Chapters 1-9: Family Discussion Reflection

Summary of informational text:

A series of dust storms in the Southern Plains, known as the "Dust Bowl," took place during the 1930s.  Some of the causes of it were poor agricultural practices, such as soil conservation, and dry weather.  Crops would not grow, and the ones that did were blown away.  Many people were forced to migrate as a result of the storms.

Source: "About The Dust Bowl." About The Dust Bowl. Modern American Poetry, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

Evaluation:  Because of the Dust Bowl, people moved out west in order to start over in their lives.  They would be able to do all of the little things in life, such as breathing or walking, without having to worry about dust.  This is the reason why the characters in The Grapes of Wrath fled Oklahoma.

Questions:
How did the Dust Bowl impact lives?
What would you do if you woke up to dust swirling around your house?
What does the Dust Bowl symbolize?

                     I had my discussion with my 13 year old sister, who is great at debating and can be philosophical sometimes, so she was a natural choice to have the discussion with.  The most memorable moment of the discussion was when she said that the Dust Bowl is a metaphor for life.  She explained that by saying  a house with no wind around was a shelter from troubles that occur throughout life.  However, the constant wind and drought show the struggles that occur.  I also added that the Dust Bowl affected people emotionally since the farmers had to find new ways of living.  They had to wear gas masks wherever they went.  She also said that if she woke up to dust swirling around her house, she would attempt to find seeds that might still be in the ground. I mentioned to her that she probably wouldn't be able to find any, because they would have all blown away.  The fact that my sister brought the point about the Dust Bowl was satisfying to me because it set the stage for most of the discussion that we had.  I was able to build the best off of that point, which improved the quality of the discussion.  I need to improve my questions by making them a bit deeper.  The last question listed was the one we spent the most time talking about.  I should make sure that the questions are connection questions and not questions that have to do with the actual event.  I had to explain what the Dust Bowl was a little bit at first.

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