Alyssa Colman: Author & Speaker
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    • Where Only Storms Grow
    • The Gilded Girl
    • The Tarnished Garden
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      • Dust Bowl Resources
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Where Only Storms Grow
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Educator Resources

Thank you for your interest in sharing Where Only Storms Grow with your students. I've made and collected the resources to add dimension and increase understanding about the Dust Bowl and the story. I'm also available for virtual and in-person author visits to speak with your students firsthand!
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  • Where Only Storms Grow Discussion Guide 
  • Excerpt from the book's Author's Note 
  • Library of Congress Dust Bowl Migration Visual Images and teacher's guide
  • YouTube Reading through History - The Dust Bowl (a pretty good overview for kids that's under 5 minutes)
  • Clips from Ken Burns' The Dust Bowl Documentary 
  • The article that inspired Alyssa to write about the Dust Bowl: COVID-19’s Best Analog Is the 1930s Dust Bowl, Not the 1918 Flu
  • Emily Dickinson's poetry ​​features prominently in the book. Here, students can learn more about her life and work. 
Alyssa gives a brief overview of the Dust Bowl and reads the first chapter of Where Only Storms Grow. 
Picture

Writing Prompt:

Picture
Child and Her Mother, Wapato, Yakima Valley, WashingtonYakima Valley, WA, August 10, 1939
This Dorothea Lange photograph of a mother watching her daughter inspired the relationship between Joanna and Mama. The girl looks sad, but grips barbed wire without a care. The mother shields her eyes with her hand to study her daughter. I wondered about their story. 

Start with Dorothea Lange's Dust Bowl archive, or other Dust Bowl images of your choosing. Have each student select an image and write a short story about the subjects of their photograph. 

Recommended Reading (Non-Fiction)

  • The Great American Dust Bowl: A Graphic Novel
  • Children of the Great Depression 
  • ​The Worst Hard Time
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  • About
  • Books
    • Where Only Storms Grow
    • The Gilded Girl
    • The Tarnished Garden
  • Author Visits
    • School Visits
    • Teaching Resources >
      • Dust Bowl Resources
      • The Gilded Girl & Tarnished Garden Resources
  • Newsletter
  • News & Events
  • Contact