Teaching units about the Great Depression include the Works Projects (also Progress) Administration (WPA). The records of this government program that put millions of unemployed Americans to work in public works projects are held in the National Archives. They reveal fascinating stories about local history: the building of the school cafeteria, curb cuts, road improvements…and [...]

When I taught United States history to middle schoolers, my fellow teachers and I grappled with figuring out how to teach the New Deal. We wanted to create lessons to help our students get a handle on all of the New Deal agencies that were created in response to the Great Depression—and in the limited amount [...]