We can analyze how the Dust Bowl impacted American society during the Great Depression.
How do you think farmers responded to the Dust Bowl?
I think farmers responded to the Dust Bowl by...
By studying this visual, students might:
- In 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act.
- The Homestead Act gave homesteaders land that had drought-resistant grasses.
- From 1862 to 1933, homesteaders planted drought-susceptible crops with shallow roots.
- In 1934, there was drought and winds which led to a lot of loose soil.
- During the dust storms, the drought-susceptible crops were no longer able to grow and farmers were broke.
- What caused all the dust in the air?
- Why did people leave their homes?
- What happened to the farms in this area?
- How long did the Dust Bowl last?
- Could this have been prevented?
Extending the Discussion
- After randomly calling on students, if there is anything from this list that was not mentioned, then ask the class, "Did anyone notice...?"
- After students have shared what they notice, ask the class, "Did anyone wonder...?" using the suggestions above or anything else you might think is interesting or relevant to the lesson.
Structured Conversation Prompts
What occurred during the Dust Bowl?
During the Dust Bowl, ...
How was the Dust Bowl related to homesteaders?
The Dust Bowl was related to homesteaders because...
How do you think farmers responded to the Dust Bowl?
I think farmers responded to the Dust Bowl by...
Example Student Responses to the Observational Question
During the Dust Bowl, the dirt blew around and the crops died.
During the Dust Bowl, severe drought combined with poor farming practices caused the soil to blow away, destroying crops and forcing many farmers into poverty.
Responding to Responses
Emphasize and celebrate each student's use of the key vocabulary to support a culture of "no wrong answers."
Structuring Student Conversations
Have students list observations from the visual as a warm-up, then use the Q-SSS-A process to guide small-group conversations. In the slide decks, brackets can be moved to prepare the structured conversation. In the example to the right, students will be instructed: Q-SSS-A.
- To put a thumb up, then lower their hand when they are ready to answer the question
- To share with their elbow/shoulder partner, and that the student with the darkest shoe will share first
- That they will be randomly called on after the conversation
Here is an example of structuring a conversation with Q-SSS-A.
Note: the inferential question is the same as the language objective. It is recommended that students answer the inferential question in a small-group discussion before answering it individually as the closure or exit ticket of the lesson.
Structured Reading
The purpose for reading is to understand how the Dust Bowl affected families economically and socially during the Great Depression.
- The ways the Dust Bowl affected daily life
- How the Alvarez family lost their land
- Economic challenges during the Great Depression
- What life was like in the labor camps
- How Tomás and his family responded to hardships
What were some of the long-term effects of the Dust Bowl on families like Tomás’s, and how did they respond to those challenges?
One long-term effect of the Dust Bowl on families like Tomás’s was… They responded by…
Structuring the Reading
Communicate the purpose of reading to the students and instruct them to make a note every time they see something on the PAT ("Pay Attention To") list. How you have students note items on the PAT list is up to you. This could include:
- Putting an asterisk in the margin
- Underlining text that supports the PAT list
- Putting a comment in the margin
Follow the reading with the post-reading discussion. Structure this discussion using the Q-SSS-A process just like the structured conversations in this lesson.
Note: you might find the relational question is better discussed before or after the reading. This depends on whether the relational question is directly related to the reading or might make connections across units.
Differentiating the Reading
You will notice that three different reading passages are provided with this lesson. Look at the shapes in the top-left of each passage to determine the grade level.
In a class with students at diverse reading level proficiencies, you can give the appropriate reading passage to different students, while having all students follow the same PAT list and post-reading discussion.