Out of the Dust

This story takes place in Oklahoma in the 1930's during the Dust Bowl and is told through a series of poems.  Billie Jo Kelby is a 14-year-old girl that must deal with the drought as well as the economic depression of the time.  Billie Jo never gives up hope for a long rain and some good luck even though the future doesn't seem hopeful.  Most of all, Billie Jo must learn to forgive not only herself, but her father too.  Can she do it? 

Reading Level:
     Lexile: 850
         
Genre/Theme:
     Historical Fiction
     The Oklahoma Dust Bowl
     The Great Depression

Subject:
     Social Studies
     English Language Arts

Teaching Ideas for a 6th Grade Class:
     Web Resources:  http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/outofthedust.html provides a link to view footage from an actual dust storm.  It also offers suggestions for related books, different activities, and things to talk about. 

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/karen-hesse-author-newbery-20673.html offers many classroom activities from creating a story map to research projects that help students conceptually understand historical fictions.  It also has links to Karen Hesse's biography.  Complete lesson plans are included on this web link.

Suggested Delivery: Guided Reading

Before Reading:
     Vocabulary to Introduce:  jacks, maggoty, searing, chafed, stupor, moonshine, fare
     Prior Knowledge:  The Great Depression
This book takes place from 1920-1935.  Ask students who can remember what was happening in the United States during that time period.  Our country was in economic distress and this time period was known as The Great Depression.  Also during that exact same time period, Oklahoma was experiencing a major drought.  This drought along with the economic distress, led to the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.  This book is a historical fiction based on the life of a 14-year-old girl living in Oklahoma during The Great Depression and the Oklahoma Dust Bowl.  In a historical fiction, the author creates an authentic setting, events, and characters.  Have students brainstorm what they think it would be like to live in Oklahoma during this time period.  Using a chart, write their responses.  As students read, have them look for details in the book that seem to reflect facts.

During Reading:
Notice this book was written as a series of short poems.  After each short poem, have students look for details from the text that seem to reflect facts.  Have them write details in their journals along with the page number. 

After Reading: 
Students will work in pairs to discuss all the details they have written in their journals.  Do any of their details match their responses from the chart?  Write one detail from their journals on the chart.  Discuss why/why not their response is historical fiction.  Using their prior knowledge of The Great Depression and historical fictions, students will work in pairs to write a short poem that is a historical fiction. 

Hesse, K. (1997). Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic Press.