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Stock Market Crash of 1929 - Printable Social studies Worksheets 8th Grade - Wayground

Stock Market Crash of 1929

Shari Smith

Created by Shari Smith

12 questions

8th Grade

Social studies

Updated May 2026

This Grade 8 social studies worksheet builds foundational understanding of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and its relationship to the Great Depression. Students answer 11 multiple-choice questions and one multiple-select question covering shareholders, corporations, speculation, buying on margin, stock values, investment income, the banking and credit crisis, unemployment in 1932, and factors identified as causes or non-causes of the Depression. The questions require students to distinguish related economic terms, recognize how margin buying and speculation worked, interpret the effects of stock selling, and evaluate historical explanations. One item also asks students to identify the groups President Hoover believed should help people in need. This free printable worksheet includes a complete answer key and is designed for Grade 8 social studies review, vocabulary practice, or formative assessment.

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Stock Market Crash of 1929

Total questions: 12

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is a shareholder?

a)

A person who shares their money with others

b)

A person who invests money into a corporation

c)

A person who sells a small part of a corporation to make money

d)

A person who puts down a small cash payment and borrows the rest of the money from a bank

2.

What is speculation?

a)

Buying stock with the intention of selling it sometime later for a higher price than they paid

b)

Selling stock at a lower price than they had paid

c)

Buying stock with the intention of holding on to it for a long time and getting dividends as payment

3.

What is "on margin" buying?

a)

It is buying a stock for its full price and selling it once you have made a profit

b)

It is selling a stock with the idea of making a profit

c)

It is buying a stock with a small cash payment and taking a loan out for the rest of the payment

d)

It is selling a stock and paying back the amount of money you took out for a loan to purchase the stock

4.

What is a corporation?

a)

A business anyone can own

b)

A business that takes out loans to expand it's business

c)

A business that is owned by shareholders

d)

A business that invests in the stock market to expand it's business

5.

Which was not a cause of the Great Depression

a)

Hawley-Smoot Tariff

b)

Banking and credit crisis

c)

U.S. economy was weak

d)

Drop in immigrants coming to America

6.

Which was not a reason the U.S. economy was weak?

a)

The stock market crashed

b)

Farming income dropped causing them not to be able to pay back their bank loans

c)

Growing gap between the rich and the poor

d)

Auto and construction companies laid off people and cut wages

7.

Who did President Hoover think should help with the needy?

Click all the apply

a)

Charities

b)

State and local governments

c)

churches

d)

the federal government

8.

By 1932 what percentage of Americans were unemployed?

a)

50%

b)

25%

c)

75%

d)

10%

9.

What encouraged on margin buying and speculation?

a)

dropping prices of stocks

b)

people selling off their stocks

c)

increasing value in stocks

d)

people buying more stocks

10.

Which is not a way investors in the stock market can make money?

a)

adding more money to their account

b)

buying stocks for the income they get from the dividends

c)

Buying stock with the intention to sell it sometime later for a higher price than they paid

11.

What happened to stock prices once people started to sell their stocks?

a)

Their value increased

b)

The value of the stock remained the same

c)

The value of the stocks decreased

12.

Why was there a banking and credit crisis?

a)

People who borrowed $ from the banks, such as farmers and car buyers, could not pay back their loans

b)

Large banks that owned stocks loss money with the crash

c)

When banks closed millions lost their savings

d)

All of the above

WaygroundAnswer Key

Stock Market Crash of 1929

Total questions: 12

1.
b)

A person who invests money into a corporation

2.
a)

Buying stock with the intention of selling it sometime later for a higher price than they paid

3.
c)

It is buying a stock with a small cash payment and taking a loan out for the rest of the payment

4.
c)

A business that is owned by shareholders

5.
d)

Drop in immigrants coming to America

6.
a)

The stock market crashed

7.
a)

Charities

, b)

State and local governments

, c)

churches

8.
b)

25%

9.
c)

increasing value in stocks

10.
a)

adding more money to their account

11.
c)

The value of the stocks decreased

12.
d)

All of the above

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FAQs

What does the Stock Market Crash of 1929 worksheet cover?

This Grade 8 worksheet uses 11 multiple-choice questions and one multiple-select question to assess terms such as shareholder, corporation, speculation, and buying on margin. It also asks students to identify selected causes and non-causes of the Great Depression, interpret falling stock values, recognize the 1932 unemployment figure, and explain the banking and credit crisis.

How can I use this worksheet to teach the Stock Market Crash of 1929?

Begin by teaching the vocabulary relationships among corporations, shareholders, speculation, and margin buying, then have students complete the definition questions. Use the later items to guide a discussion of how rising stock values encouraged speculation, how selling affected stock values, and how students distinguish listed causes from non-causes of the Great Depression.

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

Students may confuse a shareholder with someone who sells stock, or mistake buying on margin for paying the full stock price. Watch for errors caused by the negatively worded “not” questions, especially when students select an actual cause instead of the exception. In the multiple-select item about President Hoover, students must choose all three intended groups rather than selecting only one.

How do I assign and grade this Stock Market Crash of 1929 worksheet?

Wayground provides this worksheet as a printable PDF and as a digital quiz, and it includes a complete answer key for all 12 items. Printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app. The printable format can also support schools that are reducing screen time.

How can I differentiate this worksheet for my students?

In the worksheet’s Advanced Settings, adjust font spacing or choose a larger font size to make the 12 questions and answer choices easier to scan. You can also apply a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language, while keeping the multiple-choice and multiple-select format intact.

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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