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
Introduction to a Unit on the 1930's Depression in America
Learners view and discuss photographic images of the Dust Bowl by Dorothea Lange. They discuss who Dorothea Lange was and why she took the pictures, the conservational factors that contributed to the Dust Bowl and migrant workers and the...
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
Literature: Esperanza Rising
Young scholars read and discuss the book, Esperanza Rising. After analyzing and identifying the novel's structural elements, they examine working conditions for migrant workers in the 1930s. As part of the lesson, students in groups...
Curated OER
About Life: The Photographs of Dorothea Lange Going to the Promised Land
To better understand the migrant experience during the Great Depression, pupils analyze two primary resources: photographs by Dorothea Lange and a U.S. Map that shows the Dust Bowl. They compare and contrast Lange's images to Steinbeck's...
Curated OER
Going to the Promised Land
Young scholars 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
Grapes of Wrath: Setting up Historical Context
Discuss life in the 1930s in relation to the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, then do a cross-media analysis. Here you'll find background information on film maker John Ford, writer John Steinbeck, and 1930s America. You can compare the...
Curated OER
The Roar of the Twenties; The Crash of the Thirties
Eighth graders, after assuming identities of prominent figures from the 1920's and looking at slides and data from the era, relate, in diary form, the cultural, economic and political changes that happened in America between 1920 and 1939.
Curated OER
Children in the Fields
Fourth graders research Hispanic child labor in California's agricultural period. They create dioramas reflecting the lives of migrant farm workers and political cartoons as produce crate labels, They illustrate farm scenes and hold a...
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
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...
World of Teaching
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Explore the life and writing of John Steinbeck. A 48-slide presentation introduces the famous American author, his California heritage, and his impressive collection of published work. Viewers are then introduced to Of Mice and Men, one...
Curated OER
Dust Bowl Exodus: How Drought and the Depression Took Their Toll
Learners examine the migration of refugees. In this California history instructional activity, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of how the Dust Bowl and Great Depression led to a California...
Curated OER
Going to the Promised Land (Dust Bowl Migration)
Students examine Dust Bowl migration. In this Great Depression lesson, students research primary sources regarding migration issues in the United States during the Great Depression. Students discuss their research findings and impressions.
Curated OER
American Immigration Past and Present
Students simulate a Commission hearing in which the class attempt to arrive at an immigration policy; individual essays by each student; and, if time permits, individual or group projects based on some aspect of America's immigration...
The History Place
The History Place: Dorothea Lange: Migrant Farm Families
Learn about the history of migrant workers in America by viewing the work of Dorothea Lange, one of the most famous photographers of the Great Depression.
Wessels Living History Farm
Living History Farm: Farming in the 1930s: The Fsa, Farm Security Administration
Find photographs, brief videos, and commentary about what loans from the Farm Security Administration meant to poor farmers during the Great Depression.
Read Works
Read Works: How Dorothea Lange and John Steinbeck Captured California
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about how photographer Dorothea Lange and author John Steinbeck portrayed life in California in the late 1930's. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in...
Wessels Living History Farm
Living History Farm: Farming in the 1930s: Fsa Photographers
What a fabulous resource documenting the lives of farmers across the country during the Great Depression. Talented photographers, working for the Farm Security Administration, were sent out to take pictures, which were then published in...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Dust Bowl Days
Seven-instructional activity collection of lessons and suggested activities for instructing early learners about the Dust Bowl using a variety of primary sources (songs, letters, photos, etc.).
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: A Photo Essay on the Great Depression
Series of annotated photographs that document the realities of Depression-era America.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: The Dust Bowl
[Free Registration/Login Required] This is a flipchart covering the Dust Bowl of the Midwest in the 1930's. It includes various pictures of the dust, Okies, and migrant workers.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Esperanza Rising: Learning Not to Be Afraid to Start Over
In this lesson students will explore some of the contrasts that Esperanza experiences when she suddenly is forced to leave the life of a wealthy landowner's daughter surrounded by servants to become a servant herself among an extended...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Steinbeck's Use of Nonfiction Sources in "The Grapes of Wrath"
For this lesson plan, students will consider Steinbeck's Use of Nonfiction Sources in "The Grapes of Wrath". Worksheets and other supporting materials can be found under the Resources tab. In this lesson students will compare nonfiction...