Contextualization

The 1929 Crisis, also known as the Great Depression, was a series of economic and social events that triggered the largest global economic crisis in the 20th century. Starting in the United States and spreading to various countries, the crisis brought an unprecedented economic instability, causing a breakdown in the current capitalist system, which resulted in economic and social policies that transformed the world.

The crisis began with the fall of the New York stock exchange, also known as "Black Thursday". This event triggered a series of bank bankruptcies, leading to a drastic reduction in industrial production and international trade, and increasing unemployment rates. The panic caused by the crisis resulted in bank runs, and the failure of several banks drastically affected the global economy.

The impact of the 1929 Crisis was not limited to the United states, as the effects of this collapse were felt in different parts of the world, including Brazil. The crisis had political, social, and economic consequences which caused profound changes in society and in the world economy.

Importance of the 1929 Crisis

The 1929 Crisis is one of the key events of the 20th century due to its global impact and the changes it induced in the economy and international policy. It marked the end of the laissez-faire era, an economy in which the government does not interfere in economic activities, and the beginning of a new era of state intervention in the economy.

The crisis also contributed to significant changes in the global economic structure, as some countries, such as the US, implemented policies to restructure their economies and protect against future crises. It also deeply changed the way people viewed the economy and capitalism.

In Brazil, the crisis had a profound impact, given its economic dependence on the US, the largest buyer of Brazilian coffee, the country's main export product at the time. The crisis contributed to the end of the Old Republic and the beginning of the Vargas Era, marking a new moment in Brazilian political and economic history.

Practical Activity: The 1929 Crisis and its Repercussions on Brazil

Objective

The project aims to deepen the students' understanding of the 1929 Crisis and its impacts on the Brazilian and global scenario. In groups of 3 to 5, students will conduct research and activities that will help them understand more fully the events, contexts, causes, and consequences of the Crisis.

Project Overview

The project will be divided into three main stages:

1. Research & Analysis: students will have to research and analyze the events that led to the 1929 crisis and its impacts globally and in Brazil.

2. Historical narrative: students will create a historical narrative, in the form of a play, that portrays the events of the crisis and its repercussions.

3. Written document: Students will produce a detailed report that includes their research, analysis, the play's transcript, and their conclusions.

Materials required

The materials required to carry out the project are:

1. Access to the internet for research.
2. Books, magazines, and other materials that may contribute to the research.
3. Paper and pens to develop the play's script.
4. Materials for scenery and costumes, if they choose to have a live performance of the play.

Step by step

1. Group formation: Students will be divided into groups of 3 to 5 people.

2. Research & Analysis: Each group will have to research and study the 1929 crisis, focusing on the events that led to the crisis, the global impacts, and the consequences in Brazil. This phase should last approximately two weeks.

3. Historical narrative - Creating the play: Based on the research, students must create a play script that playfully and didactically represents the events of the crisis and its repercussions. Each member of the group must actively participate in developing the script. Students should also rehearse and, if possible, record or present the play to the class. This phase should last approximately one week.

4. Written document: After completing the play, students should compile their research and analysis into a written report, which should include: Introduction (contextualization of the theme and objective of the project), Development (theory of the 1929 Crisis, explanation of the activity, research methodology, transcript of the play), Conclusions (lessons learned and the relationship between the practical activity and the theory studied), and Bibliography (references used in the project). This phase should last approximately one week.

Note: The project encourages collaboration and teamwork among students, as well as improving socio-emotional skills such as time management, communication, problem-solving, creative thinking, and proactivity.

Project Deliverables

At the end of the project, each group will have to submit:

1. The script of the play they developed, highlighting the historical narrative of the 1929 Crisis and its global and Brazilian impacts;
2. The written report, containing all the sections described above, in digital format;
3. If possible, a video of the play's performance.

These deliverables will allow students to creatively and in-depth their understanding of the 1929 Crisis and its impacts on Brazil, aligning the theory studied with the practice developed.