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American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Where to Build a Dam and Mill/Hydroelectric Facility

Where to Build a Dam and Mill/Hydroelectric Facility

Details

Author
Crystal Chismer
Topic/Subject Area
Land, Environment, Geography
Historical Era
Rise of Industrial America, 1878–1899, Progressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928, Counterculture, Civil Rights, and Cold War, 1946–1989, New Millennium, 1990–Present
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5), Middle School (6–8)
Creation Date
2010
Last Revision Date
2024

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About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

Students will understand that there are many different parts of a river. Students will understand that many features need to be considered when selecting dam and mill sites (or hydroelectric sites for a modern-day connection) along a river valley. Students will also understand that there are many potential problems that could disrupt settlement patterns along a river valley.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items

Teaching Plan

  1. Students must have prior knowledge of the vocabulary involved in the parts of a river, that rivers flow downstream to the lowest elevations through valleys and how changes in elevation and the use of dams can impact the usefulness of a river. Required vocab: source, tributary, confluence, ox bow/meanders, floodplain, mouth, delta, elevation, downstream, upstream, reservoir.
  2. Students will use “Map of New-England”. First, they will determine which way the Connecticut River is flowing based on the direction of the tributaries (south). Then students must locate the source and mouth of the river. (Source is in New Hampshire, mouth is where the river empties into Long Island Sound.) Does this river have a delta? (Yes- it is found at the mouth.) Support your answers with evidence from the map.
  3. Students will then use the Map of the Nipmuck or Nipmuck Country compiled from a 1774 Survey published in “The Old Indian Chronicle”. This map depicts the section of the Connecticut River that runs through Massachusetts. Students must select a tributary to dam for use of the water in a mill/hydroelectric power plant. They should support their choice for the dam and mill/hydro facility with evidence from the map. Questions that may help students: Which way is your tributary flowing? Is there an area that could be used for a reservoir? Is there a drop in elevation to power the mill/hydro turbine? Point out to students that there are topographic symbols on this map, showing where land is elevated. They should be on the lookout for these symbols when choosing their mill location as well as in the next step of the directions, planning the settlement.
  4. Next students should look at the river for potential problems that may arise as their settlement develops around the mill/hydroelectric facility. Are there any floodplains or oxbows nearby? Do they seem far enough away? Are there any other physical features nearby that might have an impact? Remember to check both up and downstream for potential problems. How close is your settlement to the confluence of your tributary and the Connecticut River? What are the factors that led to your decision to be closer to or further from the confluence?
  5. Finally, students should report out on their choices, with explanations of why they chose their locations.