| Lesson
For this activity, place an "X" on your globe in the southwestern
corner of Oklahoma (OK). The location is 35N/100W. Now find the state of
California (CA) at 35N/120W and note the low lying stretch of land that
runs north and south in the middle of the state. What is the elevation
of this area?
(1.) _________________________________ What do you call such an area of
low land that is surrounded by mountains? (2.) ________________________
This area is called the Central Valley of California and the southern
half of the valley is called the San Joaquin Valley. The San Joaquin is
a fertile valley that is one of the richest farming areas in the world.
Now draw a line from your "X" in southwestern Oklahoma to the
southern tip of the San Joaquin Valley. Name the states through which
this line passes. (3.) _____________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
In the 1930s thousands of families lost their farms to drought and
dust storms that ravaged the southern Great Plains. The area where the
greatest devastation occurred was called the dust bowl. The line that
you drew on your globe traces a route along which many of these farmers
and their families traveled to California in search of a better life.
Because of poor roads, harsh climate and terrain conditions, and lack of
services along the way, it took several weeks for most of the families
to make the trip. Most had to camp along the roads or sleep in their
cars during their journey. What is the approximate distance of this
route? (4.) ______________________ ___________________________________
Imagine your entire family having to leave your home and being able
to take with you only what you could put in or on your car. Discuss with
your classmates what a journey along this route might have been like
back in the 1930s before the time of modern highways and dependable and
comfortable automobiles. Use your globe for information about the types
of landforms that you might have seen.
Note the section of the route between the Colorado River and the
southern end of the San Joaquin Valley. Most of this area is the dry and
sparsely settled Mojave Desert. After crossing this desert, many
families cried when they topped a final mountain pass and first gazed
down on the rich green farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley. Do some
research to find out what life was like for many of the dust bowlers
after finally reaching California. |
