Cold-Read Task

Read “Legacy” from The Dust Bowl. Then answer the ques ons.

1. Part A

Read paragraph 3 of “Legacy.”

Then the drought began. It would last eight straight years. Dust storms, at first
considered freaks of nature, became commonplace. Static charges in the air
shorted-out automobiles on the road; men avoided shaking hands for fear of
shocks that could knock a person to the ground. Huge drifts of dirt buried
pastures and barnyards, piled up in front of homesteaders’ doors, came in
through window cracks and si ed down from ceilings.

What aspect of the drought does the writer emphasize in this paragraph?

a. The author emphasizes how long the drought lasted.

b. The author emphasizes how the drought caused people to be afraid to shake hands.

c. The author emphasizes how the drought affected some people’s decision to leave.

d. The author emphasizes the unusual nature and severity of the dust storms that occurred because of
the drought.

Part B

Which sentence best describes the method the author uses to elaborate on the statement chosen in Part A?

a. The author uses descrip ve details.

b. The author uses sta s cs.

 c. The author uses examples.

d. The author uses anecdotes (stories).

Grade 6 : Out of the Dust

2. Part A

Read paragraphs 5 and 6 of “Legacy.”

In 1944 just as it had thirty years earlier, a war in Europe and the return of a
relatively wet weather cycle brought prosperity to the southern Plains. Wheat
prices skyrocketed, and harvests were bountiful.

In the first five years of the 1940s land devoted to wheat expanded by nearly 3
million acres. The speculators and suitcase farmers returned. Parcels that had
sold for $5 an acre during the Dust Bowl now commanded prices of fifty, sixty,
sometimes a hundred dollars an acre. Even some of the most marginal lands
were put back into production.

What main idea is introduced in paragraph 5?

a. The early 1940s were prosperous years.

b. War returned to Europe.

c. The southern Plains finally received some rain.

d. People returned to their farms.

 Part B

Which statement best describes how that idea is elaborated on in paragraph 6?

a. The author elaborates using descrip ve details.

b. The author elaborates using sta s cs.

c. The author elaborates using examples.

d. The author elaborates using anecdotes (stories).

Grade 6 : Out of the Dust

3. Part A

Read this sentence from paragraph 7 of “Legacy.”

The damage to the land was mitigated by those farmers who continued using
conservation techniques.
Which word has the closest meaning to the word mi gated as it is used in this sentence?
 a. preserved

b. swapped

c. learned

d. lessened

Part B

Which sentence from paragraph 7 best supports the main idea of the sentence in Part A?

a. “Then, in the early 1950s, the wet cycle ended and a two-year drought replaced it.”

b. “Bad as the ‘Filthy Fi ies’ were, the drought didn’t last as long as the ‘Dirty Thir es.’”

c. “Nearly four million acres of land had been purchased by the government during the Dust Bowl and
permanently restored as na onal grasslands . . .”

d. “At least a few lessons had been learned.”

4. Read the following sentence from paragraph 9 of “Legacy.”

Writer Timothy Egan calls the Dust Bowl “a classic tale of human beings
pushing too hard against nature, and nature pushing back.”
Which sentence from the ar cle contains the best example of what Timothy Egan means by “nature pushing back”?

a. “Newcomers rushed in and towns sprang up overnight.”

b. “When prices fell even further, the ‘suitcase farmers’ who had moved in for quick profits simply
abandoned their fields.”

Grade 6 : Out of the Dust

 a. “Some 850 million tons of topsoil blew away in 1935 alone.”

b. “Wheat prices skyrocketed, and harvest were boun ful.”

5. Order the ten events below to create a summary of "Legacy. ” Add the le er of of each event to the table. Be sure
the events appear in chronological order.

Summary of “Legacy”

Events

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Event Choices:

a. The Depression began and wheat prices dropped.

b. An eight-year drought began. Dust storms filled the air with sta c charges, and dust was stacked high and
filled in crevices.

c. Many new people hurried to the southern Plains in order to convert unused land into wheat fields.

d. Another war in Europe caused wheat prices to climb sharply, and another wet weather cycle resulted in
plen ful harvests.

e. A two-year drought caused the dust storms to return.

Grade 6 : Out of the Dust

c. The drought of the fi ies was not as prolonged or disastrous because farmers used conserva on prac ces and
millions of acres of land had been restored to natural grassland.

d. The federal government stepped in to ins tute conserva on methods and provide federal dollars to help
prevent the Plains from becoming a desert.

e. Farmers increased the land areas used to produce wheat, expec ng that the extra crops would make up for
the decrease in wheat prices.

f. “Suitcase farmers” abandoned their fields, leaving vast areas of land stripped and bare.

g. There was a land boom in the southern Plains due to rising wheat prices, a war in Europe, abundant rain, and
governmental farm aid.

Read the poem “Leaving the Dust Bowl” by Bob Bradshaw. Then answer the ques ons.

6. Part A

Which sentence best describes how the characters respond to the dust in “Leaving the Dust Bowl”?

a. The family builds fences, stays indoors, and creates sand dunes to keep the dust out of the house.

b. The family gives their land to the bank and their mule to Jordan so they don’t have to leave the house during
the dust storm to tend to either.

c. The family covers the baby’s bed with sheets and turns over their dishes to keep from breathing and ea ng
dust.
 d. The family es beds, furniture, and other household items to the car to keep the dust out on their journey.

Part B

Which lines from the poem best support the answer to Part A?

a. “Our house poked between the sand dunes / like a hal uried shrimp boat. / Sand leaned against the tops of
fences.”

b. “We turned our plates on the dinner table / upside down / and covered the baby’s crib with a wet sheet / at
night to keep her / from breathing / grit.”

c. “We gave our land / to the bank. We gave our mule / to Jordon, who took on the burden / of trying to feed it.”

Grade 6 : Out of the Dust

d. "We ed on / the beds and furniture and cooking pans / and threw in the kids / out of sen mental reasons /
and pointed the car / west.”

7. Part A

Read these lines from “Leaving the Dust Bowl.” Then answer the ques ons.

California / is like a big green harbor / wai ng for us.

What is the meaning of these lines?

a. This distant state offers a dus ree, lush port for the family that is now surrounded by dust.
 b. The faraway place will provide opportuni es they don t have where they are now.

c. This distant state may be too large for the family who is used to living in close quarters.

d. The faraway place is unfamiliar and without the support of neighbors and community, the move may not be
successful.

Part B

What is the impact of these lines on the tone of the poem?

a. The tone changes from despairing to energe c.

b. The tone changes from despairing to somber.

c. The tone changes from despairing to bleak.

d. The tone changes from despairing to hopeful.

8. According to “Legacy,” what were the causes of the Dust Bowl? Iden fy at least three causes and provide evidence
for each cause. What lessons were learned? What evidence does the ar cle provide in support of this idea?
9.
10.
11.
12. The massive dust storms caused farmers to lose their livelihoods and their homes. Defla on from the Depression
aggravated the plight of Dust Bowl farmers. Prices for the crops they could grow fell below subsistence levels. In 1932,

the federal government sent aid to the drought-affected states.

Grade 6 : Out of the Dust