Curated OER
Thirsty for Drought Relief
Students research a variety of drought-related concerns, acting as part of a 'drought preparedness taskforce.' They propose next steps for the government to take in case of drought and assess the viability of these proposals.
Curated OER
Drought Threatens Huge Man-Made Lake
Students locate Lake Mead, then read a news article about Lake Mead drying up and how that would effect water and power supplies to the region. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary...
Curated OER
Great Depression and New Deal
The five activities outlined in this resource packet engage class members in projects that ask them to research the causes and the effects, both national and local, of the Great Depression and the New Deal policies of FDR.
Curated OER
Reducing the Impact of Drought
Young scholars study the impact of drought and improve their writing skills. In this reducing the impact of drought lesson, students investigate various matters pertaining to drought. They share their findings and build knowledge about...
Power Show
Out of the Dust
Is your class reading Out of the Dust? If they are, or if this is your first time teaching Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal winning novel, check out the ideas in a presentation that outlines what you and your class can do while reading about...
National Endowment for the Humanities
John Steinbeck’s "The Grapes of Wrath": The Inner Chapters
Here’s a must-have resource for anyone using The Grapes of Wrath. Everything from guiding questions to background information, from photographs to documentary films, from activities to assessments is included in a richly detailed packet...
Curated OER
Dust Bowl Story
Students compose narratives describing the difficulties faced by those living in the Dust Bowl. They use resource sheets and photos in this small group activity. Their stories include plots, settings, and characters either taken...
Curated OER
Dust Bowl Exodus: How Drought and the Depression Took Their Toll
Students examine the migration of refugees. For this California history lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of how the Dust Bowl and Great Depression led to a California population...
Curated OER
Not Only a Drought
Young scholars explore the events that occurred during the Dust Bowl and differentiate between the good and bad agricultural practices. In this Dust Bowl lesson students participate in activities that shows them how to be good...
Curated OER
What We Eat, Where We Sleep: Documenting Daily Life to Tell Stories
This is not just a New York Time article to read, this is a set of amazing activity ideas all related to the slide shows "Breaking Bread Everywhere" and "Where Children Sleep." Your class can view each show, read about what they mean...
Curated OER
Climate Change
Rising sea levels, strong storms, melting ice ... who or what is to blame? Scholars browse the website in preparation for a class discussion or debate about whether human activity is causing climate change. They gain a balanced...
Curated OER
The Dust Bowl
Young scholars discover the causes of droughts. In this Dust Bowl instructional activity, students follow the provided steps to complete a hands-on activity that demonstrates drought conditions. Young scholars write summaries about the...
Curated OER
The Day the Water Ran Out
Students explore ecosystems by researching desert characteristics. In this drought activity, students identify the potential impacts of a drought on their home state and interview people who are familiar with water studies. Students...
Curated OER
The Legend of the Blue Bonnet
Learners complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book The Legend of the Blue Bonnet. In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer...
Curated OER
Water Wars
Students investigate the water wars taking place in Ethiopia. In this global issues lesson, students research the water shortages in East Africa. Students participate in a discussion that requires them to put themselves in the shoes of...
Curated OER
Water Wars
Students investigate the water wars taking place in East Africa. In this global issues instructional activity, students watch video clips and read selected articles about the water shortages in East Africa. Students estimate their own...
Curated OER
Dust in the Wind
Students investigate causes and effects of droughts by participating in a simulation 'town hall meeting.' Acting as community members, students make informed decisions to help a town and its surrounding areas suffering effects of a...
Curated OER
Hot Weather, Rain Mean Fewer Pumpkins
Students share their knowledge of pumpkins, then read a news article about how hot weather and rain are affecting the pumpkin crop. For this agriculture and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area
Life as a Pioneer
Students examine historical documents and research why early pioneers settled on the Iowa prairie. They review maps, describe the impact of railroading, describe life in pioneer times, and identify the effects of drought, prairie fire,...
Curated OER
Hunters and Gatherers
Sixth graders participate in mapping and other activities to understand why ancient civilizations developed as they did. In this ancient civilization instructional activity, 6th graders recognize that there were three important climate...
Curated OER
Breaking News English: Robert Mugabe and Hugo Chavez
In this Robert Mugabe and Hugo Chavez activity, students read the article, answer true and false questions, complete synonym matching, complete phrase matching, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, answer discussion...
Curated OER
Pastoralists and Agrarians: Identifying Connections between Historical and Contemporary Migration
Pastoralists and agrarians, livestock raisers and farmers. Using the conflict in Darfur as a lens, class members investigate the conflicts that arise when these groups are forced to migrate from one area to another.
Curated OER
Water Web
In this water web worksheet, students explore, analyze and discuss how weather stations interact with maintaining weather conditions and answer two essay questions and ten multiple choice questions.
Curated OER
The Impact of the Dust Bowl as Shown Through Photography
Seventh graders examine and discuss photographs and paintings of the Dust Bowl era. They write a journal entry describing what it would be like if they stepped into one of the photographs, and create a Powerpoint presentation on the Dust...