Nature’s Lifeblood

Nature’s Lifeblood

Dam be gone
Lesson: 6.1
Level:
Advanced
Station: Water Management
Format: Debate
Rating:
Advanced Lesson 6.1 Nature's Lifeblood

Lesson Overview

It's the ebb and flow of society's wants and desires that led to the surge in dams initially. Now the people want the dams to be removed. This lesson is a debate with students arguing each side of the issue.

Teach the Teacher

Method

Man-made dams are plentiful, in fact, there are more than 75,000 dams in the US. They affect fisheries, vegetation, and water supplies. Dam busting has become a viable response in the last decade, led in part by Yvon Chouinard, founder of popular outdoor retailer Patagonia.

Divide the class in half, with one side making the argument for dams while the other argues in favor of dam busting.

Use the CorpsMap: National Inventory of Dams website to determine the number of dams in your state and explore them in more detail.

Related Lessons

Now that you’ve completed the Advanced Lesson, just remember that you can always revisit the Beginner and Intermeidate Lessons as needed.

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