Depression Era Unit

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Page 192

Great Depression and Dustbowl Overview

Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother”

Internet Researcher: Erin McCarty

1. Read the two first paragraph of the Website http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/great-depression.htm According to the author, by the time Franklin D. Roosevelt took office:

the unemployment rose from 8 to 15 million ;

the Gross National Product fell from $103.8 billion to $55.7 billion ;

and 40 % of the farms in Mississippi were in foreclosure.

2. How did the economic crisis impact schools? The crisis shortened the school day and the school year.

3. In the fourth paragraph the authors describe two approaches to local protest.  Select one of the protests and describe what the protest involved. “Farm Holidays”-Neighbors of farmers who were in foreclosure refused to bid on farms at auctions.

4. This Site briefly mentions the Dustbowl.  Go to http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/dustbowl.htm to learn more.  Scroll down and use the map to identify which states were affected. Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas

5. Read the fourth paragraph (one before timeline).  Describe what caused the Dustbowl. Poor agricultural practices and a severe drought caused the Dustbowl. The ground cover that held soil in place was gone. The winds blew and dust clouds flew.

6. Think about what you’ve read on each Site.  In your opinion, how did the Dustbowl make the economic crisis (The Great Depression) even worse? The agricultural business also went in a decline. With no agricultural work to be done, farmers had to look for other jobs that were also becoming scarce.

7. Find something, which interests you on either Website to share with your class. The worst drought in history was in May of 1934. It covered more than 75% of the country and affected 27 states severely.