Curated OER
Out of the Dust: Background notes about the novel, The Great Depression, and The Dust Bowl
If your class is reading the historical fiction novel, Out of the Dust, then you are in luck. Here are a few slides that will help you provide historical context for the book, as well as define main characters, setting, symbolism, and...
Curated OER
Chapter 17 – The Great Depression
In this U.S. history worksheet, students read assigned textbook pages on the Great Depression and respond to 27 short answer questions.
Penguin Books
A Teacher’s Guide to the Penguin Edition of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath
The dry Oklahoma landscape in America's Dust Bowl sent many farmers in search of the promised land. A teacher's guide to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath discusses the characters' desire for a better home along with other themes...
Curated OER
Life on the Great Plains
In this Great Planes worksheet, students fill out a graphic organizer of the inventions that impacted the Great Planes. Students complete the graphic organizer for 8 inventions.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
The Homestead Act
To understand how the Homestead Act of 1862 changed the US and the lives of the people during that time, class members examine primary source materials including letters, broadsides, and images. They then assume the voice of a...
Curated OER
The Dust Bowl Odyssey
Great information, images, and wonderful higher-order thinking questions await your class. They'll discuss, consider, and examine multiple factors related to the Dust Bowl. A cross-media comparison is made between the historical events...
Humanities Texas
A President's Vision: Franklin D. Roosevelt
This poster goes well beyond any traditional activity in allowing learners to analyze a variety of primary source documents related to the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Curated OER
Agriculture: Oklahoma's Legacy
Sixth graders explore agriculture as it relates to crops over the course of a series of historical events. They read and create a timeline of the 50-year increments that depict important cause and effect events. Students then use...
Curated OER
The Dust Bowl and the Ogallala Aquifer
Students research the characteristics of the Great Plains as an agricultural area. They examine farming techniques from the past and how those farming techniques are used today. They investigate the present uses of the Ogallala Aquifer.
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Narrative Prompt
Reading about history is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. Encourage your eighth graders to do the next best thing with a historical narrative prompt, in which they describe the experience of a first-time traveler on the...
Curated OER
Dust Bowl Exodus: How Drought and the Depression Took Their Toll
Students 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
Farming the Southern Colonies
Seventh graders investigate the basis for farming choices in the early colonies by using group research and discussion. Each group researches a topic that they write about and present to the rest of the class.
Weebly
Ancient China
From China's physical geography and earliest beginnings of civilization to the Qin and Han dynasties, here is a nicely designed worksheet on ancient China, which includes a graphic organizer and timeline to summarize the reading...
Curated OER
Economic Choices for Exploring the Fronteir
Fourth graders explain the hardship of economic limitations in Westward Expansion . They describe the effects of fluctuations in supply and demand. They put themselves in the place of pioneers hoping to build a homestead.
Curated OER
U.S. Geography: The Midwest
Students research agricultural products of the Midwest. In this Midwest activity, students watch a video about the geography of the Midwest, discuss how topographical features were formed and review the agricultural products the Midwest...
Curated OER
Perceiving the Prairie
Twelfth graders explore the changing concept of "prairie" through written and artistic works. They write their own poem or essay describing the prairie after discussing how differently people perceive the prairie.
Curated OER
US Geography: The Midwest
Students investigate the geography and agricultural products of the Midwestern United States. In this US geography lesson, students watch and discuss a video that depicts the Midwest of the US as the breadbasket of the country. They make...
Curated OER
American Growth and Expansion in the late 1800s
Eleventh graders examine a picture of John Gast's, American Progress to determine what they know about American growth between 1877- 1900. By working through thirteen center or folder activities, they study the economics,...
Curated OER
The Railroad Booms!
Students discover how the railroads contributed to the interdependence between farms and towns. Using the railroads, they describe the effect of them on western settlement and the relationship between their location and the availability...
Curated OER
People for the Land: Native Americans in Iowa
Young scholars identify Iowa's American Indian cultures and complete a research project for the topic. For this Iowa's American Indian lesson, students research read the background information about tribes in Iowa and complete a research...
Curated OER
Geography: why is Arkansas a great place to grow rice?
Second graders become familiar with the geography of Arkansas and analyze why it is a good place for certain crops to grow. In this rice lesson, 2nd graders list reasons Arkansas is a good place to grow rice. Students become...
Curated OER
Fur Trading
Students take on a role such as a farming community, hunting community or a trading post. They decide which products they focus on and then trade with the other groups.
Curated OER
Immigration, Where Do We Go From Here?
Students describe difference between immigration and emigration, and summarize impact that immigration and emigration have on a community.
Curated OER
Hoboes on Harvest
Students discover details about the involvement of labor unions in organizing hoboes. In this Great Wheat Harvest Migration lesson, students read the Hoboes on Harvest handout and respond to the provided discussion questions based on the...