The Dust Bowl and Its Interpretations

History
Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
7 questions
~14 mins
1 views0 downloads

About This Worksheet

This worksheet explores different historical interpretations of the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression, encouraging students to compare perspectives and evaluate their validity.

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The Dust Bowl and Its Interpretations

Subject: HistoryGrade: Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
Name:
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Untitled Worksheet

Grade Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
A

Interpretations of the Dust Bowl

Historian A: John Doe – Economic Perspective

"Historian John Doe argues that the Dust Bowl was primarily a result of economic mismanagement and reckless farming practices. He emphasizes that the economic pressures of the 1920s and early 1930s led farmers to overuse the land without regard for sustainability. According to Doe, government policies failed to regulate land use effectively, exacerbating environmental degradation. His analysis highlights how economic decisions, driven by profit motives and lack of regulation, directly contributed to the environmental catastrophe of the Dust Bowl."

Historian B: Jane Smith – Social Perspective

"Historian Jane Smith contends that the Dust Bowl was mainly a social disaster rooted in the lives and decisions of farmers and communities. She stresses that poor farming techniques, coupled with the migration of families seeking better opportunities, created social upheaval. Smith emphasizes the human element—how decisions made by farmers under economic hardship, combined with lack of community support and government intervention, intensified the disaster's impact on people's lives. Her view focuses on the social strains that worsened the environmental crisis."

B

Questions

1.
Summarize each historian's view on the causes of the Dust Bowl. (4 marks)
[4 marks]
2.
Compare the reasons each historian gives for the Dust Bowl's causes. Why do they differ? (6 marks)
[6 marks]
3.
Evaluate which historian's interpretation is more convincing and explain why. (8 marks)
[8 marks]
4.
Outline the impact of the Dust Bowl on American farmers and communities. (4 marks)
[4 marks]
5.
Explain how government policies or lack of policies contributed to the Dust Bowl, based on the interpretations. (6 marks)
[6 marks]
6.
Compare the environmental and human effects of the Dust Bowl as explained by both historians. (8 marks)
[8 marks]
7.
Identify one other factor not discussed by these historians that may have contributed to the Dust Bowl. (3 marks)
[3 marks]

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Details

Created
1/1/2026
Updated
1/1/2026
Type
worksheet