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|   Ellen: Hobo Jungle Historical Context: Ellen: Hobo Jungle tells the story of Ellen, a young girl from Vancouver whose family has fallen on hard times during the Great Depression. Ellen's friendship with Will, a man who has had to leave his family behind while he searches for work, makes her realize how lucky she is, and how important it is to be generous to people who are less fortunate than she is. Class Activities: Encourage children to talk to their grandparents or other senior citizens they know about their experiences during the Great Depression. How did they "make ends meet" during hard times? Did their families have to make do in the same way Ellen's did -- for example, did they mend old clothes to make them last longer? What sort of things did they not have (e.g. new toys)? Ask children to write a story describing their relatives' experiences.  Web Resources:To learn more about the people (many of them teenagers) who were forced by poverty to leave home and "ride the rails" during the Great Depression, visit the PBS website Riding the Rails. |
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