Georgia Economic History DEPRESSION AND WORLD CONFLICT

Transcription

1 Georgia Economic History DEPRESSION AND WORLD CONFLICT Ya better sell your old machines 'cause when I'm through with your cotton you can't even buy gasoline The impact of the boll weevil and drought on Georgia Enduring Understanding The prosperity of a region is determined by natural, economic, and political forces. Lesson Essential Question How do forces of nature affect the economy of Georgia? Introduction In the 1920s, Georgia s economy (primarily based on growing cotton) was devastated by the boll weevil and drought. In this lesson students will learn that the drought and the boll weevil were so devastating to the economy that it led to the Great Migration of both African-Americans and Whites from rural to urban areas. In addition, students will examine the impact that these natural disasters and other economic events had on popular culture (e.g. songs). GPS Standards SS8E1 The student will give examples of the kinds of goods and services produced in Georgia in different historical periods. SS8H8 The student will describe and analyze the important events that occurred after World War I and their impact on Georgia. a. Describe the impact of the boll weevil and drought on Georgia. b. Explain economic factors that led to the Great Depression. Economic Concepts economic growth, opportunity cost Knowledge The student will know that: the boll weevil and drought of 1924 had long lasting economic effects on the state of Georgia. the boll weevil and drought of 1924 were factors that led to the Great Migration. major economic events have been immortalized into popular culture by song. Core Skills The student will be able to: read for information. draw conclusions. interpret a chart. identify primary and secondary sources. page 1 of 18

2 Georgia Economic History DEPRESSION AND WORLD CONFLICT Materials Needed 1 copy/student: white paper colored pencils and markers Loss of Full Cotton Yield Worksheet Boll Weevil Song Handout Brother Can You Spare a Dime Handout Economic Music Worksheet One copy to display on overhead or LCD projector: Bug Monument Selection Transparency Boll Weevil Monument Transparency Boll Weevil Transparency Boll Weevil Destruction Transparency Hardships of the South Handout CD player or computer with speakers Boll Weevil Song Music Brother Can You Spare a Dime Music Georgia Stories video The Great Depression Whiteboard and markers Time Required 2-3 class periods Procedures 1. Begin lesson by showing the Bug Monument Selection Transparency. Ask students to list the advantages and disadvantages of each bug shown. After coming to some kind of consensus on which bug or bugs is/are the best, ask students the likelihood of any town actually building a monument to a bug. 2. Tell students that they must select one of the four bugs to become a new monument in the center of town. This new monument will be used to honor the selected bug. Students should write a one-paragraph speech that will be read at the dedication of the monument. 3. Show the students the transparency, Boll Weevil Monument, which is an actual monument located in Enterprise, Alabama. Ask students why they think a town would erect a statue in honor of an insect and discuss their answers. page 2 of 18

3 Georgia Economic History DEPRESSION AND WORLD CONFLICT 4. Ask students to identify which crops the South specialized in before and after the Civil War (cotton, tobacco, peaches). Ask them if they have ever heard of the boll weevil before seeing the monument. Tell them that even though most may have not heard of it, this little insect was incredibly destructive to the economy of the South, including Georgia. 5. Discuss possible reasons for building a boll weevil monument despite the fact that these bugs were so destructive. 6. Explain to students that, due to the economic hardships caused by the boll weevil and the drought, African-American and white agricultural workers in Georgia had to make choices about where to move and what to do for a living. Many decided to move to cities located either in Georgia or in other parts of the United States (mainly in the North or West). Remind students that no matter what decisions were made there were always opportunity costs (explained below in step 8) involved with those decisions. 7. Ask students what was given up by the agricultural workers when they decided to move to cities in Georgia and other parts of the United States. Ask students what the best alternative would have been for a farmer who decided to leave his or her farm to seek work in a city. List student responses on the board. 8. Define opportunity cost as the next best alternative given up when a decision is made. Link this definition back to step 7. Ask students what the opportunity cost was for the agricultural workers who moved to cities. 9. Distribute the Loss of Full Cotton Yield Worksheet and tell students that they are going to make two graphs illustrating (1) the destruction of cotton caused by the boll weevil, and (2) the mass migration of African-Americans. Have students answer the questions listed on the handout and allow them to discuss their answers with a partner. 10. Check student graphs for completion and accuracy. Ask students to discuss the relationship between the two graphs. 11. Show students the Boll Weevil and Boll Weevil Destruction Transparencies. Explain to the students that once the weevils started laying eggs in cotton fields it was very destructive to the crop. 12. Share the Hardships of the South Handout and have the students take notes. Answer any questions students may have. 13. Instruct students that the destruction caused by the boll weevil was such a major event that many musicians of the time wrote popular songs about the occurrence. Explain to students that major economic events often times find their way into popular music as song writers try to explain major events of the day. page 3 of 18

4 Georgia Economic History DEPRESSION AND WORLD CONFLICT 14. Distribute the lyrics to the Boll Weevil Song and Brother Can You Spare a Dime (you may have to give a brief explanation of the events portrayed in Brother). Play the song and have students complete the Economic Music Chart. Upon completion go over the answers. Emphasize the fact that certain economic events became the basis for popular music. 15. Ask the students how the boll weevil forced agricultural workers to specialize and diversify. Direct discussion to include the idea that the boll weevil forced farmers and communities to diversify their practices. The boll weevil was also responsible for pushing many workers into new lines of work. 16. Ask students how the boll weevil helped cities grow. Direct discussion to include the idea that with an influx of new workers, cities were able to expand. Conclude this lesson by showing students the Georgia Stories video The Great Depression which summarizes the era. 17. Conclude the lesson by displaying the Boll Weevil Monument image once again. Ask students why this monument was constructed. The New Georgia Encyclopedia For more background information to support this lesson, read these entries: Poor Whites Sharecropping Great Depression New Deal in Georgia Cotton Boll Weevil Cotton Expositions in Atlanta EconEdLink Online Lessons For more student activities on economic history in a U.S. context, use these lessons: Where Did All the Money Go? The Great Depression Mystery The Road to Emerald City Is Paved with Good Intentions page 4 of 18

5 Georgia Economic History DEPRESSION AND WORLD CONFLICT Assessment 1. The boll weevil monument in Enterprise, Alabama, was created because the boll weevil forced people in the south to A. diversify their economy.* B. move from urban to rural areas. C. create an economy based solely on one crop. D. grow more cotton to compensate for the boll weevil s destruction. 2. The boll weevil and drought of 1924 forced both Southern Blacks and Whites to A. move from urban to rural areas to find jobs. B. move from rural to urban areas to find jobs.* C. work together to overcome their economic hardships. D. move from Northern cities to Southern cities to find jobs. 3. Brother can You Spare a Dime is a primary source written about which major economic event? A. the Panic of B. the Great Migration. C. the Drought of D. the Great Depression.* page 5 of 18

6 Bug Monument Selection Transparency #1 Sand Gnat #2 Mosquito #3 Cockroach #4 Boll Weevil page 6 of 18

7 Boll Weevil Monument: Enterprise, Alabama Transparency page 7 of 18

8 Loss of Full Cotton Yield Worksheet Create a bar graph based on these data. % Loss of Full Cotton Yield Due to Boll Weevil (Georgia): : 0% 1918: 11% 1921: 45% 1924: 15% 1927: 18% 1930: 7% 1933: 8% 1936: 6% 1939: 14% Source: Fabin Lange, Allan L. Olmstead, & Paul W. Rhode The Impact of the Boll Weevil: (2007) Create a line graph based on the data provided % of African Americans Living in Urban Areas : 20% 1900: 23% 1910; 27% 1920: 34% 1930: 44% Source: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Number and Percent of African-Americans in the United States Living in Urban and Rural Communities: Compare your two graphs. On the back of this sheet, write three generalizations based on these data. page 8 of 18

9 Loss of Full Cotton Yield Worksheet % Loss of Full Cotton Yield Due to Boll Weevil (Georgia): % Destruction Cotton Year % of African Americans Living in Urban Areas % in Cities African- Americans Year Answers will vary but possible conclusions could include: Many African-Americans had already started moving to urban areas before the boll weevil arrived, but their numbers increased more dramatically during the same years ( ) that the boll weevil was causing the most damage. The destruction caused by the boll weevil both increased and decreased through the 1920 s and 1930 s but the migration of African-Americans continuously increased. The most damage caused by the boll weevil occurred in 1921, etc. Charts generated from: National Center for Educational Statistics: Kid Zone page 9 of 18

10 The Boll Weevil Transparency page 10 of 18

11 Boll Weevil Destruction Transparency page 11 of 18

12 Hardships of the South Handout A boll weevil is a small, gray, long-snouted beetle that attacks the cotton plant. Originally came from Mexico The larvae feed on the white, fluffy cotton resulting in vast destruction of crops. Droughts in Georgia result in devastation of crops, leaving a lower supply of food for families and their animals. In addition to the boll weevil, Georgia farmers have been hurt primarily by droughts. The 1924 drought resulted in: workers moving away to seek jobs, a decline in the number of working farms, and banks facing losses of assets (due to the money they had previously loaned to farmers). Although the drought had harsh effects on other crops it DID slow down the destruction of the boll weevil on the cotton plants. page 12 of 18

13 Boll Weevil Song by Brook Benton (1961) Handout Let me tell ya a story about a boll weevil Now, some of you may not know But a boll weevil is an insect And he's found mostly where cotton grows Now, where he comes from, hm, nobody really knows But this is the way the story goes The farmer said to the boll weevil "I see you're on the square" Boll weevil said to the farmer "Say yep, my whole darn family's here" The farmer said to the boll weevil "Say, why do you pick my farm" The weevil just laughed at the farmer 'n' said "We ain't gonna do ya much harm" Ho-o-o-o-o,-o-o-o, -o-o-o, o-o-ome" And the boll weevil spotted a lightning bug. He said "Hey, I'd like to make a trade with you But, ya see if I was a lightning bug I'd search the whole night through" And the boll weevil called the farmer, 'n' he said "Ya better sell your old machines 'Cause when I'm through with your cotton Heh, you can't even buy gasoline "Stake me a home, gotta have a home And the boll weevil said to the farmer, said " Farmer I'd like to wish you well" Farmer said to the boll weevil "Yeah, an' I wish that you were in ****" home Lookin' for a home Ahh, you have a home all right, you have a home A real hot home, ahhh Source: Oldielyrics.com page 13 of 18

14 "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931) Handout They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob, When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job. They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead, Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread? Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time. Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime? Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime; Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime? Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell, Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum, Half a million boots went slogging through Hell, And I was the kid with the drum! Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time. Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime? Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell, Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum, Half a million boots went slogging through Hell, And I was the kid with the drum! Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time. Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime? Source: Songs of the Great Depression page 14 of 18

15 Economic Music Chart Worksheet Major economic events are often immortalized in song. Listen to the following songs written about major economic events and fill in the chart below. Artist/Title Date Written Initial Thoughts What Economic Event is Discussed? What was the Writer Trying to Imply about the Event? Primary or Secondary Source? Adapted from a lesson plan by Elly L. Frachiseur and Derek N. Tuthill under the supervision of Scott L. Roberts page 15 of 18

16 Economic Music Chart Worksheet Major economic events are often immortalized in song. Listen to the following songs written about major economic events and fill in the chart below. Artist/Title Brook Benton The Boll Weevil Song Yip Harburg Brother can you Spare a Dime Date Written Initial Thoughts 1961 Answers will vary 1931 Answers will vary What Economic Event is Discussed? Boil Weevil destruction of the cotton plant in the 1920 s and 1930 s The Great Depression. A former WWI soldier and hard worker is down on his luck because of the depression. What was the Writer Trying to Imply about the Event? The Boil Weevil was destructive, people should have sympathy for farmers People who work hard are also affected by the depression and people should have sympathy for them and not treat them poorly for being unemployed. Primary or Secondary Source? Secondary, recorded after the event Primary, written during the event Adapted from a lesson plan by Elly L. Frachiseur and Derek N. Tuthill under the supervision of Scott L. Roberts page 16 of 18