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This Debating Social Security: Understanding and Evaluating the Social Security Act of 1935 lesson plan also includes:
- Debating Social Security: Understanding and Evaluating the Social Security Act of 1935 (.html)
- Resource Sheet #1: Mrs. Zoller's Letter Petitioning the President, July 13, 1933 (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #2: Photograph of Al Capone's Soup Kitchen (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #3: Photograph of Idle Men (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #4: Franklin Roosevelt's Message to Congress, January 17, 1935 (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #5: Excerpt from Social Security Board's Pamphlet, "Why Social Security" (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #6: Excerpt from Social Security Board Comic Book (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #7: "Social Security" Under the New Deal (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #8: The Republican Opposition (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #9: Excerpt from 1964 History of Social Security (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #10: Photograph of Early Accounting Practices (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #11: Photograph of Early Cardpunch Operators (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #12: Photograph of Early Card Files (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #13: Photograph of Men Signing Up for Unemployment Insurance (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #14: Does Social Security Really Face an $11 Trillion Deficit? (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #15: Privatizing Social Security A Big Boost for the Poor (.pdf)
- Resource Sheet #16: Why Social Security is Not in Crisis (.pdf)
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With throngs of Americans out of work and hungry, Franklin D. Roosevelt made the bold move to establish a social safety net with programs such as Social Security. The move was—and still is—controversial. Using documents from the 1930s, including photographs and written opinion pieces, pupils trace the origins of the debate and bring the discussion to the debate today.
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CCSS:
Adaptable
Concepts
Instructional Ideas
- Use included primary sources to structure a debate on the role of Social Security
Classroom Considerations
- Teacher must update the resource, as it includes information ending in 2005
- Scanned copy includes pages from another resource that can be skipped
Pros
- Documents allow for learners to see for themselves the debate over social security
- Resource offers a blend of primary sources, including images and text
Cons
- Some links in resource are out of date and not useable
- Does not include the mentioned worksheet