Name Date Grade 5 Dust Bowl Disaster
Today you will read the following passage. Read this passage carefully to gather information to answer questions and write an essay. Excerpt from Dust Bowl Disaster by Brian Roberts 1 Hurricanes. Floods. Forest fires. Earthquakes. Every year these natural disasters strike somewhere on Earth. But during the late 1920s and 1930s, two disasters of another kind swept the United States, inflicting pain and suffering on its people. These disasters were particularly troublesome because they lasted for years rather than hours or days, creating hardships for thousands upon thousands of people. 2 The first blow was not a natural disaster but an economic one. This disaster became known as the Great Depression. It began with the crash of the stock market in 1929. 3 The stock market began falling and by the time it stopped falling, stocks were worth about 20 percent of their previous value. People lost their life savings, their jobs, and many of their possessions. Banks and factories closed. 4 The Great Depression was not limited to the United States. It spread to other countries throughout the world and became the worst economic slump in history. 5 To make matters worse, the second blow to strike during the 1930s dried up the soil just as money dried up during the stock market crash. It affected the southern region of the Great Plains of the United States, covering large parts of Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma, but also stretching throughout the Great Plains and into the prairies of Canada. The disaster was labeled the Dust Bowl, and the period of history became known as the Dirty Thirties. 1 of 6
From Prosperity to Poverty 6 Farmers in the Great Plains had been prospering for decades before the Dust Bowl struck. World War I (1914 1918) prevented European farmers from growing wheat, so farmers in North America sold their wheat to buyers who shipped it overseas. The demand for wheat drove prices upward. Farmers plowed up more and more of the grasslands to feed the needs of European countries. The farmers of the Great Plains continued to prosper while many others suffered under the Great Depression. But the prosperity would soon end. 7 Plowing up the grasslands to grow more wheat caused two problems that the farmers did not expect. First, it made so much wheat available that wheat prices began to drop. Storage bins became filled to capacity, and farmers began to dump their harvested wheat onto the ground and onto roads. 8 Second, when the Great Plains entered a period of prolonged drought, plowing up the grasslands caused the fields to dry up. With too little moisture to support crops, the fields were left bare. From one hot summer to another, the sun baked the soil. When winds increased, the exposed dry dirt was whipped up into dark clouds of choking dust that swept across the land. The thick, billowing walls of dirt hid the sun and forced people to light lamps in the midday darkness. 2 of 6
1. Which of the following ideas about the late 1920s and 1930s does not belong in a summary of the passage? A The Great Depression was an economic disaster around the world. B The Dust Bowl lasted for years and created hardships for a lot of people. C The Dust Bowl was caused by a period of prolonged drought. D Walls of dirt blocked the sun, and people had to light lamps at midday. 2. Part A According to the passage, what is the relationship between the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl? A The Great Depression caused the Dust Bowl. B The Dust Bowl limited the effects of the Great Depression. C The Dust Bowl affected more people than the Great Depression. D The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl occurred during the same time period. What evidence from the passage supports the correct answer to Part A? A The Great Depression was not limited to the United States. B...the second blow to strike during the 1930s dried up the soil just as money dried up during the stock market crash. C The disaster was labeled the Dust Bowl, and the period of history became known as the Dirty Thirties. D The farmers of the Great Plains continued to prosper while many others suffered under the Great Depression. 3 of 6
3. Part A Think about the information you read in the section From Prosperity to Poverty. Which of the following events caused other events to happen? A Wheat prices dropped. B The stock market crashed. C Farmers plowed most of the grasslands. D Dust storms clouded the sky. Which three events were caused by the event from Part A? A Banks and factories closed. B Wheat prices dropped. C The stock market crashed. D Farmers plowed most of the grasslands. E Fields dried up. F Dust storms clouded the sky. 4. Part A What is the meaning of the word drought as it is used in paragraph 8? A windy weather B extreme heat C an area of fertile soil D a period of dryness Which two phrases from the text help readers understand the meaning of drought? A plowing up the grasslands B caused the fields to dry up C too little moisture D the fields were left bare E winds increased 4 of 6
5. The author explains that the Great Depression was especially troublesome. What reason does the author give to support this point? What evidence supports this point? 5 of 6
: Answer Sheet 1. 2. Part A 3. Part A E F 4. Part A E 5. Constructed Response 6 of 6