The United States in a Time of Crisis (1929-1945)

What was life like for Americans during the Great Depression and World War II?

Topic 1: American Life in the Great Depression

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources related to American life and experiences during the Great Depression.

Go to Topic 1: American Life in the Great Depression

black and white close-up photo of a woman holding two children

Topic 2: Pearl Harbor

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources related to American public reaction to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Go to Topic 2: Pearl Harbor

typed black text on a blue piece of paper

Topic 3: WWII European Front

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources focused on American involvement on the European front of World War II.

Go to Topic 3: WWII European Front

color vintage Navy poster with a map of the North Sea

Topic 4: Japanese Internment Camps

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources related to the American internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

Go to Topic 4: Japanese Internment Camps

black and white photo of posters displayed on a street corner

Topic 5: Teenagers in World War II: The Victory Corps

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources examining the role and impact of the Victory Corps during World War II.

Go to Topic 5: Teenagers in World War II: The Victory Corps

black and white photo of a man in uniform standing in front of a small propeller plane

Topic 6: The Golden Age of Radio

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources related to the uses and popularity of radio as a means of mass communication in the 1940s.

Go to Topic 6: The Golden Age of Radio

black and white photo of a woman turning on a large radio

Funded by a grant from the Library of Congress, Maryland Humanities and MPT developed the Teaching with Primary Sources Inquiry Kits and Research Learning Modules to support K-12 educators and students.

The MSDE Social Studies Department is committed to providing materials and professional development to teachers to assist them in teaching primary source analysis and in providing authentic, project-based assessments to students.