Activity:

Students read the excerpts and create a diary entry.

Discussion: What would it be like to have to suddenly leave your home? In this excerpt from Dust Bowl: Adventures of Patty and Earl Buckler, Patty’s mom, Ruth, writes home about their journey to California to look for work. Their car breaks down on the way, and they run out of money.

Questions to Ask:

How do you think Ruth felt about leaving her home?
How do you think her children Patty and Earl felt?
How would you feel if you had to leave your home?

Ask students to pretend to be a child on the road with their family during the Dust Bowl and write their own letter home, describing how they feel, an event that happens, or the people they meet.