Curated OER
The Great Depression
Students analyze the causes of the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson, students listen to their instructor present lectures regarding the Dust Bowl, stock market crash, and Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. Students conduct further...
Curated OER
Out of the Dust
Seventh graders read a book of poems called "Out of the Dust". In groups, they research the Dust Bowl and how it affected people living through the Great Depression. Using the text, they identify the theme and key turning points and...
K20 LEARN
Of Mice and Men in the Great Depression: Background and Setting
What were living conditions like in the United States during The Great Depression, and how do those conditions compare with today? That's the question young scholars consider as they prepare to read John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men....
Curated OER
Out of the Dust
Students examine 1930's America through literature. In this Dust Bowl lesson, students read Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust and set up vocabulary journals and question bookmarks to log their thoughts and impressions as they read the novel.
ReadWriteThink
Designing Museum Exhibits for The Grapes of Wrath: A Multigenre Project
Challenge readers of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath to create a museum exhibit that uses artifacts to focus on one issue raised by the award winning story of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the Joads.
Penguin Books
A Teacher’s Guide to the Penguin Edition of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath
The dry Oklahoma landscape in America's Dust Bowl sent many farmers in search of the promised land. A teacher's guide to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath discusses the characters' desire for a better home along with other themes and...
Curated OER
Arkansas and the Dust Bowl
Students access and use the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information, American Memory collection and Todd and Sonkin collection for research. They develop research skills and strategies, such as key word searches to...
Curated OER
The Impact of the Dust Bowl as Shown Through Photography
Seventh graders examine and discuss photographs and paintings of the Dust Bowl era. They write a journal entry describing what it would be like if they stepped into one of the photographs, and create a Powerpoint presentation on the Dust...
Eastland FFA
Grapes of Wrath Movie Questions
John Ford's 1940 film version of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath is the subject of a 23-question instructional activity designed to accompany a viewing of the film. The questions not only focus viewers on events, but also ask them...
Curated OER
Losing Ground
Students examine how effects of farming practices in the early 20th Century contributed to severe soil erosion of a large portion of the North American grasslands.
Stanford University
Migrant Mother Photograph
A picture often has hidden stories to tell. Looking at the iconic Migrant Mother photography by Dorothy Lange, individuals examine the human toll of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression at large. Other documents, including a statement...
Curated OER
The Great Depression: Eating on a Shoestring
Students explore the realities of feeding a family on a very limited budget by comparing the cost of living in the 1930s to the cost of living today. Using primary documents and technology to make the comparison, they identify the impact...
Curated OER
Farm Life During the Great Depression
Fifth graders examine the plight of farmers during the Great Depression. In this Nebraska history lesson, 5th graders discuss the era prior to reading the novel Out of the Dust by Karen Heese.
Curated OER
The Great Depression
Eleventh graders study the aspects of the Great Depression. In this American History lesson plan, 11th graders will analyze the causes and effects of the Depression on American Society.
Curated OER
Going to the Promised Land
Learners analyze primary resources and map in order to draw conclusions regarding the migrant-worker experience during the Great Depression. They explain and explain the impact of economic and ecological events on individuals.
Curated OER
Migrant Workers Through the Lens of Dorothea Lange
Students explore the lives of migrant workers during the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students examine photographs and song lyrics to gain an understanding of the conditions for people living in the era....
Curated OER
A Multi-Media Approach to Teaching The Grapes of Wrath
Integrate history, math, and art into a study of The Grapes of Wrath with a series of activities that ask learners to investigate the social, political, economic, and environmental factors at play during the 1930s. Designed to be used...
Curated OER
What Caused the Great Depression?
Analyze the many causes of major political, economic, and social developments during the 1920s and 1930s, with emphasis on the Great Depression. Read photographs from the 1920's and the 1930's, then write a brief explanation of what you...
Curated OER
How the Great Depression Affected California and C¿¿sar E. Ch¿¿vez
Fourth graders examine the effect of the Great Depression on California. After reading a summary, they discover how the depression and Dust Bowl led to the immigration of great numbers of farm workers into California. They also...
Curated OER
Life During the Great Depression
Eleventh graders explore life during the Great Depression and how Americans responded to the problem. Using information discussed, 11th graders complete a flow chart activity depicting the Dust Bowl. After watching clips of movies...
Curated OER
To Kill A Mockingbird: Historical Background
Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother" and other images set the stage for a PowerPoint about the Great Depression. Whether used as background for Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, or as part of a historical study, the presentation would...
Curated OER
The Grapes of Wrath: Voices from the Great Depression
Pupils research the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the plight of migrant farm workers during the Great Depression as they read Steinbeck's The...
Curated OER
Out of the Dust -- Part II
Eighth graders discover that literature can be a great way to gather information about the past. Using various types of text, they research its historical data and determine if it is correct. They write two papers to respond to the...
Curated OER
The Impact of the Great Depression on Texas
Seventh graders examine and discuss photographs taken during the Great Depression and the impact of the Great Depression on the U.S. They write research reports and create a mural depicting the lives of rural and urban families in the...