Grade 7 Social Studies Unit: 11 Lesson: 01 The Dust Bowl Grade 7 Social Studies Unit: 11 Lesson: 01 ©2012, TESCCC
The Dust Bowl: 1930s The Dust Bowl was an area of the country that was affected by drought in the 1930s, with 1934-1936 being the most severe. The states most affected were Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. ©2012, TESCCC
Image credit: Natural Resources Conservation Service. (n.d.). Areas subject to severe wind erosion, 1935-1938. Retrieved from http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/about/history/?cid=stelprdb1049437 ©2012, TESCCC
The Dust Bowl: 1930s The area most affected in Texas was the panhandle. Cities such as Dalhart, Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa and the small communities surrounding them were heavily impacted. ©2012, TESCCC
The Dust Bowl: 1930s Causes: Severe drought (no rain) High winds and temperatures well over 100 degrees. Farming methods at that time did not use ground cover, crop rotation, or soil conservation methods. The result was that the dry conditions and high winds caused the soil to turn to dust and blow away. ©2012, TESCCC
The Dust Bowl: 1930s Effects: Severe dust storms or “black blizzards” devastated communities. Crops were ruined. Livestock perished. Family farms were lost. ©2012, TESCCC
The Dust Bowl: 1930s Effects: Adults and children died from dust pneumonia. Children wore dust masks walking to school. Homes were overcome with insects and pests such as scorpions, spiders, rattlesnakes. Thousands of jackrabbits devoured family gardens. ©2012, TESCCC
The Dust Bowl: 1930s Effects: Acts of daily life such as breathing, eating, and working were no longer simple. Children wore dust masks to and from school. Women hung wet sheets over windows in a futile attempt to stop the dirt from entering their homes. Farmers watched helplessly as their crops and land blew away. ©2012, TESCCC
The Dust Bowl: 1930s West Texas was hit the hardest, but people all over the state were hurt economically during these years. ©2012, TESCCC
Pretend you are one of the children in this picture Pretend you are one of the children in this picture. Turn and talk to a partner and say one word describing how this makes you feel. Photo credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-DIG-ppmsc-00241 DLC ] Rothstein, A. (Photographer). (1936). Farmer and sons walking in the face of a dust storm. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsc.00241 ©2012, TESCCC
Turn to your partner and describe the picture below Turn to your partner and describe the picture below. What does it remind you of? Photo credit: Western History Collection, University of Oklahoma. (Designer). A black blizzard over prowers co., colorado, 1937 [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/dustbowlpics.html ©2012, TESCCC
A black blizzard over Prowers Co., Colorado, 1937 Turn to your partner and explain in a sentence why these severe dust storms were called “black blizzards.” Photo credit: Western History Collection, University of Oklahoma. (Designer). A black blizzard over prowers co., colorado, 1937 [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/dustbowlpics.html A black blizzard over Prowers Co., Colorado, 1937 ©2012, TESCCC
Turn and talk to your partner Turn and talk to your partner. What do you think happens inside the houses when a dust storm like this hits? Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas Dust bowl surveying in Texas Location: Stratford, Texas Photo Date: April 18, 1935 Photo credit: Image courtesy of the NOAA’s National Weather Service George E. Marsh Album. NOAA. (Photographer). (1934). Dust storm approaching stratford, texas. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/bigs/theb1365.jpg ©2012, TESCCC
Turn and talk to your partner Turn and talk to your partner. Why would the severe drought hurt cattle and other animals? Photo credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-USF34-004380-D DLC ] Rothstein, A. (Photographer). (1936). Dry and parched earth in the badlands of south dakota. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8b27697 ©2012, TESCCC