Save Our History
Save Our History is the History Channel's award-winning national campaign dedicated to historical preservation and history education. As part of this initiative, The History Channel produces documentaries and corresponding teaching materials for educators free of charge. In addition to the featured program, The Missouri River: A Journey with Stephen Ambrose, The History Channel will be initiating a number of exciting projects in the coming year, including a major Save Our History campaign in February 2000 to celebrate the construction of a national WWII Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Information about this upcoming initiative and other Save Our History campaigns are accessible on the World Wide Web at www.HistoryChannel.com. Educators can also order materials by faxing the Educational Department at 212-551-1540.
The Missouri River: A Journey with Stephen Ambrose
This one-hour documentary explores the historic and environmental significance of the Missouri River in the development of the United States. Using breathtaking footage of the Missouri and interviews with prominent scholars and environmentalists, The Missouri: A Journey with Stephen Ambrose reveals to students the dynamism of the river that served as Lewis and Clark's conduit to the west. In addition to tracing the history of the Missouri River, the following exercises help students understand the challenges inherent in managing a natural resource like the Missouri and the difficulty in balancing the interests of various group
The Missouri River: A Journey with Stephen Ambrose fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: Chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, historical issue-analysis and decision-making for Era 4, 6, and 8-10.
Discussion Questions
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Historian Stephen Ambrose states that the Lewis and Clark expedition constantly depended upon cottonwood trees in their westward voyage. What functions did the cottonwood serve? How has it been used since, and why is it in such danger today?
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What were the motivating reasons behind the Army Corps of Engineers' efforts to channelize the Missouri River? Did they accomplish their objectives?
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Several commentators describe the Missouri River as an important
character
in the Lewis and Clark expedition. What role did the Missouri River play for Lewis and Clark? In what ways did the river (or does any river, for that matter) seem life-like?
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Two major factors of the 1930s influenced President Franklin Roosevelt's decision to support the construction of Ft. Peck Dam. What were they? What does this tell you about the contingency or timing of historical events?
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What event prompted the government's decision to proceed with the Pick-Sloan plan? What were the elements of this plan? Did it succeed in its objectives?
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The development of railroads has had a tremendous impact upon water transportation. What role did railroads play in the demise of steamboat travel? How did railroads also, ironically, spur the channelization of the Missouri River?
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Several of the people interviewed in the documentary discuss the irony of the 1993 flood for the natural history of the Missouri River. What was this irony? What does this tell you about the relative power of natural and man-made forces?
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Describe the events leading to creation of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. In what ways is this refuge such a departure from other kinds of human intervention on the Missouri River?
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The Missouri documentary describes in detail the efforts that are being made to save the Pallid Sturgeon. List some of these steps. In what ways does seeing this process help you understand the difficulty of recovering an endangered species?
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Ecologist Daniel Botkin talks about the importance of restoring the processes of the Missouri River, rather than actually trying to recreate some former state of the river. What does Botkin mean? Why do you think that he and other environmentalists emphasize this distinction?
Extended Activities
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This documentary shows Historian Stephen Ambrose, along with the Secretary of the Interior and a Montana Senator, constructing a fence to regulate the grazing and to restrict the access of cattle along the Missouri. Have students research the history of fencing laws in the United States, paying special attention to the evolution of these laws in relation to ideas about property rights.
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Have students create posters focusing upon the campaign to restore the Missouri River to its natural state. Students may focus on any single issue: recreation, farming, fish and wildlife, etc. Share the posters with the class and then create an art exhibit on the Missouri River.
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Have students choose a species native to the Missouri that is now threatened with extinction and conduct research on the reasons for its endangerment. Students should provide basic facts about the species-its preferred habitat, food source, etc.-and provide a picture, either a hand-drawing or a reproduction from a magazine or journal. After students have shared their findings with the class, create an exhibit showcasing the Missouri's endangered fish and wildlife.
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Throughout the documentary, environmentalists, farmers, and government officials emphasize the importance of compromise in deciding how to regulate the flow of water through the dams along the Missouri. Divide the class into groups and have each group represent the interests of one of these constituencies, as they think about the question of restoring the Missouri River to its natural state. Ask each group to outline the reasons for assuming the positions that they have, making arguments for or against changing the way that the dams are run. Have each group present their arguments to the class and then discuss the difficulty of working out an acceptable solution under such circumstances. What does this teach students about the challenges of policy-making and the role of interest groups in the political process?
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