Dust Bowl Newspaper Announcement Activity

As students read the novel, it can be helpful to connect the real events of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl with the story. A helpful way to do this is for students to create a newspaper! Using one of the newspaper templates, students can create the front page of a newspaper that the characters might have read during their time in the story. Students will make inferences based on the text and may also complete additional research to flesh out their project.

As an extended or classroom activity, have students create the whole newspaper, including various interior articles that also follow sub plots or real life events. Students can print their newspaper pages out, and they can be bound together as a class!

For additional templates to include in this assignment, check out our Newspaper Poster and Newspaper Worksheet templates!

Student Instructions

Create the front page of a newspaper set during or just after the events of the story. Feel free to use historical context for your article!

1. Click "Start Assignment."
2. Create a title for your newspaper and a catchy headline for the main story.
3. Use appropriate scenes, characters and items to create "photographs" for your article.
4. Include captions for "photographs".
5. Write the accompanying text for the main story, and any other articles on the front page.
• You may need to delete the placeholder lines and add new Textables.
6. Save and submit your storyboard.