Bonanza Farms: The End of an Era
The bonanza farm era ended quickly, as the soil was depleted by 25 years of continuous wheat growing, prices changed, and huge farms proved too expensive to maintain. Never intendeded as long-term investments, but get-rich-quick schemes, the bonanza farms were doomed and ended by the Great Depression.
Bonanza farms, enormous and productive, were the unique outcome of railroad building and settlement enticement in the late 1800s in the Red River Valley. Covering thousands of acres and utilizing hundreds of workers, the farms and their relatively brief history are featured through interviews, photographs, and contemporary media coverage.
Source
Bonanza Farms, Prairie Public Broadcasting.
Grade Level
3 - 12
Subject Matter
Social Studies, Science
Standards
Identify different uses (e.g., building materials, sources of fuel) of Earth’s materials based on their properties
Identify consequences of natural and human-induced environmental changes (e.g., erosion, tsunami, deforestation)
Explain ways humans benefit from Earth’s resources (e.g., air, water, soil, food, fuel, building materials)
Describe how community life has changed from past (i.e., pioneer and tribal) to the present
Describe ways (e.g., the development of transportation, communication, industry, and land use) geography has affected the development of the local community over time
Identify similarities and differences between past events and current events in North Dakota (e.g., in the lives of people from different cultures past and present)
Use chronological order and sequence to describe the cause-and-effect relationships of historical events and periods in North Dakota (e.g., how the railroads led to settlements in the state)
Describe the effects of changes in industry, agriculture, and technology in North Dakota (e.g., energy production, transportation, farming methods)
Identify the location and characteristics of significant features of North Dakota (e.g., landforms, river systems, climate, regions, major cities)
Explain how the physical environment (e.g., rainfall, climate, natural hazards) affects human activity in North Dakota
Describe ways geography has affected the development (e.g., the development of transportation, communication, industry, and land use) of the state over time
Explain how human activity (e.g., settlement patterns, migration) affects the physical environment (e.g., soil uses, economy, pollution, use of energy sources)
Explain how human modifications affect the physical environment (e.g., damming of rivers, pollution, urbanization)
Explain how physical systems affect human systems (e.g., Where do people live and why?)
Evaluate how economic opportunities (e.g., manufacturing, agricultural, business) impact North Dakota and other regions (e.g., Midwest, Northeast)
Interpret the relationships between physical environments and society (e.g., humans modify environment, environment modifies society, and use, distribution, and importance of resources)
