Teacher's Guide

Out of the Dust

 Scenario

  Farm families in the midwestern United States experienced a devastating drought during a period in our history known as the Great Depression. Strong winds in the area blew the soil away into billowing clouds which choked people and covered everything. Dust collected like snow drifts, and farmers were left without any natural or economic resources. They became "dirt poor," and the area became known as the Dust Bowl.

You will be reading the historical novel Out of the Dust, about a girl who lived on one of these farms in Oklahoma. Before reading the novel, you will need to conduct research about these events in U.S. history and their effects on people..

How does an understanding of the historical period enhance your reading of the novel Out of the Dust?

Task and Product

 Your task will be to research an aspect of the Great Depression or the Dust Bowl and how it affected people in rural and urban settings. You will write a paragraph and create a visual about your research topic for a class Historical Background Guide for Out of the Dust. This guide may be created and presented as a class scrapbook, PowerPoint presentation, video, or as a series of oral reports with visuals.

You will select your research topic from the focus questions below.

Assessments

You will be graded on your research process as well as on your final product.

Research Process Scoring Tools
Daily Research Assessments (formative)
Student Self-Assessment Rubric for Reasearch Module (summative)
Teacher Assessment Rubric for Student Reaserch Module (summative)

Final Product Scoring Tools
Scrapbook
Oral report with Visuals
Power Point Presentation

Question


 Essential Question:

How does an understanding of the historical period enhance your reading of the novel Out of the Dust?


Focus Questions (select one for your research):
1. What events led up to the Great Depression?
2. Where and when did the Dust Bowl occur, and what caused it?
3. What were the conditions and effects of a dust storm in the Dust Bowl?
4. How did the Dust Bowl and the Depression affect midwestern farm families?
5. What was life like for farm families who migrated to California ?
5. How did the U.S. government try to help victims of the Dust Bowl and the Deptression?
6. What was the popular culture like during the 1930's? Give examples of music, literature, theater, or other common pastimes.

Gather and Sort

Gather information about your topic from a variety of sources.

Sort your research findings using a graphic organizer or note cards. Be sure to avoid plagiarism and keep track of your resources for a bibliography.

Organize

Analyze/synthesize your findings by writing a first draft of your paragraph and creating your visual.

  • What new insights have emerged about life during this time period?
  • Which facts suppport your understanding of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl?
  • Are there any irrelevant details that could be eliminated?
  • How does your visual relate to the information in your paragraph?

Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task.

  • Have you gathered sufficient details to answer your research focus question?
  • Is your research reflected in the the final project?
  • How well does your visual enhance or explain the information in your paragraph?
  • Did you cite your sources?

Write a final draft of your paragraph and create the final version of your visual. Then create your final product (scrapbook page, PowerPoint presentation, or oral report with visuals) using appropriate tools such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, or Microsoft PowerPoint.

Conclusion

Students will present their research products before/during your class reading of Out of the Dust.

Reflection:
After reading the novel, reflect on the devastation brought on by the economic situation and natural disaster depicted in Out of the Dust. Write a sourcebook entry to explain how your understanding of the story was enhanced by your new knowledge of the novel's historical context.