Education Technology


NCSS: Assessing the Great Depression

Activity Overview

This activity assesses student knowledge and understanding of the causes of the Great Depression. The assessment is conducted on the TI-83 Plus or TI-84 Plus graphing calculator using the LearningCheck(tm) Application.

Before the Activity

See the attached Activity PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity.

Print the appropriate pages from the Activity for your class.

Install the LearningCheck(tm) App on the students' graphing calculators following the attached instructions.

Review the causes of the Great Depression with special emphasis on the role of the Stock Market Crash. If students will be writing an essay as part of their assessment, have them create a graphic organizer of the causes of the Great Depression to use as a resource for their writing. Teachers can use the LearningCheck(tm) creator to modify the assessment by adding or deleting questions.

During the Activity

  • Distribute the appropriate pages from the Activity to your class
  • Distribute the LeaningCheck(tm) file(s) to your class using TI Connect(tm) and the appropriate TI Connectivity cable
  • Follow the procedures outlined in the Activity


  • Students will:
  • Use Internet resources to gather information on the causes of the Great Depression.
  • Explain the causes of the Great Depression by creating and applying categories to the causes uncovered in the students' research.
  • Participate in a simulation to understand the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
  • Explain the economic effects of the Stock Market Crash.
  • After the Activity

    Collect the assessment by collecting the file ASGreat.edc from each device or use the TI-Navigator(tm) System to collect the class' assignments.