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Your students know it was "dusty," but do they understand the desperation? In this immersive simulation package, students step into the boots of a Farm Security Administration (FSA) Agent in 1935. Their mission? Stand on a wind-battered porch in Cimarron County and convince Elias Thorne, a stubborn and prideful farmer, that the land is dead and migration is his only option.
Students can’t just click "next." To succeed, they must explain the dual causes of the disaster (the human error of over-farming and the environmental trigger of drought) and guide a family toward the difficult decision to migrate West.
Pre-Simulation Context Slides: Visual slides that set the stage with the basics that the students will need to incorporate into their simulation responses. Covers "The Great Plow Up," the science of soil erosion, and the role of the FSA. It’s the exact background knowledge students need to win the argument.
"The Road West" Simulation Script: The core experience. A teacher-tested prompt designed for use with an LLM of your choice that launches a dynamic roleplay. The AI plays Elias (the farmer), and your students play the FSA Agent.
"Diaries from the Dust" Extension Project: A post-sim creative challenge. Students switch roles, from government agent to migrant refugee on Route 66, creating video diaries, podcasts, or letters that capture the journey to California.
Standardized Grading Rubric: A 100-point. It assesses historical accuracy, cause-and-effect analysis, and narrative voice.
Your students know it was "dusty," but do they understand the desperation? In this immersive simulation package, students step into the boots of a Farm Security Administration (FSA) Agent in 1935. Their mission? Stand on a wind-battered porch in Cimarron County and convince Elias Thorne, a stubborn and prideful farmer, that the land is dead and migration is his only option.
Students can’t just click "next." To succeed, they must explain the dual causes of the disaster (the human error of over-farming and the environmental trigger of drought) and guide a family toward the difficult decision to migrate West.
Pre-Simulation Context Slides: Visual slides that set the stage with the basics that the students will need to incorporate into their simulation responses. Covers "The Great Plow Up," the science of soil erosion, and the role of the FSA. It’s the exact background knowledge students need to win the argument.
"The Road West" Simulation Script: The core experience. A teacher-tested prompt designed for use with an LLM of your choice that launches a dynamic roleplay. The AI plays Elias (the farmer), and your students play the FSA Agent.
"Diaries from the Dust" Extension Project: A post-sim creative challenge. Students switch roles, from government agent to migrant refugee on Route 66, creating video diaries, podcasts, or letters that capture the journey to California.
Standardized Grading Rubric: A 100-point. It assesses historical accuracy, cause-and-effect analysis, and narrative voice.