The Worst Hard Time
provides much documentation about how people’s lives were directly affected in
a large section of this country, mostly in what is referred to as “No Man’s
Land” for quite some time during the Dust Bowl, a phrase not used till later as
many tried to figure out just what to call these huge dust storms, the worst
being on April 14, 1935. This text is a
prime example of how nonfiction can provide a learning experience that delves
into examples of not only cause and effect but also how many people’s lives
were changed forever. These major dust storms didn't just disrupt peoples' lives, but also cost their their livestock. For instance, some
of the effects included their cars shorting out (they were electric at that
time), files of dust sneaking in through the cracks of the dugouts many used as
homes, extreme cases of dust pneumonia that took the lives of people as well as
livestock, and so much more.
Some of these effects mentioned above will become part of
unit 2 in the fall as well look at finding a sense of self. We will look at parts of a nearly 25-minute documentary, The Plow That Broke the Plains, read
articles published by noted journalists during that time period, evaluate
speeches made during that time, and evaluate political cartoons and other
images of the time period.
You may choose to focus your position paper first semester
about some aspect of this particular dark period in American life.
What I’m attempting to show you here before the year starts
how all that I ask you to do connects in some way to the kind of learning you
will be facing in the classroom this fall.
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