Old Red Trail: Birth of the Interstate
Clip 1 | Clip 2 | Clip 3
|Clip 4 | Clip 5 | Clip 6
Crossing the United States before the federal highway system was in place was very difficult. Future President Dwight Eisenhower traveled in a military expedition from Maryland to California in 1919 and took that experience with him to the White House. He signed the Federal Highway Act in 1956, which resulted in the opening of the first part of Interstate 94 in October of 1958 between Valley City and Jamestown. The video clip also includes discussion of how the interstate highway project was funded, its value in national defense, and secondary road improvement projects.
Producer
Geck, D., Jensen, T., Westad, L., Lee, K., & Van Tassel, D.
Source
Dambach, B., Stenehjem, K., & Deutscher, H. (Producers). Old Red Trail [Documentary]. USA: Prairie Public Broadcasting.
Grade Level
2 - 12
Subject Matter
Social Studies
Standards
Identify historic United States figures (e.g., George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Susan B. Anthony, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Sacagawea) and link them with their contributions
Interpret simple time lines (e.g., identify the time at which events occurred, the sequence in which events developed, and what else was occurring at the time)
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
Use map scales to locate physical features and estimate distance on a map
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)
Identify the contributions of prominent individuals (e.g., Teddy Roosevelt, La Verendrye, Rough Rider Award winners) to North Dakota
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)
Describe ways geography has affected the development (e.g., the development of transportation, communication, industry, and land use) of the state over time
Explain the significance of scientists, inventors, and historical figures (e.g., Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce De Leon, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Paul Revere, Benjamin Rush, David Rittenhouse, Thomas Paine)
Explain why the United States government is necessary (e.g., government helps secure people’s lives, liberty, and property through law and military protection; groups can accomplish things collectively that individuals cannot)
Explain the factors (e.g., trade routes, goods available, location) that influenced the growth of cities
Use maps to find location, calculate scale, and distinguish other geographic relationships (e.g., latitude and longitude, population density)
Analyze the transformation of the nation (e.g., Imperialism, industrialization, immigration, political/social reformers, urbanization, mechanization of agriculture, changing business environment)
Explain how political leaders (e.g., Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler) dictated national policy (e.g., States’ rights, closure of National Bank, Indian Removal Act)
Evaluate the impact of various factors that led to the transformation of the nation (e.g., imperialism, industrialization, immigration, political/social reformers, urbanization, mechanization of agriculture, changing business environment)
