The aim of this resource is explain what problems US farmers faced to get students to assess why they didn't share in the prosperity in the 1920s, The aims and objects are as follows:

Theme: Dark side of the US boom in the 1920s
Know: What problems faced farmers in the 1920s?
Understand: What impact did Republican policies & mass production have on farmers?
Evaluate: How far were the problems of US farmers caused by government policies?

WILF: What Am I Looking For?
Identify / describe: What problems faced farmers in 20s?
Explain: The impact of government policies and mass production on the price of farming produce?
Analyse: Which was the most significant problem?

The resource begins by setting out the aims and objects. The starter is a snowballing activity, instructions included. The first part of the presentation then looks at the impact of the First World War and mass production on the plight of the farmers. It then looks at the impact on their income and spiraling debt problems. The next part of the presentation then looks at the impact of overproduction on the environment and minority groups such as Alack people and Hispanic Americans. The avatar then introduces an alternative interpretation of why farmers didn't share in the prosperity of the boom by looking at the roles played by Republican policies such as tariffs, prohibition and laisse faire attitudes that resulted in the problems of the farmers being furtherer compounded.

The plenary activity focuses on a thinking skills review triangle, which aims to get students to decide which factors were the most important in preventing farmers from sharing in the prosperity of the boom. This slide could be printed off. It should be pointed out that their is no definitive answer, but the group or pair work around this task is designed to promote discussion and class debate to later help students with their assessment questions.

The assessment section includes 4 questions from OCR or the Oxford and Cambridge exam board. The first is a describe, the second is an explain and the third is an essay question. The final question is a source based question which could be used as either a starter or a plenary. I have also included pupil mark schemes which could be used to get students to either mark or peer assess their work.

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Kind Regards
Roy