The Dust Bowl and Great Depression
Classroom Resources Brought to You by KET
Up From the Dust - Mission US
Mission-US.org. 3-8+.
Organic Farming: Conserving Topsoil
PBS LearningMedia. 3-13+.
Taking Care of Farm and Family During the Great Depression
Taking Care of Farm and Family During the Great Depression. Find out how the Great Depression made farm life even more difficult while many rural families found creative solutions to their problems in this video from Iowa Public Television. As the Great Depression began, what was a challenging life on the farm became more difficult. There was very little money on hand to keep the farm going from year to year and to purchase what they could not produce themselves. Many farm families found creative solutions to their problems. Communities came together to help one another whether it was to build a new barn, or bring in harvest.
PBS LearningMedia. 5-12.
Farmers Fear Bankruptcy During the Great Depression
Farmers Fear Bankruptcy During the Great Depression. Learn about the thousands of family farms that were lost due to bankruptcy during the Great Depression in this video from Iowa Public Television. During the Great Depression, thousands of family farms were lost due to bankruptcy. Farmers could not make payments on loans because the cost of production exceeded their profits. Those who were able to stay in business were in constant fear of losing their farm.
PBS LearningMedia. 5-12.
The First Measured Century | Lesson Plan 6: The Great Depression: What would it be like today?
The First Measured Century | Lesson Plan 6: The Great Depression: What would it be like today?. The First Measured Century project presents a unique look at American History, using data to show us where we've been and where we might be going. In this lesson students calculate the percentage decline in factors affecting the quality of life such as wages and unemployment, from before the Depression to the beginning of the New Deal. Find the associated handout here.
PBS LearningMedia. 6-12.
Ken Burns' The Dust Bowl: Interactive
PBS LearningMedia. 6-12.
Dust Bowl Migrations
PBS LearningMedia. 6-12.
Documenting the Dust Bowl
Documenting the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl and resulting western migration that occurred in the 1930s is explored in this video segment from the American Masters film Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning. The agricultural devastation and ensuing migration is documented through the eyes and photographs of documentary photographer Dorothea Lange as she captures the influx on film. The segment discusses the causes and consequences of the Dust Bowl and contrasts the migrant farmers’ hopes of finding an “American Dream” in California with the distraught reality of farm life on the west coast during this time.
PBS LearningMedia. 7-12.
The 1930s - Photo Gallery
The 1930s - Photo Gallery. Explore photos demonstrating the impact of the Great Depression on society and culture, including jazz and sports. Learn more with this gallery from American Experience: "The 1930s."
PBS LearningMedia. 9-12.
Surviving the Dust Bowl - Biography: Hugh Hammond Bennett
Surviving the Dust Bowl - Biography: Hugh Hammond Bennett. Hugh Hammond Bennett, "the father of soil conservation," worked to lessen the impact of the Dust Bowl in the early 1930s. Learn more with this biography from American Experience: "Surviving the Dust Bowl."
PBS LearningMedia. 9-12.
The Great Depression
The Great Depression. The Great Depression was a landmark event in American history. This video takes a look at how the U.S. government responded to this historic financial collapse. Also, how Republicans have dealt with grave economic issues.
PBS LearningMedia. 9-12.
The Great Depression | Crash Course US History #33
PBS LearningMedia. 9-13+.
The New Deal | Crash Course US History #34
PBS LearningMedia. 9-13+.