To answer this question correctly, students must identify the event depicted in a historical photograph and clearly explain why the event is historically significant. For the first question, successful students will identify this as a photo of the Dust Bowl. For Question 2, successful students might elaborate on one or more of the following:
- The Dust Bowl left tens of thousands of people destitute during the Great Depression.
- It led to a mass migration of people from the Central Plains regions of Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, with many migrants settling in California.
- It was one of the largest man-made ecological crises in United States history, devastating the ecosystem of the region. Some affected areas lost up to 75% of the topsoil, and enormous dust storms blanketed cities as far away as Washington D.C. and New York City.
Level: Proficient
Question 1
Student clearly and specifically identifies the event depicted in the photograph.
Question 2
Student clearly and specifically explains why the event is historically significant.
Level: Emergent
Question 1
Student provides correct information related to the event but does not clearly identify the event.
Question 2
Student correctly elaborates on the event but does not clearly explain why the event is historically significant.
Level: Basic
Question 1
Student does not correctly identify the event.
Question 2
Student does not provide a correct or relevant explanation for why the event is historically significant.
