The Great Depression

In the lesson, you read about the causes of the Great Depression and how the U.S. government reacted to it. You also saw how Americans were affected by these hard times.

Look at the photograph shown on this screen. It was taken by Dorothea Lange in 1935 of two families on the side of a highway in Bakersfield, California.

Choose three people from the photograph. Write one paragraph from each person’s perspective explaining how the Great Depression has affected their lives.

Elements you must include when writing your paragraphs:

• details of the photograph, such as which person you chose, what they are wearing, and what belongings they have with them
• how the stock market crash or Dust Bowl affected your chosen person
• why your person chose to migrate during the Great Depression