The Dust Bowl in Texas

Students search the Web for a photograph from the Dust Bowl. Then they learn about the causes of the Dust Bowl and categorize them as natural or man-made. Next they learn about a New Deal program for soil conservation. Finally they learn about another catastrophic event, Hurricane Harvey, and they write a diary entry of someone living through either event.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for The Dust Bowl in Texas:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


Overview

In this experience, students search the Web for a photograph from the Dust Bowl. Then they learn about the causes of the Dust Bowl and categorize them as natural or man-made. Next they learn about a New Deal program for soil conservation. Finally they learn about another catastrophic event, Hurricane Harvey, and they write a diary entry of someone living through either event.

If you have access to leveled readers about life during the Dust Bowl, assign them to the students in parallel to this experience.

Estimated duration: 35-45 minutes

 

Discovery Reading

A printable Discovery Reading is included in the student pack as a support for understanding the experience’s core content and concepts. This Discovery Reading is not necessary to complete the experience and serves as an optional support resource.

Vocabulary Words:

These vocabulary words are used in the experience or connect closely to the standards and content students examine. Students should understand these terms as they work through the experience.

  • Dust Bowl: a period in the 1930s when drought and blowing dust damaged land, crops, and lives in Texas and other Great Plains states.
  • drought: a long time with very little or no rain, which dries out the soil and harms crops.
  • topsoil: the top layer of soil, where plants grow best and where roots get nutrients.
  • soil erosion: the wearing away or blowing away of soil by wind or water.
  • conservation: the careful use and protection of natural resources such as soil and water.
  • New Deal: programs started by the federal government during the Great Depression to help people and solve problems such as soil damage.
  • human modification of the environment: changes people make to the land, such as plowing grasslands, building cities, or creating drainage systems.
 

Objectives

  • Analyze the natural and human causes of the Dust Bowl.
  • Describe the ways in which the Dust Bowl affected Texans.


Engage


The Stock Market Crash of 1929 may have set off the economic depression, but a natural event also contributed. There was a severe drought throughout the Midwest and Southwest, especially across Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. The soil became so dry that it turned to dust, leading to the nickname Dust Bowl. In this lesson, you will learn about the causes and effects of the Dust Bowl.

Objectives

  • Analyze the natural and human causes of the Dust Bowl.
  • Describe the ways in which the Dust Bowl affected Texans.


Search the Web for a photograph from the period called the Dust Bowl. Upload the photo to the canvas below.


View all the photos uploaded by your classmates.


Depending on the photographs uploaded, students may be able to see that farmland was very dry—and dusty—during this period. In this lesson students will see how the dust from a drought can be a powerful force.


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

End of Preview
The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Modern Texas Unit.

Urban Growth

Texas and the Aerospace Industry

Spindletop and the Oil Industry

The Great Depression

Texas During World War II

Modern Texas: Unit Assessment

Modern Texas: Vocabulary

The Dust Bowl in Texas

Changing Demographics in Texas
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