Research: 1930s America

Directions:

1. Copy & Paste the following questions to a Word Doc.

(DO NOT paste with black background)

2. Type your name and class period at the top of your document.

3. Save As: 1930s Research

4. Use your research skills and US History knowledge to answer the following questions.

5. When you have finished, save, print, and put in notebook for tomorrow's

open note Castle Learning (35 Questions). 

Name:

1930’s America & John Steinbeck Research

Period:

November 7th & 8th

The Great Depression ~ The Dust Bowl ~ Migrant Workers of the 1930’s

Life was a struggle in the 1930’s…for some, it was much more difficult to find work and feed a family. What caused our country to slip so far into economic ruin that people of all classes and professions lost everything?

1. America 1930s: What were 3 important “things” that happened in US politics and/or world events?

2. The Crash of 1929: Any study of the Great Depression has to start with the economy. List 5 facts about the crash. Think “credit” as in line of credit or credit card. When did stores start using credit? What were other causes of the Great Depression?

3. Dust Bowl Years—Who are they and why are these names important to this time period?

Herbert Hoover

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt

4. What is Black Tuesday, Dust Pneumonia, Okievilles and Hoovervilles. (Google them!!)

Black Tuesday-

Dust Pneumonia-

Okievilles-

Hoovervilles-

5. Explain FDR’s New Deal?

6. What is Social Security? Who started it and what was the purpose of it?

7. What is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and what purpose does it serve?

8. Why was life so difficult for the 1930’s migrant workers in the Midwest and California? How did it differ from people who lived in the urban areas like New York City and Los Angeles?

9. Describe Salinas, California (the valley, the town and the river) in the 1930’s? What kind of jobs were in Salinas during this time? (use Google and Google images)

10. UNDERSTANDING THE SETTING: Find a Salinas, California on a map where John Steinbeck grew up. Take note of the topography of the land. The setting is very important in our novel and Steinbeck wrote about the area where he grew up.

Use GOOGLE MAPS! Now use the directions option to find the following:

Salinas is located ________ miles northeast of the Monterey, California.

Salinas is located ______miles south of the city known as the “City by the Bay”...San Francisco.

Salinas is located approx. _____miles northwest of the Gabilan Mountain Range.

PART II

Biographical Research: John Steinbeck

1. Who is John Steinbeck?

2. What kind of childhood and family upbringing did he have? What did he like to do as a young boy and what kind of family life did he have?

3. Where did he grow up? What type of area is that? (describe the industry, typical household income, etc.)

4. What/Who inspired him to be an author?

5. What is an advocate? What social issues or groups of people was Steinbeck an advocate for?

6. What were some common themes/subjects of his novels?

7. When was his first book published?

8. What was the first book he had published?

9. What kind of life did he live as an adult?

10. When did he die?