The Dust Bowl

Name: Sarah Otvos
Grade Level: 5

Teacher Materials Needed:

• “Surviving the Dust Bowl” (PBS Video, 60 min., $19.98)
• Map of the United States highlighting the region where the Dust Bowl took place (can be found at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/maps/index.html) -possibly make an overhead of this
• Computer with internet access
• Television with VCR

Student Materials Needed:

• Computers with internet access (one computer per two or three students)
• Paper of any kind

My Goals for This Lesson:

• To integrate social studies with technology
• To continue discussion on the Great Depression and the 1930’s, focusing on The Dust Bowl
• To have students learn about The Dust Bowl through use of many different sources
• To allow students to work in cooperative groups and collectively create a product of their learning
• To allow students to share their newfound knowledge with the class and learn from other students, as well

Related NC Standard Course of Study Goals/Objectives:
Social Studies
5.1   Explain how people of the Western Hemisphere adapt and have adapted to     the physical environment.
11.1 Identify and describe changes which have occurred in ways of living in the United States, Canada, and Latin America.
11.3 Evaluate the effects of change on the lives of the people of the United States, Canada, and Latin America.
12.1 Identify people, symbols, and events associated with the heritage of the United States, Canada, and Latin America.
Computer/Technology Skills
2.1 Use technology tools to collect, analyze, and display data.
 
 

Launch:

• Have students gather in an open area or a rug.  Review the basic events, causes and effects of the Great Depression, as has been discussed in previous lessons.  Tell the students that today you will be exploring another aspect of the Depression and another part of our country that was affected by it.  Show a short introductory clip from the film “Surviving the Dust Bowl”.  This clip will explain, in general, what the Dust Bowl was, when it occurred, and where it occurred.
• When this clip if finished, lead a brief discussion on the Dust Bowl.  Display a map showing the states in which were affected by this event and talk about the way in which people in these areas made a living.  This discussion would be centered on farming and the terrain and land of this area.
• ASK: Had any of you heard of The Dust Bowl before today’s class?  If so, where did you hear about it?  What images come to mind when you think about The Dust Bowl?  What images come to mind when you think of America in the 1930’s?
• Write some of the answers, suggestions and ideas on the board, a piece of paper, or an overhead.  Students most likely will not know a whole lot about this topic.  Tell them that they now have the opportunity to explore and find the answers to these questions and more.

Explore:

• Divide students into small groups or pairs as evenly as possible.  Assign each group to a computer with Internet access (most likely in a computer lab).  Have each group go to this address: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/.  Or have this location already displayed on each computer.
• Assign each group an area of this website to explore.  (These areas are displayed on the right hand side of the page.)  The areas are: Special Features, where the group will focus on the eyewitness account within this section; Timeline; People & Events, where the groups will pick people and events that they want to study about.
• Each groups’ goal is to research their assigned topic/person/event.  One way to organize this information is by listing "The 5 W's" (who, what, when, where, why) of the subject.  Another organizational strategy is to discuss and display the causes and effects of the given topic of research.  Later, the students will be presenting their newfound knowledge to the class, so be sure the students are taking notes or printing off information that they find important.
• Each group will present their information in a way that is creative yet conducive to learning.  For example, the group researching the timeline may wish to create a visual showing the major events of The Dust Bowl.  The group researching a specific person from this time period may write journal entries from this person’s point of view.
• *Allow students the rest of the class period and time at home to work on these projects.  They do not have to be too elaborate or time-consuming, as long as they get the material across in a manner that is easy to understand and present to the class.

Summarize:

• The following day, assemble the class in an open area or rug and have each group bring their finished project with them.  The groups will take turns presenting their information and taking any questions about their topic that other classmates may have.  Presenting in this way allows each student to be an expert on one aspect of the era and also gain knowledge about other aspects of the time period, learning through their peers.  At this point, students should have at least a general idea of The Dust Bowl era.  However, more than that, they have read and heard stories of people who lived during this time period and see many different points of view.

Assessment/Evidence of Learning:

• As the students work in the computer lab, walk around and be sure that each group is on task and navigating the website properly.  Look to see that they are reading and discussing the information they are exploring.  Also observe the way in which the group interacts, whether cooperation is taking place.
• During the group presentations, observe whether the students seem to know their topic.  This can be seen through their discussion about the topic and the visual/project they created.  Collect their projects in order to take a closer look and evaluate them on content, accuracy of information and creativity.