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The Great Depression - Printable Social Studies Worksheets year 11 - Wayground

The Great Depression

17 questions

11th - 11th Grade

Social Studies

The Great Depression is a free printable Grade 11 social studies worksheet that helps students review the causes, effects, major events, and government responses associated with the Great Depression. Its 17 items include 16 multiple-choice questions and one multiple-select question covering weak banks, buying on credit, speculation, the stock market crash, overproduction, unemployment, poverty, Hoovervilles, the Dust Bowl, the Bonus Army, and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Students also distinguish Herbert Hoover’s response from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and identify the purposes of programs and laws such as the FDIC, CCC, PWA, Wagner Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Social Security Act. The question set builds students’ ability to connect historical programs with their intended effects, including relief, recovery, reform, employment, labor rights, workplace standards, and retirement benefits. A complete answer key is included for efficient review and grading.

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The Great Depression

Total questions: 17

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following were causes of the Great Depression?

a)

Weak banks & buying on credit

b)

speculation & Stock Market Crash

c)

Overproduction of crops & consumer goods

d)

all of the above

2.

One characteristic of the Great Depression was?

a)

high unemployment

b)

homelessness & poverty

c)

both a and b

d)

none of the answers is correct

3.

People who lost their life's savings and were unemployed often lived in these shantytowns?

a)

Dust Bowls

b)

Herbertvilles

c)

Hoovertowns

d)

Hoovervilles

4.

Which event occurred because of intensive farming, drought, and wind storms on the Great Plains in 1930's?

a)

the Farm Failure

b)

the Dust Bowl

c)

the Okie Event

d)

the Great Plains Disaster

5.

What was President Herbert Hoover's response to the Great Depression?

a)

he did not take any direct action to help the people

b)

he created the New Deal to create programs to help the people

c)

he passed laws that gave cash directly to the people

d)

he was willing to help only the wealthy & big business

6.

What was the name for the WWI Veterans who marched on Washington, D.C. demanding early payment of their $1,000 bonus checks?

a)

The Bonus Protestors

b)

Hoover's Army

c)

the WWI Marchers

d)

the Bonus Army

7.

What did President Hoover do when the Bonus Army refused to leave the capitol?

a)

he sent in army to break up the camps & remove the veterans

b)

he gave in & paid them their bonus checks

c)

he sent in the police and arrested all of the veterans

d)

he ignored them & let them protest

8.

This agency was established by Hoover in 1932 to provide emergency relief money/loans to large businesses, insurance companies, and banks.

a)

Wagner Act

b)

Bonus Army

c)

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

d)

Fireside Chats

9.

What was the name of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's program to rescue the nation from the Great Depression?

a)

the Fair Deal

b)

the New Deal

c)

the Square Deal

d)

Rugged Individualism

10.

FDR's New Deal programs focused on helping the nation in what areas:

a)

Relief, Recovery, Reform

b)

Relief, Recovery, Refund

c)

Recovery & Reform

d)

Return & Relief

11.

Which of the following was created by FDR to insure that all bank deposits so people could no longer olose their money in the banks?

a)

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

b)

Tennesse Valley Authority

c)

Social Security Act

d)

Wagner Act

12.

The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Public Works Adminstration had the effect of doing this to relieve unemployment?

a)

it created jobs planting trees

b)

it created jobs building highways

c)

it created jobs building schools

d)

all of the above

13.

When FDR passed the Wagner Act, what rights did it give workers?

a)

right to form a union & collective bargaining

b)

right to protest & go on strike

c)

right to work overtime and weekends

d)

right of children to work at age 14

14.

What did FDR's Fair Labor Standards Act do for workers?

a)

gave workers the right to go on strike

b)

gave workers the right to form a union

c)

established a minimum wage & maximum work hours

d)

abolished child labor

15.

The Social Security Act of 1935 provides people today with what?

a)

the right to form a union

b)

govt. funded medical insurance

c)

old age pension (retirement benefits)

d)

insurance on bank deposits

16.

He was a Catholic priest and outspoken critic of FDR & said the New Deal did not do enough to help during the Great depression?

a)

Charles Coughlin

b)

Huey Long

c)

Herbert Hoover

d)

Douglas McArthur

17.

He was a Senator from Louisiana who criticized the New Deal & wanted to solve the depression with his 'Share Our Wealth" program

a)

John Steinbeck

b)

Herbert Hoover

c)

Charles Coughlin

d)

Huey Long

Answer Key

The Great Depression

Total questions: 17

1.
d)

all of the above

2.
c)

both a and b

3.
d)

Hoovervilles

4.
b)

the Dust Bowl

5.
a)

he did not take any direct action to help the people

6.
d)

the Bonus Army

7.
a)

he sent in army to break up the camps & remove the veterans

8.
c)

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

9.
b)

the New Deal

10.
a)

Relief, Recovery, Reform

11.
a)

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

12.
d)

all of the above

13.
a)

right to form a union & collective bargaining

14.
c)

established a minimum wage & maximum work hours

, d)

abolished child labor

15.
c)

old age pension (retirement benefits)

16.
a)

Charles Coughlin

17.
d)

Huey Long

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FAQs

What does this Great Depression worksheet cover?

This 17-item worksheet covers the causes and effects of the Great Depression, including weak banks, buying on credit, speculation, the stock market crash, unemployment, poverty, Hoovervilles, and the Dust Bowl. Its multiple-choice and multiple-select questions also ask students to identify Hoover-era events and agencies, New Deal goals, and the purposes of programs and laws such as the FDIC, CCC, Wagner Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Social Security Act.

How can I use this worksheet to teach the causes and government responses of the Great Depression?

Introduce the worksheet by organizing the content into three stages: causes and consequences, Herbert Hoover’s response, and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. After students complete the questions, have them explain how agencies and laws such as the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, FDIC, CCC, PWA, and Wagner Act addressed banking, employment, labor, or economic problems identified earlier in the worksheet.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete this Great Depression worksheet?

Watch for students confusing Hoovervilles with the Dust Bowl, since the worksheet treats Hoovervilles as shantytowns and the Dust Bowl as a Great Plains environmental disaster. Students may also mix up the Bonus Army with the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, or select only one New Deal goal instead of recognizing relief, recovery, and reform. Review the multiple-select Fair Labor Standards Act item carefully because it requires identifying both minimum wage and maximum hours and the abolition of child labor.

How do I assign and grade this Great Depression worksheet?

You can assign this Great Depression worksheet as a printable PDF or as a digital quiz on Wayground. It includes a complete answer key, and printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app. The printable version also gives schools an option for reducing screen time.

How can I differentiate this Great Depression worksheet for my students?

Use the worksheet’s Advanced Settings to adjust font spacing or font size so the 17 multiple-choice and multiple-select items are easier to read. You can also apply a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language, depending on students’ reading needs.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a broad collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to support essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.

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