Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover: Policies of the Roaring Twenties
Inquiry Framework
Question Framework
Driving Question
The overarching question that guides the entire project.How should a President decide when to help or stay out of people's lives, and did the 'hands-off' policies of the 1920s lead us to prosperity or a crash?Essential Questions
Supporting questions that break down major concepts.- How much should the government help or stay out of our daily lives?
- What did Warren Harding mean by a 'Return to Normalcy,' and was it good for everyone?
- Why did Calvin Coolidge believe that 'the business of America is business'?
- How did Herbert Hoover’s belief in 'rugged individualism' affect how he responded to the Great Depression?
- Did the hands-off approach of these three presidents lead to the 'Roaring Twenties' or the Great Depression?
Standards & Learning Goals
Learning Goals
By the end of this project, students will be able to:- Identify and define the key economic policies and philosophies of Presidents Harding ('Return to Normalcy'), Coolidge ('The business of America is business'), and Hoover ('Rugged Individualism').
- Compare and contrast the 'hands-off' (laissez-faire) approach of the 1920s with government intervention to determine how each philosophy impacts the economy.
- Analyze the relationship between 1920s federal policies and the subsequent transition from economic prosperity to the Great Depression.
- Formulate an evidence-based argument regarding the government's responsibility to intervene in the lives of citizens during times of economic crisis.
- Demonstrate historical empathy by describing how different groups of people (e.g., business owners vs. struggling farmers) were affected by 1920s policies.
C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards
Common Core State Standards (History/Social Studies)
Entry Events
Events that will be used to introduce the project to studentsThe 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Party
Students enter a room filled with luxury items (fake gold, snacks, gadgets) and are given 'unlimited credit' cards to 'buy' whatever they want. As they celebrate, the teacher slowly reveals news clippings of Harding’s scandals and Coolidge’s 'do-nothing' policy, eventually shutting down the 'store' as Hoover takes office and the 'bills' come due.Portfolio Activities
Portfolio Activities
These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.The Coolidge Business Blueprint
Students will dive into Calvin Coolidge’s belief that 'the business of America is business.' They will explore how cutting taxes and reducing government rules (deregulation) helped the 1920s 'roar.' This activity uses a 'Storefront' metaphor to help students visualize a government that stays out of the way of shop owners and factories.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Business Boom Blueprint'—a visual map showing how 'hands-off' government policies (like low taxes) lead to more products in a store.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with C3.D2.Civ.14.9-12 (analyzing how the role of the federal government has changed) and provides a foundation for understanding laissez-faire economics through visual and hands-on modeling.The Roaring Radar: Detecting Danger
Not everyone was celebrating in the 1920s. In this activity, students become 'Economic Detectives' to find the hidden problems behind the 'Roaring' surface. They will analyze simple bar charts showing rising debt and photos of struggling farmers to understand that the 'hands-off' approach had consequences.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityAn 'Economic Health Report Card' that grades the 1920s on different areas (Jobs, Farming, Debt) with a short explanation for each grade.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7 (integrating and evaluating multiple sources in diverse formats). By looking at charts and cartoons, students build the analytical skills needed to see the 'causes' mentioned in C3.D2.His.14.9-12.Hoover’s 'Rugged' Reality Check
As the economy crashes, students will examine Herbert Hoover’s 'Rugged Individualism.' They will compare his belief that people should help themselves with the reality of 'Hoovervilles.' This activity uses a 'Perspective Scale' to help students visualize the balance between government help and individual effort.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Perspectives Journal' entry written from the viewpoint of a person living in a Hooverville, reacting to a Hoover quote about 'working harder.'Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with C3.D2.His.14.9-12 (analyzing complex causes and effects) and focuses on the learning goal of demonstrating historical empathy. It forces students to weigh the 'Individualism' policy against the reality of the Great Depression.The Policy Post-Mortem: The Final Verdict
In this final synthesis activity, students will answer the driving question: Did 'hands-off' policies lead to prosperity or the crash? Using the products from the previous four activities, students will build a 'Policy Timeline' that shows the journey from Harding to Hoover. They will then make a final 'Verdict' on whether the government should have stepped in sooner.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Presidential Policy Portfolio' folder that includes a final 'Verdict Page' stating the student's evidence-based opinion on the 1920s presidents.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis final activity synthesizes all standards, specifically C3.D2.His.14.9-12 (cause and effect) and C3.D2.Civ.14.9-12 (role of government). It asks students to formulate an evidence-based argument, meeting the project's core driving question.Harding’s 'Normalcy' Newsroom
To begin the project, students will investigate Warren G. Harding’s promise of a 'Return to Normalcy.' They will examine why Americans, tired of war and social change, were drawn to a 'hands-off' approach. Given the Special Education focus, students will use simplified text and visual aids to define what 'Normalcy' meant in 1920.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Front Page Headline' poster featuring a summarized definition of 'Normalcy' and a visual representation of life returning to quiet stability.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2 (summarizing central ideas) and C3.D2.His.1.9-12 (evaluating historical context). It requires students to simplify complex political promises into understandable 'news' summaries, focusing on the post-WWI desire for stability.Rubric & Reflection
Portfolio Rubric
Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio1920s Presidential Policy & Economic Impact Rubric
Historical Knowledge and Analysis
Focuses on the student's grasp of historical facts and their ability to interpret various types of historical media.Understanding of Presidential Policies
Measures the student's ability to identify and summarize the core philosophies of Harding (Normalcy), Coolidge (Laissez-faire), and Hoover (Rugged Individualism).
Exemplary
4 PointsThe student independently and accurately identifies all three presidential philosophies, providing clear, simplified explanations of how each policy intended to help the country return to stability and growth.
Proficient
3 PointsThe student identifies the three presidential philosophies and provides a basic, accurate summary of what each policy meant using the provided simplified texts and tools.
Developing
2 PointsThe student identifies at least two presidential philosophies but may require teacher prompting to explain what the policies meant or how they differed from one another.
Beginning
1 PointsThe student identifies one or fewer presidential philosophies and struggles to describe the central idea of the policies, even with significant teacher support and simplified materials.
Source Analysis and Evidence Gathering
Evaluates the student's ability to extract information from diverse sources, including bar charts, political cartoons, photographs, and simplified primary source quotes.
Exemplary
4 PointsThe student makes sophisticated connections between different sources, such as linking rising consumer debt in a chart to the 'Business Boom' visualized in their storefront blueprint.
Proficient
3 PointsThe student accurately identifies key information from various sources, such as finding 'red flags' on an economic chart and labeling problems in a 1920s political cartoon.
Developing
2 PointsThe student can identify basic facts from a single source (e.g., a photo) but has difficulty comparing or integrating information from two different types of media (e.g., a chart and a quote).
Beginning
1 PointsThe student requires substantial guidance to locate specific details in visual or written sources and struggles to assign a 'grade' or label to the historical evidence.
Synthesis and Empathy
Focuses on the student's ability to see the 'big picture' of history and understand the human impact of political decisions.Cause and Effect: Policies to Outcomes
Assesses the student's ability to connect 'hands-off' government policies to both the economic prosperity of the 1920s and the eventual onset of the Great Depression.
Exemplary
4 PointsThe student provides a complex explanation of how 'hands-off' policies created temporary wealth for some while simultaneously allowing dangerous economic 'red flags' to grow unchecked.
Proficient
3 PointsThe student clearly explains that the presidents' choices to stay out of business led to the 'Roaring' economy but also contributed to problems like debt and farming failures.
Developing
2 PointsThe student recognizes that the policies were 'hands-off' but has difficulty explaining how those policies specifically caused either the prosperity or the later economic crash.
Beginning
1 PointsThe student identifies that the economy changed from good to bad but cannot link these changes to the specific actions or 'hands-off' approach of the presidents.
Historical Empathy and Perspective-Taking
Evaluates the student's ability to understand and describe the lived experiences of different groups, specifically the contrast between Hoover's philosophy and the reality of Hoovervilles.
Exemplary
4 PointsThe student writes a powerful, evidence-based letter from a Hooverville resident that directly challenges the logic of 'Rugged Individualism' with specific examples of missing needs.
Proficient
3 PointsThe student successfully takes on the perspective of a Hooverville resident, expressing how the lack of government help affects their daily life in a meaningful way.
Developing
2 PointsThe student shows an emerging understanding of the Hooverville resident's perspective but the response is brief and does not clearly contrast it with Hoover’s personal beliefs.
Beginning
1 PointsThe student struggles to describe the feelings or needs of people during the Great Depression, even when looking at photos of shanty towns and simplified quotes.
Argumentation and Portfolio Synthesis
Evaluates the final synthesis of the project and the student's ability to communicate their findings.Evidence-Based Argumentation
Measures the student's ability to take a stand on the driving question and support it using the activities completed throughout the week.
Exemplary
4 PointsThe student formulates a compelling final verdict that uses multiple pieces of evidence from the portfolio to argue for or against government intervention in people's lives.
Proficient
3 PointsThe student completes the 'Final Verdict' sentence frame and identifies at least two pieces of evidence from their portfolio (e.g., the Blueprint and the Report Card) to support their opinion.
Developing
2 PointsThe student states an opinion on whether the government should have stayed out or intervened, but the supporting evidence from the portfolio is vague or missing.
Beginning
1 PointsThe student is unable to form a final opinion or 'verdict' on the presidents' policies, even when provided with the sentence frame and their completed portfolio.
Portfolio Organization and Communication
Assesses the organization, completion, and clarity of the five portfolio artifacts (Blueprint, Report Card, Journal, Headline, Verdict).
Exemplary
4 PointsThe portfolio is complete, exceptionally organized in chronological order, and uses creative visual or verbal elements to communicate historical ideas with high clarity.
Proficient
3 PointsThe portfolio includes all five required activities, is organized correctly from 1920 to 1932, and is presented clearly to a partner or the teacher.
Developing
2 PointsThe portfolio is missing one activity or is out of chronological order, making it difficult to follow the 'story' of the 1920s presidents.
Beginning
1 PointsThe portfolio is missing multiple activities and shows little evidence of organization or effort to synthesize the week's learning into a final product.