Through the Lens:Construction of the Garrison Dam
Early television captures the construction of the Garrison Dam, begun in 1947. As the original narrator of the video says, it’s “dirt moving at its best!” Color film from the Corps of Engineers shows construction, and President Dwight Eisenhower is shown at the dam's dedication. The newly formed, 200-mile-long Lake Sakakawea became a popular attraction for land-locked North Dakotans, who were "short on nautical experience."
Source
Through the Lens: North Dakota as Seen by Television in the 1950s (1986); State Historical Society of North Dakota
Grade Level
3 - 12
Subject Matter
Social Studies, Science
Standards
Identify different physical properties (e.g., size, shape, texture) of earth materials (e.g., rocks, sand, water)
Identify different uses (e.g., building materials, sources of fuel) of Earth’s materials based on their properties
Evaluate the effects of technology on people and the environment (e.g., new construction, oil drilling, electric cars)
Identify consequences of natural and human-induced environmental changes (e.g., erosion, tsunami, deforestation)
Identify ways in which science and technology have greatly improved human lives (e.g., food quality and quantity, transportation, health, sanitation, communication)
Identify details of an object’s form which determine its function (e.g., webbed feet for use in water, human feet for walking, shovel for scooping dirt, a rake for collecting leaves, tape measure and ruler to measure distance)
Explain ways humans benefit from Earth’s resources (e.g., air, water, soil, food, fuel, building materials)
7.6.1. Identify ways in which technology has influenced the course of history and improved the quality of life
Explain the effects of human activities (e.g., dams, levees, farming practices, deforestation, land-use practices, land-management strategies) on the environment
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)
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)
Identify different patterns of land use in North Dakota (e.g., land use in urban, suburban, and rural areas, mining, agriculture, manufacturing)
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)
Use maps to find location, calculate scale, and distinguish other geographic relationships (e.g., latitude and longitude, population density)
Identify major historical events and issues (e.g., conflicts and resolutions, natural resources) within regions of the world and their impact
Explain how human modifications affect the physical environment (e.g., damming of rivers, pollution, urbanization)
Interpret and evaluate a variety of visual representations (e.g. charts, graphs, time lines, graphic organizers, maps, flow charts) of data
Use media (e.g., oral, written, websites, computer simulations, multimedia resources) to access, record, analyze, and communicate information relating to social studies
