Objective: The student will be able to identify the causes for the Great Depression

of 1929 and see the effects of the depression, the Great Flood, and the

Set: How would your life be different if you lived in the town Grinnel Flat,

Arkansas in the early 1930's? Would you be attending school? What

would you do for entertainment? What kind of clothes would you wear?

What kind of house would you live in? Class discussion will follow.

Materials: Arkansas History Text, Arkansas state map, A PLACE CALLED GRINNEL FLAT

Key Terms: grindle, Great Depression, stock market crash, bankruptcy, subscription

Key Facts: - 1927 - Great flood in Arkansas causing loss of 1/2 of state's crops,

- 1929 - Collapse of stock market marked the start of the Great

Banks fail in Arkansas. Half of all businesses in Arkansas close. Cotton prices for farmers
fell to 5 cents a pound.

Activities: 1. Students will read the chapter in their textbook on "Hard Times" in Arkansas. A class discussion
will follow in which students will examine the causes of the Great Depression and will look at Arkansas's Great
Flood and drought. Discuss related key terms.

2. Using a map have students find Grinnel Flat, Arkansas. Newer mapsmay not have this town listed so
have them locate Leachville or Black Oak, Arkansas. Grinnel Flat is close to these towns. Look up "grindle"in
the dictionary. Discuss how the town got its name.

3. Read the book A PLACE CALLED GRINNEL FLAT. Students love to have this book read aloud
to them. As the book is read, discuss with them what the "Hard Times" were like in Arkansas.

Closure: After reading A PLACE CALLED GRINNEL FLAT, students will summarize and

reflect on what it was like to live in Arkansas during the early 1930's.

Assessment: Students will be given the writing prompt "Living in Arkansas during the Great Depression".
They will be asked to cover 3 major areas in their essays which were discussed in class. A ruberic will
be used for grading with an emphasis on content.

A PLACE CALLED GRINNEL FLAT by Neal Buffaloe (This book can be ordered

directly from the author for $9.95 per copy, postpaid. His address is