Out of the Dust
After viewing the primary sources from previous lesson and reading an excerpt from the novel Out
of the Dust , compare the historical account to its fictional portrayal of the dust bowl (how does
the excerpt portray the dust bowl vs. the historical account). An example has been provided.
(from text on pages 142-146)
Explanation of historical account
“Brown earth rained down”
This really did happen during the dust bowl. After viewing
the video, dust was literally “raining” down. The author used
this quote to help the reader visualize the dust bowl in the
book.
“The dirt blew down so thick it scratched my eyes.”
“The wind took my voice and busted it into a
thousand pieces.”
“I waited for my father through the night coughing
up dust, cleaning dust out of my ears, rinsing my
mouth, blowing mud out of my nose.”
The Storm in the Barn
Explain how the author used the historical account of the dust bowl as the setting in the novel. Provide
evidence from the text to support your explanation (setting, imagery quotes, etc).
Poster:
Create a poster that compares and contrasts the historical account of the dust
bowl to its fictional portrayal. You must provide an explanation of the historical
account and cite evidence to explain how the author(s) altered the historical
account. To receive full credit you must include:
1. Historical account
2. Quotes used to explain event in novel
3. Examples of how the setting was portrayed (imagery, pictures, etc)
4. Explanation demonstrating how the author uses or alters history by comparing
and contrasting a fictional portrayal with the historical account.
“I waited for my father through the night coughing up dust, cleaning dust out of my ears, rinsing my mouth, blowing mud out of my
nose.”
“The dirt blew down so thick it scratched my eyes.”
Historical account:
The dust bowl was a major event during the 1930’s. It affected mostly the mid-west region (OK, TX,
NM, KS) because there was a drought (no rain) and ruined the land and crops. Many people thought the
dust storms were a “freak” accident, and life would be normal soon. The dust bowl lasted many years
(1931-1939) and affected land, crops, families and created financial hardships.
“Where’s Jack?!”
The novel uses graphics to show how serious the event was
“RUN!”