The Dust Bowl: A Film by Ken Burns (2012)
Project description
Viewing Handout for Fundamentals of Modern American History,
The Dust Bowl: A Film by Ken Burns (2012)
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/watch-videos/#2284398428
Assignment: Watch selected scenes from Episode 2: “Reaping the Whirlwind” of The Dust Bowl. As you watch the film, consider the following questions: What was the Dust Bowl? Where was the Dust Bowl? How was the Dust Bowl part of the Great Depression and the New Deal? What types of primary sources does documentary filmmaker Ken Burns use to tell the story? Since our class is 50 minutes and Episode Two is almost 2 hours, we will be skipping some of the chapters. Below is a chapter index and brief summaries. You can take notes in the space provided.
Chapter One: Introduction
In the mid-1930s, the southern Plains were gripped by drought, high winds, and massive dust storms that threatened the health and safety of tens of thousands of people. Why was the Dust Bowl both an economic disaster and an environmental disaster?
At the beginning of episode 2, Woody Guthrie sings “The Great Dust Storm.” What was “Black Sunday” on April 14, 1935? Why did they call it “Black Sunday”?
Chapter Two: Reaping the Whirlwind
Chapter Three: The New Deal
The chapter introduces the controversy surrounding the government agencies as “wasteful,” but testimonials from Dust Bowl victims are overwhelmingly in favor of the programs because, in their words, they were “the difference between starving and having food to eat.” What are some of the New Deal relief agencies discussed?
Chapter Ten: Woody Guthrie
How did Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie’s songs earn him the nickname “Dust Bowl Troubadour”?