riding the rails student activity1

Riding The Rails
Student Activity One

Introduction: You will be creating a diary that was kept by a teenager who lived during the Great Depression. Your family has been hit hard by the depression. You believe that the best way to help your family is to go searching for work. You have decided to travel across the United States by "riding the rails" in hopes of finding a job. Along your travels, you meet four social groups hit hard by the Great Depression. You decide to chronicle their experiences and your own in hopes that future generations will realize the struggles and experiences by these American social groups.

The task: Using your textbook, library books and Internet sources, create a diary that was kept by a teenager who lived during the Great Depression.

Criteria: 1. Your cover should have a map of your travels showing the places you met people.
You must show 4 geographical locations for your social groups. i.e.: farmers in Oklahoma.

2. The first entry should describe who you are and why you are keeping a diary. You should
write about your family before the Depression.

3. The next four entries should describe people from the following social groups: families,
children, women, African Americans, businessmen, Mexican Americans, farmers, and Migrant
workers. You need to describe their experiences by using lots of concrete details.

4. Included in your diary should be 2 illustrations and 2 mementos that show the impact of the
Depression.

The Great Depression


African Americans

Now that you have completed this portion of your diary, go to activity 2

Back to Main

The Great Depression

WPA

Rural South

General 1930s

Social Security

Dust Bowl

Women

Riding the Rails

Mexican Americans