Just how "great" was the Great Depression? Using data collected from around the world should help put this era into perspective. Register to explore the whole course here: https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive?WT.mc_id=Slideshare12202017

1. STUDENT MATERIALS
UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL DEPRESSION
Directions: In this activity, you are going to evaluate consequences of the Great Depression based on GDP data from around the world. To do this, you will map
some data onto a graph and then answer some questions about that data. France has already been mapped out on the graph as an example of how to plot the data.
GDP Per Capita in International Dollars
France India Malaysia Chile Mexico USSR Germany U.S.
1929 4,710 728 1,682 3,396 1,757 1,386 4,051 6,899
1930 4,532 726 1,636 3,143 1,618 1,448 3,973 6,213
1931 4,235 711 1,548 2,333 1,643 1,462 3,652 5,691
1932 3,959 709 1,397 2,274 1,373 1,439 3,362 4,908
1933 4,239 700 1,440 2,652 1,501 1,493 3,556 4,777
1934 4,192 697 1,540 2,987 1,574 1,630 3,858 5,114
1935 4,086 680 1,364 3,056 1,660 1,864 4,120 5,467
1936 4,244 697 1,478 3,056 1,768 1,991 4,451 6,204
1937 4,487 676 1,308 3,241 1,796 2,156 4,685 6,430
1938 4,466 668 1,361 3,139 1,794 2,150 4,994 6,126
1939 4,793 674 1,609 3,178 1,858 2,237 5,406 6,561
Source: OECD, 2003.
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 9.6 ACTIVITY

2. TEACHER MATERIALS
UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL DEPRESSION(ANSWER KEY)
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 9.6 ACTIVITY
GDP Per Capita 1929-1939
7000
6750
6500
6250
6000
5750
5500
5250
5000
4750
4500
4250
4000
3750
3500
3250
3000
2750
2500
2250
2000
1750
1500
1250
1000
750
500
250
0
GDPPerCapita
Years
1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
France
India
Malaysia
Chile
Mexico
USSR
Germany
U.S.

3. TEACHER MATERIALS
UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL DEPRESSION(ANSWER KEY)
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 9.6 ACTIVITY
Questions:
1. When did most countries hit bottom?
Sample answer: The period between 1931 and 1932 appears to be the worst.
2. Did any countries hit bottom at a different time?
Sample answer: The United States continued to decline into 1933.
3. Which two countries experienced the steepest decline in living standards?
Sample answer: Chile experienced the biggest decline, and the US was a close second.
4. One country actually experienced an increase in GDP during this time. Which one was it? Give a hypothesis about why this might have happened.
Sample answer: The USSR experienced an increase.
5. Does it seem that most countries had recovered by the late 1930s? Are there any that didn’t? Give some examples and provide the relevant data.
Sample answer: By 1939, it looks like almost all countries had recovered except for India. India’s GDP declined from 728 to 674 during this decade. France’s GDP in
1929 was 4,710, and in 1939 it was 4,793. Also, some were not quite back to their original GDP, but they were close. Malaysia went from 1,682 to 1,609.

4. Name: Date:
STUDENT MATERIALS
UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL DEPRESSION
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 9.6 ACTIVITY
GDP Per Capita 1929-1939
7000
6750
6500
6250
6000
5750
5500
5250
5000
4750
4500
4250
4000
3750
3500
3250
3000
2750
2500
2250
2000
1750
1500
1250
1000
750
500
250
0
GDPPerCapita
Years
1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
France

5. Name: Date:
STUDENT MATERIALS
UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL DEPRESSION
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 9.6 ACTIVITY
Questions:
1. When did most countries hit bottom?
2. Did any countries hit bottom at a different time?
3. Which two countries experienced the steepest decline in living standards?
4. One country actually experienced an increase in GDP during this time. Which one was it and give a hypothesis about why this might have happened.
5. Does it seem that most countries had recovered by the late 1930’s? Are there any that didn’t? Give some examples and provide the relevant data.