Name of Lesson: The Dust Bowl
Teacher: Frances Worm
03 Oct 09
US History/ 11th
Purpose: Students will recognize the way in which natural drought combined with unwise
agricultural practices created the Dust Bowl, a major factor in the economic and cultural chaos of
the 1930’s. This also gives a view and understanding of how FDR and the New Deal were a
response to the economic crisis during the Depression Era.
Student Learning Objective: Standard 11.6.3- Students discuss the human toll of the
Depression, natural disasters, and unwise agricultural practices and their effects on the
depopulation of rural regions and on political movements of the left and right, with particular
attention to the Dust Bowl refugees and their social and economic impacts in California.
Formative Assessments: Students will show an understanding of the material through class
discussion and in class journal writings and letter writing, as well as, an in class quiz at the end
of the lesson. During discussions students will have opportunity to ask for further information
and clarification, which will give me an idea of understanding and possible modification as
needed, as well as the journal writings.
Materials/Set-Up/Safety: Film Study of The Grapes of Wrath DVD, a video of, The Black
Blizzard, History Channel, Between the Wars: The Dust Bowl –Brief diary excerpts from
History Matters, Documentary Photography and the Great Depression Every Picture Tells a
Story, Out of the Dust- fiction.
Classroom will be free of any debris and obstacles impeding student movement and access to
doors. Any cords will be outside of student pathway.
Procedures:
1st- To introduce this lesson a video of the dust cloud coming over a farm will be shown to
engage students into the subject while music from Woody Guthrie plays in the background. After
seeing the video and pictures of the Dust bowl an open discussion of what the students saw and
how it made them feel will occur. Students will be asked to describe what it must have been like
to live through this. A quick write will be assigned after the discussion. Students will be given
the film synopsis and timeline to study as homework for the next days assignment.
2nd- Film study of The Grapes of Wratha. Students will use timeline and synopsis of the film to understand the setting and
context of the film.
b. Students view film and answer questions.
c. Discuss written observations made by students while watching film.
3rd- Students will read Out of the Dust a fictional account of the Dust Bowl at home.
Students will keep a guided journal noting specific passages relating to: school life, family life,
government assistance, agriculture and how community was affected. After the readings are
finished students will pair up into groups and discuss the book and what they thought of the book
and from their journals will list what they thought was the most significant aspect of the Dust
Bowl. The groups would then present their thoughts to the class.
4th- Documentary Photography and the Great Depression, Every Picture Tells a Story,
a. Students use photographs to analyze and discuss what the pictures portray and what
emotion the photographs invoke in them.
b. Compare different versions of famous photographs and analyze why any particular
photo became famous.
c. Examine photos to determine what the photographer’s message was and what was the
photographer was trying to impart.
5th- Between the Wars: The Dust BowlStudents will read brief diary exerts from History Matters to gain an understanding of the affect
the Dust Bowl had on the people. Students will analyze the diaries for any underlying message or
feeling gleaned from the diaries and then students will write diaries from the perspective of a
child, farmer, government official, or parent or local merchant. Students will then discuss their
diary entries for further understanding of the event.
6th- The conclusion will be a quiz related to the Dust Bowl given on the last day of the lesson.
Special Management considerations and accommodations for special needs, advanced and
English language learners: This lesson will build upon prior knowledge of the Great
Depression and will further knowledge of President Roosevelt’s New Deal and the affects of the
Great Depression. This lesson accommodates students from many different modalities; visual,
linguistic and will assist EL students with video and visual images. Advanced learners will be
encouraged to read The Grapes of Wrath for a more in depth understanding of the affect of the
Dust Bowl.