The Problems of the Dust Bowl

GRADE LEVEL: 7th GRADE

SUBJECT: TEXAS HISTORY

TOPIC:

Documentary Photography of the Dust Bowl / Great Depression

TEKS:

7.7(A)
7.9
7.10
7.11
7.21

OBJECTIVE:

Identify the problems of the Dust Bowl years through photos and discussion.

MATERIALS:

See Photos Below
Texas, Our Texas- 7th grade Texas History textbook photographs
page 529: Dust Rolling Through Amarillo, 1936
page 527: Cotton Pickers near Robstown
page 527: Annual Move - Otis Dozier
Texas Almanac

FOCUS:

Show students various photographs and paintings of the Dust Bowl and encourage comments and questions to begin discussion of the Dust Bowl era.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What do these photos have in common? (wind, dust, all of the photos are black and white)

What factors do you think helped create the Dust Bowl? (plowing grassland, lack of soil conservation, drought condition)

FOCUS ACTIVITY:

Write a journal entry describing what it would be like if you stepped into one of these photographs. Use all five senses. What do you see, hear, feel, taste, smell?

RESEARCH ACTIVITY:

Use the Texas Almanac, Internet, periodicals, and magazines. The drought of the 1930's was not the only bad drought Texas has experienced. Using the Texas Almanac, have the students research the following questions:

Besides the 1930's, when else has Texas experienced severe drought conditions?

How much rain did the Panhandle receive during the Dust Bowl?

How does that compare to the recent drought of 1998 or the droughts of the 1950's or any other time of serious drought?

How did the Dust Bowl affect the economy of the Panhandle in the 1930's  (For example, how many farms per county were there in the Texas Panhandle in 1929? How many were there in 1939?)

What was the average farm income in Texas in 1929 as opposed to 1939?

What percentage of Texas farmers sold or lost their farms in the 1930's?

How would farm loss effect the economy of Amarillo?

What happened to families who lost their farms?

How did government action effect the Dust Bowl?

EXTENSION ACTIVITY:

1.  Have students record oral histories of people who survived the Dust Bowl. This can be done individually, in small groups, or as an extra credit project. Relatives, local nursing homes, senior citizen organizations, and churches are all good sources of people to interview.

2.  Have local agriculture experts visit the classroom and discuss droughts of recent memory and why they did not have the same impact as the Dust Bowl. Discuss ways students can help prevent another Dust Bowl from occurring (water and soil conservation.)

RESOURCES:

Agriculture Master Speakers, scientist from the Bushland U.S.D.A. research station, local county extensions agents, etc.

CULMINATING PROJECT: Students will create a multimedia presentation using Power Point or Hyperstudio detailing the effects of the Dust Bowl on the Texas Panhandle.

Information should be visual, written, and auditory. Reports should include information from a variety of sources, including first hand accounts. A bibliography or source page must be included.