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Interesting experiment ideas teaching about human and environmental causes of the Great Depression.
Information from Mystery Science about the Dust Bowl.

Experiments:
Science Fair Style Experiment
Can Plants Help Slow Erosion?
Erosion Experiment

Interesting video to attempt to recreate the experiment.

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Dust bowl lesson: Hands-on Science and History

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Intended for older students (PG) this is an engaging documentary series giving a unique overview of US Events, including the Great Depression and WWII. (Amazon Prime Video)

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Documentary Resources on the Dust Bowl by Ken Burns

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Documentary Resources on the Dust Bowl by Ken Burns

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Ken Burns in the Classroom Resources

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Depression and World War II (1929-1945) | Ken Burns in the Classroom | PBS LearningMedia

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Nothing could have prepared the country for the hardship it would face during the stock market crash of 1929 and the economic collapse that shaped the 1930s. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt entered office in 1933 and implemented policies to provide work for Americans and support farmers across the country.

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This site has some excellent suggestions for books that balance the despair of the Great Depression with uplifting stories.

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Teaching about life during the Great Depression does not have to be a downer! Most children's books on the era provide a balanced account--portraying the harsh realities and tremendous sacrifices as well as accounts of compassionate and brave individuals who were determined to survive in this harsh time.

None of the children's books listed below focus entirely on the hardships of the era, and none of the books will leave the reader with a sense of despair and hopelessness. Instead, these 'best books' convey the reality of life during the Great Depression, but also leave the reader better for having read it.

Kids Books on Life During the Great Depression

(Caldecott book set duringThe Gardener

the Great Depression about a
girl who brightens the lives
of those around her!)
by Sarah Stewart
Kindergarten - 2nd grade

(during the great depression,The Babe and I

a boy finds out his dad is
unemployed so he becomes
a news boy at Yankee
Stadium to help his family)
by David Adler
Kindergarten - 3rd grade

"stirring photo-essay"
(a
about life during the
great depression, especially
focusing on children)
by Russell Freedman
4th grade - 8th grade

(a teenaged boy rides the
rails looking for work, and
meets many people along
the way -- great snapshot!)
by Dandi Daley Mackall
3rd grade - 6th grade

(Newbery winning book Turtle in Paradise

about life during the great
depression in Key West)
by Jennifer Holm
3rd grade - 5th grade

Moon Over Manifest
(Newbery Medal winner about
a girl's summer spent in her
father's hometown while he
works his new railroad job)
by Clare Vanderpool
5th grade - 8th grade

Long Way from Chicago
(funny story about kids
visiting their cooky grandma
during the Great Depression
in her sleepy Illinois town )
by Richard Peck
4th grade - 8th grade

(a boy runs away fromBud, Not Buddy

his foster home to find his
father. Newbery Award
winning historical fiction)
by Christopher Paul Curtis
5th grade - 8th grade

Christmas After All
The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift (Dear America)
by Kathryn Lasky
4th grade - 8th grade

other books set during the Great Depression

Below are several other well-recommended children's books about the Great Depression. We don't have dedicated review pages for these books because we haven't had a chance to read yet, but we wanted to let you know about them...

To learn more about any of these books, click the book titles to see their listing on Amazon. Note that if you purchase an item, they give us a small referral fee.

American Girl Kit, 1934 by Valerie (Grades 3-6)

Macaroni Boy by Katherine Ayres (Grades 4-7)

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis (Grades 4-7)

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky by Joe Lansdale (Grades 7+)

Enjoy the books!

Betsy, Cindy, and Virginia
(the teachers/sisters behind this website)

If this list was helpful, please press
the like button:

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about cute book-related activities:

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Life during the Great Depression -- Best Books for Kids

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Teaching about life during the Great Depression does not have to be a downer! Most children's books on the era provide a balanced account--portraying the harsh realities and tremendous sacrifices as well as accounts of compassionate and brave individuals who were determined to survive in this harsh time.

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Lessons on the Dust Bowl, Social Justice, Mapping, Math from Woody Guthrie Center on the Dust Bowl with links to resources and great projects.

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Brother Can You Spare a Dime
NPR Article with links
Woody Guthrie
Dustbowl Through Song Resources
Woody Guthrie Center

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Click below for links to the Common Sense Media Website
Sounder 2003 (DVD only)
Annie (Disney+)
Journey of Natty Gann (Disney +)
Kit: An American Girl (rent or HBO Now)

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Great Depression Historical Fiction for Juvenile Readers

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Great Depression Historical Fiction for Juvenile Readers

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Most of these are recommend for children ages 6 and up. Click below for links to the Common Sense Media Website and teaching resources (if available).

Out of the Dust (Teaching Guide)
Bud, Not Buddy (Teaching Guide)
A Long Way from Chicago (Teaching Guide) & Sequel A Year Down Yonder (Teaching Guide)

Esperanza Rising (Teaching Guide)
Dear America: Christmas After All (Teaching Guide)
American Girl Kit Kittredge Collection (Teaching Guide)

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Digital history exploration on children during the Great Depression. Contains letters from kids to Roosevelt.

Ohio Oral History Project on the Great Depression

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1. Research and make paper or fabric quilt blocks from Great Depression patterns.
2. Make some recipes from the Great Depression.
3. Research what people saved during the Great Depression (Flour Sacks, Grease, Paper Scraps)
4. Research Depression Era toys or play games.
5. Make dolls from reusable items or nature.
6. Make a Jacobs Ladder.
7. Make a WhirlyGig
8. Research and play Monopoly.
9. Make a telephone.
10. Learn about the stockmarket.

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Exhibit: A New Deal for the Arts
Dorthea Lange Photographs
Oakland Museum Archive
Lessons from Frist Museum

Books on Dorthea Lange:
Dorthea's Eyes
Migrant Mother: How a Photograph Defined the Great Depression