:

To avoid plagiarism, make sure to cite your sources properly with in-text citations as well as a works-cited page.
When you finish, reread the essay to check for all of the points above, and then proofread it to be sure your work doesn't contain errors in grammar or spelling.

Below is the list of additional resources that will help you complete this task.

The Great Depression in Global Perspective
FDR and the Depression
FDR's Purposes and Foundations for Recovery
Children and the Great Depression