Nancy O’Brien Wagner, Lansing Shepard,
Carol Schreider, Barbara Coffin
A joint project of the College of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota
and the Education Department of the Minnesota Historical Society
EPISODE III TEACHERS’ GUIDE
CONTENTS
USE AND PHILOSOPHY ..........................................................................................................................................
II
SERIES OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................................................................
V
EPISODE III: OUT OF THE ASHES
ORIENTATION ..........................................................................................................................................................
2
VIEWING GUIDE ......................................................................................................................................................
5
LESSONS
Lesson 5: The Mississippi River and Pollution .........................................................................................................
8
Lesson Worksheet ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
Lesson 6: The Story of the Wolf ................................................................................................................................. 13
Lesson Worksheet ........................................................................................................................................................ 14
ANSWER KEYS
Viewing Guide Answer Key .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Lesson 5 Worksheet Answer Key................................................................................................................................... 21
SUGGESTED RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................... 23
WEB SITE
............................................................................................................................................................ 24
MAPS
............................................................................................................................................................. 25
II
USE AND PHILOSOPHY
Minnesota: A History of the Land is a four-part documentary series that weaves
together human and natural history and illustrates the historical and ongoing
importance of Minnesota’s landscapes to the social, cultural, and economic systems
of the region.
Throughout time, humans have altered their landscapes. In the 500 years since Europeans
arrived on this continent, the physical landscape has changed profoundly. Minnesota: A
History of the Land tells part of that story chronicling the vast changes that Minnesota’s
ecosystems have undergone, from presettlement to the present. By showing how humans
have shaped and interacted with the land, this series provides a powerful context for under-
THE FOURPAR
T DOCUME
NT
ARY SER
IES DVD
Original soun
dtrack by Pete
r Ostroushko
standing the region’s current environmental challenges.
A set of powerful insights about the relationship between the physical environment and
humans binds the four episodes of the series together:
The series can be viewed
•
How humans view the land determines how humans use the land. In Minnesota, for
example, different people have viewed (and thus used) these lands very differently.
Because of human perception and action, the landscape has been altered dramatically
and, in many cases, irrevocably.
•
Apart from human perceptions, these lands have always had their own existence.
Landscapes are first and forever ecological entities that react to disturbances in ecologi-
•
in a number of ways —
as social and political
history, as a history of
environmental thought,
as a history of technology, or
cal ways—through an immense web of complex interdependencies, cycles, and energy
even as lessons in
flows that is connected to landforms, soils, seasons, and rainfall patterns.
ecology.
The gap between human perception and ecological reality has led repeatedly to unintended and often negative consequences. Because of this, people have been forced to
adjust their view of the land and thus their use of the land. This halting, adaptive
process means that the landscape shapes people even as people shape the landscape.
•
In changing these landscapes, people not only replace old, complex landscapes with
new, simplified ones, they set the terms of engagement—the limits of what is possible
for future generations.
The series can be viewed in a number of ways: as social and political history, as a history of
environmental thought, as a history of technology, or even as lessons in ecology.
For more information about the series, visit: www.historyoftheland.org
III
USE AND PHILOSOPHY continued
Goals for Student Learning
This teachers’ guide is intended to help middle-school students view the Minnesota: A History
of the Land video series and develop an understanding of the following key concepts:
•
The land (physical environment) has played a powerful role in shaping Minnesota’s
economies and communities.
•
Minnesotans have had an enormous impact on the state’s waters, plants, and wildlife and
have an important role to play as stewards of the environment.
•
The historical causes of the landscape’s current condition—its health, use, and long-term
sustainability—are essential to understanding crucial issues of conservation and natural
Nancy O’Brien Wagner, Lansing Shepard,
Carol Schreider, Barbara Coffin
A joint project of the College of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota
and the Education Department of the Minnesota Historical Society
TEACHERS’ GUIDE
resource management.
How to Use the Teachers’ Guide
While the video alone is an effective educational tool, this curriculum is designed to help
middle-school teachers guide students to uncover the main points in each episode and to
expand the ideas described above. As you watch the video in your classroom, we suggest you
break your viewing into smaller sections. Each hour-long episode is composed of three to
four segments that range from twelve to twenty minutes in length.
I.
The Episode Orientation presents a synopsis of each one-hour video as well as an easyto-follow guide to viewing and using each video. The orientation includes:
•
a summary of each episode’s content and a time-coded abstract for each segment
•
Northern Lights links, which cue users to related chapters of Northern Lights: The Story of
Minnesota’s Past, a middle-school curriculum of state history developed by the
N Northern Lights Links
Minnesota Historical Society
•
key terms needed to understand the concepts in the video, along with brief definitions. You
may find it useful to preview these terms with your students before watching the video.
•
discussion questions that explore concepts presented in each episode and require students
to synthesize information, think through implications, and draw conclusions
II. In addition, a viewing guide for each episode provides a list of questions that help students
identify the main concepts of each segment. You may find it helpful to pause the video after
each segment to allow students to discuss and revise their answers.
III. Each episode has two lessons designed to amplify the central ideas presented in that
episode. Each lesson contains a lesson plan to guide teachers in setting up and conducting
that exercise, and a reproducible worksheet on which the students’ work is done. Additional
ideas for related extension activities are included for each episode.
IV. Additional resources such as reference maps, suggested resources, and answer keys are
included to help the teacher and students.
IV
SERIES OVERVIEW
Minnesota: A History of the Land brings to life the epic story of the people and landscapes of Minnesota from
the retreat of the last ice sheets to the growth of today's suburbs. This four-part documentary series features nature
videography from across the state, never-before-seen historic images, state-of-the-art animations, and historic
recreations. The original soundtrack for the series is by award-winning composer Peter Ostroushko.
For more background information on the series, visit www.historyoftheland.org
EPISODE I: Ordering the Land / 16,000 BP–1870s
EPISODE III: Out of the Ashes / 1900–1940s
Witness 16,000 years of Minnesota’s fascinating early history.
Never-before-seen historic footage brings to life the begin-
Its unique place in North America is revealed through state-
nings of conservation in Minnesota. Discover why
of-the-art animations and graphics. Prominent members of
Minnesota is at the forefront of conservation in the United
Minnesota’s Native American community describe their long
States and the key role that women play. See what happens
relationship with the land. With the arrival of Europeans
to the Mississippi River as the population of the Twin Cities
comes a new way of looking at the land, one that will change
explodes. Graphic animations help viewers imagine the
the region forever. See how this is expressed in the land sur-
results of one man’s plan to flood the boundary waters
vey, which carves the natural world into squares that can be
region. Then, get to know the fascinating character who
bought and sold. The fur trade era and early lumbering are
helps to save the region from destruction. In the series’ most
brought to life with historic re-creations and photographs.
ambitious historic re-creation, find out which prominent
Discover what happens when early entrepreneurs fail to
Minnesota conservationist begins his career promoting the
understand the geology of St. Anthony Falls.
destruction of wolves.
EPISODE II: Changes in the Land / 1870s–1900
EPISODE IV: Second Nature / 1940s and Beyond
Voices from the past and stunning nature videography re-
Unique historic footage and photographs depict the
create the natural world Euro-Americans first encountered.
momentous changes brought to Minnesota during and after
Find out what happens to North America’s most abundant
World War II. A vivid re-creation brings to life the revolu-
species as commercial hunters and the railroad arrive in
tionary work of a University of Minnesota graduate student.
Minnesota. The majestic Big Woods are cut down to make
Simple inventions like nylon nets and the introduction of an
room for farms and villages. Visit one of the little-known
exotic species bring the fishery of Lake Superior to the brink
crown jewels of Minnesota, the Bluestem Prairie. Find out
of collapse. Through rarely seen footage, experience the
why Minnesota has some of the richest soils in the world
extensive pollution of Lake Superior caused by the disposal
and how Minneapolis becomes the flour-milling capital of
of over 60,000 tons of waste a day. Then, hear firsthand how
the world. Historic re-creations bring to life the bonanza era
a group of citizens plays a central role in stopping this pollu-
of wheat farming. And experience the catastrophic fire that
tion. Discover the ways in which our own homes and busi-
ushers in a new way of looking at the land.
nesses result in changes in the land as far away as the rain
forests of South America. Consider how the stories of
Minnesota’s past can inform our choices for the future.
V
EPISODE III:
Out of the Ashes
1900 – 1940s
1
Episode III: Out of the Ashes (1900 – 1940s)
ORIENTATION
Episode Summary
By 1900, most of the state’s landscape has changed, and a growing number of people are beginning to understand the magnitude of
what has been lost and the consequences of the choices they had made. In the early 1900s, a reform movement and a conservation
ethic emerge as the impact of landscape change from the nineteenth century is understood.
The lumber industry still dominates land use in the north, but the rise of scientific forestry and reformers’ success in forming the
Chippewa National Forest launch a new way of interacting with Minnesota’s forests. The Mississippi River is assaulted by urban
waste, but efforts to clean the river finally begin with the construction of a treatment facility in St. Paul. In the Boundary Waters, a
historic battle is waged to preserve a wilderness from a development scheme that would have flooded the region. And though
wildlife throughout the state remains jeopardized by human encroachment, the crisis spurs intensive scientific study. As these struggles to save landscapes and wildlife continue, a revolutionary new way of viewing and using the landscape emerges. It is a philosophy based in the new science of ecology.
SEGMENT LENGTH DESCRIPTION
3.0 minutes
Episode Introduction. The status of Minnesota’s landscapes and the wealth they had generated at the turn
of the twentieth century is reviewed. The brief overview
foreshadows a shift in the attitude of Minnesotans as
they came to see the unintended consequences of their
actions and the emergence of the concept of ecology.
10.0 minutes
Out of the Ashes describes how the devastation left by
logging and forest fires spurred calls for reform in
Minnesota’s northern forests. When a huge tract of timberland was taken from the Ojibwe Indians and opened
for logging, reform groups became active. They proceeded to clash with land developers and settlers over
which vision of forestry would prevail. Reformers
embraced the ideals of scientific forestry and the conservation of natural resources. Developers wanted to
continue clear-cutting forests and selling the cutover
land to settlers. A compromise plan allowed for selective logging and reforestation in the newly created
Chippewa National Forest, heralding a new era of
resource management in the state.
9.0 minutes
An Amazing Site is the story of the earliest attempts to
control sanitation problems in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Nowhere in Minnesota was the transformation of the
natural landscape so dramatic as it was in the burgeoning Twin Cities. The cities’ prime location at the
nexus of biomes and major rivers had brought industrial
success and a booming population, but this rapid
growth generated a flood of waste that threatened the
very health of the cities.
Reform groups pushed for the first sewage system,
which improved public health but brought an unintended
consequence. Untreated waste flowed directly into the
river and destroyed its health. Finally, in the 1930s, a new
treatment facility helped restore the health of the river.
18.0 minutes
Bewildering Beauty tells the tale of how beginning in
the 1920s, a new view of the land challenged nineteenth-century assumptions of land use in Minnesota.
For ten years, conservationists, led by Ernest
Oberholtzer, battled with Minneapolis lumberman
Edward Backus over what would be done with
Minnesota’s vast northern wilderness. Backus planned
to dam the boundary waters to create electricity, but
Oberholtzer and others wanted the pristine lakes and
forest to remain a wilderness. Backus’s ultimate defeat
signaled a new public appreciation for intact ecosystems and the value of managing natural resources for
recreational use.
(continued)
2
Episode III: Out of the Ashes ORIENTATION continued
SEGMENT LENGTH DESCRIPTION (continued)
12.5 minutes
Eye of the Wolf. By the 1920s, years of reckless hunting
practices, along with massive habitat loss, had pushed
Minnesota’s game populations toward alarmingly low
levels. Attempts to restore numbers through predator
control, game propagation efforts, refuge establishments, and stiffer hunting regulations could not stop the
decline. As populations of game and other wildlife
crashed, a new profession of science-based conservation arose. Promoted by two of its well-known practitioners—Aldo Leopold and Sigurd Olson—it employed
new discoveries about the relationship of wildlife to the
environment. The science was called ecology, and its
success in helping to rebuild wildlife populations
helped steer the public toward a more inclusive understanding of the land.
3.0 minutes
The Close reviews the changes in people’s understanding of the biological landscape and how it works. There
is new recognition of the need to work within the ecological limitations of natural systems of the land.
Note: The bold face type listed here in the “segment descriptions” indicates that an intertitle marks the beginning of a new segment in the episode.
The italic type indicates the beginning of a new segment in the episode, but the transition is made through visuals and narration.
Episode Key Terms
virgin forest: a wooded area that has never been lumbered
scientific forestry: an early twentieth-century approach to managing forests that
N Northern Lights Links
The following chapters have content
that connects to this episode:
employed the scientific method for the purpose of sustaining them
Chapter 11: Flour, Lumber, and Iron
conservation: the controlled use or protection of natural resources so that the
Chapter 13: The Common Good
natural resources will survive and remain healthy
Chapter 19: Transforming the Land
sewage: human-generated liquid and solid human waste that is carried off in
drains and sewers
wastewater treatment facility: a plant that processes sewage to remove dangerous parts before it enters the waterways
draining: a system of installing ditches and underground pipes that drain water
from wetlands to create farmlands
ecology: the relationship between plants, animals, and their environment
3
Episode III: Out of the Ashes ORIENTATION continued
? Discussion Questions
1.
In the debate over the creation of the Chippewa National Forest, local settlers
clashed with forest reformers from the cities. Do you think that people who live near
a resource should have more say in how that resource is used?
2.
Do you think the efforts to protect the Chippewa National Forest were effective?
What do you wish had happened and why?
3.
Why is the creation of a sewer system so important for human health? Why is the
creation of sewage treatment plants so important for fish health?
4.
Do you think that the boundary waters would have been preserved from development if Backus had never tried to create his dams?
5.
Why might wolves and other predators be so important to the ecology of an
ecosystem?
6.
Between 1920 and 1940, the change in the way people came to view their landscapes
was considered revolutionary. Why?
7.
Around 1900, conservationists believed that conservation was about efficiency and
controlled use of the landscape’s resources. By 1940, this idea had undergone some
changes. Explain. What did not change?
8.
If you could go back and undo what happened to the Chippewa National Forest,
Mississippi River, western pothole region, or boundary waters, which area would
you choose to change? Why?
4
Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________ Class : _______________________
Episode III: Out of the Ashes (1900 – 1940s)
VIEWING GUIDE
Out of the Ashes
1. For years, the Ojibwe lands had been protected by treaties. In the 1890s, some of the Ojibwe lands were
opened up, and people began to debate about the use of those lands. Which groups were interested in the
former treaty areas? (Name two or more)
2. What was scientific forestry? Why were people interested in that idea?
3. Why was the creation of the Chippewa National Forest so special? (Name three or more reasons.)
An Amazing Site
4. The creation of a sewer system helped clean up the Twin Cities’ streets, but what did it do to the Mississippi River?
5. How did the new wastewater treatment facility help this problem?
5
Episode III: Out of the Ashes VIEWING GUIDE continued
Bewildering Beauty
6. Draw or describe what Edward Backus wanted to do to the boundary waters?
7. Why was Ernest Oberholtzer so against Backus’s plans?
8. How did Oberholtzer and the Quetico-Superior Council fight Backus?
Sewell Tyng and Ernest Oberholtzer lead the fight to protect the
Boundary Waters. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society.
6
Episode III: Out of the Ashes VIEWING GUIDE continued
Eye of the Wolf
9. In the 1920s, how did people view predators like wolves?
10. What was actually causing the decline in game?
11. Complete the following chart.
THE DRAINING OF THE WETLANDS ERA (1910–30)
What was it?
The period when farmers dug ditches and placed pipes underground to drain water from wetlands in western Minnesota.
Intended Consequences:
things people expected to happen
(name 1 or more)
Unintended Consequences:
things people didn’t realize might happen
(name 1 or more)
12. How did Aldo Leopold and Sigurd Olson’s attitudes toward predators change?
7
Episode III: Out of the Ashes (1900 – 1940s)
LESSON 5 PLAN
LESSON 5 PLAN: The Mississippi River and Pollution
Lesson Objective
Procedure
Upon completion of this lesson, students will understand:
1. With the class, review the section An Amazing Site in
Episode III.
• What human factors affect water pollution
2. Discuss with the class the location and characteristics of the
• How water health is measured through dissolved oxygen levels
• How to graph water oxygen levels
Mississippi River. Have they seen the river? How does it look in
northern Minnesota? How does that compare to how it looks
in the Twin Cities or southern Minnesota? Would they ever
want to drink from it or swim in it? What would they want to
Materials
Lesson 5 Worksheet
Graph paper, markers, tape
know before they decided to drink from it or swim in it?
3. With the students, read the worksheet and discuss the factors
that likely affected water quality.
4. Ask the students to create their time-line charts. There are
Background
The level of dissolved oxygen in water is used as an indicator of
many different ways to chart this information. Students can
create separate charts for each period or each place, or combine all the information into one chart.
water quality. Plants and animals need oxygen to survive.
When the Mississippi River is healthy, it has a dissolved oxygen
level of between 6 and 12 mg/L (milligrams/liter), depending
on the season and the temperature of the water. Scientists can
quickly test the oxygen levels to evaluate water quality.
Oxygen and bacteria are important in the decomposition of
Follow-Up
Allow students to present their charts. Possible discussion questions include:
• What makes a chart effective or readable?
raw sewage. When raw sewage enters a waterway, it consumes
much oxygen; fish and other animals and plants cannot survive in conditions of low dissolved oxygen. In a “primary treatment facility,” the waste is allowed to settle, the solid waste is
removed (to be buried or burned), and the liquid waste is
• At what places or during which periods was the quality of
water higher?
• Why did the oxygen levels generally increase the farther the test
sites were from the Twin Cities?
returned to the water system. In a “secondary treatment facility,” the liquid waste is treated by adding and mixing in oxygen
and bacteria, which speed up the process of decomposition
and protect the oxygen levels downstream. As wastewater treatment technologies and methods improve, so does the quality
• Above which test sites do you think additional pollution is
going into the river?
• What other factors could you measure to evaluate water quality
in the Mississippi River?
of our waterways.
8
Episode III: Out of the Ashes LESSON 5 PLAN continued
Extension Ideas:
• The Web site “Water on the Web” offers two sets of curricula.
• Consider mimicking the effects of pollution in our water
“Basic Science” offers opportunities for high school and
sources. Collect three clear glasses, a sponge, some
first-year college students to learn basic science through
food sprinkles, and a pitcher of water. Ask students to
hands-on science activities, in the lab and in the field, and
imagine that the sprinkles are raw sewage. Fill one glass
by working with state-of-the-art technologies accessible
with water and add 1/8 of a teaspoon of sprinkles. Ask
through this Web site. “Water Science” offers a two-
them if they would want to drink that water. Continue
semester water resource management curriculum for
adding sprinkles, and question them when the water is
second-year technical students or undergraduates in water
undrinkable. Place the sponge at the top of one glass,
resource management, water science, or environmental
then pour half the “polluted” water through the sponge
resource management programs. Check out:
“treatment facility,” and half into the glass without a
www.waterontheweb.org
treatment facility. Which water is cleaner? How is this
situation similar to the sewer systems and street runoff
system that we have?
• Contact the DNR for information about Project WET.
Project WET is an international, interdisciplinary, water
science and education program for formal and non-formal
educators of K-12 students. The goal of Project WET is to
facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the
development and dissemination of classroom-ready
teaching aids and through the establishment of state and
internationally sponsored Project WET programs. Call the
DNR Information Center, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN
55155-4040; telephone: 651-296-6157 or 888-MINNDNR;
TTY: 651-296-5484 or 800-657-3929.
9
Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________ Class : _______________________
The Mississippi River and Pollution
LESSON 5 WORKSHEET
Before settlement, the Mississippi was a healthy river, fed by streams and wetlands that naturally cleansed
the water and regulated the water table. With the arrival of settlers, the character of the river dramatically
changed. In St. Paul, new dams raised the levels of the river and drowned out valleys above the dams. In
Minneapolis, logging mills clouded and choked the water with sawdust. As the human population in the
Twin Cities increased, more pollution and sewage flowed directly into the river, damaging the natural
plants and animals, and harming the health of other humans downriver.
TWIN CITIES POPULATION
3,000,000
Population
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920
1930 1940
1950 1960 1970 1980
1990 2000
Year
In the 1880s, Minneapolis and St. Paul realized they needed to clean up their water in order to protect public
health. Together, the cities built their first water systems. Minneapolis and St. Paul both collected water from
above the cities, using pipes to bring water to homes. Once used, however, the polluted water and waste were
returned directly to the Mississippi—with no treatment—or sat festering in the streets.
By the 1920s, the Mississippi River was seriously ill, and the cities were to blame. In the 1920s, scientists and
local citizens realized that they had a serious problem. Scientists studying the river took measurements of the
river’s dissolved oxygen levels. When oxygen levels are too low, plants and animals suffocate. In 1926, scientists
found only a handful of fish surviving in the river below the Twin Cities. Something needed to be done.
In 1938, the Twin Cities built a sewage treatment plant just south of St. Paul. Both cities now collected clean
water from the Mississippi River north of the cities, and both cities sent their sewage to this treatment plant.
This meant that there was no more raw sewage in the streets, and people’s health improved. It also meant
that sewage was treated: the solids were removed and buried, and the liquids were treated with chlorine to
destroy dangerous bacteria. The treated water was then added back into the river.
10
The Mississippi River and Pollution: LESSON 5 WORKSHEET continued
Below the cities, the water quality improved dramatically. Over the next seventy years, scientists continued to
improve the river’s health. In 1966, the treatment facility was improved, and new techniques for treating the
liquids were created. In 1972, new laws required that water quality standards be maintained. In the mid-1980s,
the treatment facility was expanded again. Over the years, scientists continued to measure the dissolved oxygen
levels in the river. Study the following map and data on the river’s health, then use your graph paper to create
a river time line to chart how the river’s health changed.
er
Riv
ix
ro
.C
St
Mi
ssi
ssi
pp
iR
ive
r
Metro Sewage
Treatment Plant
Saint Paul
Test Site
St. Paul
Minneapolis
Newport
Test Site
Grey Cloud
Test Site
Mi
nne
sot
a
Hastings
Test Site
Riv
er
Lake Pepin
er
Riv
n
o
nn
Ca
Red Wing
Test Site
Mi
ssi
ssi
pp
iR
ive
r
Ro
ot
Riv
er
DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS (mg/L)
1926
1934–38
1939–41
1942–55
1956–65
1966–78
1979–87
1988–97
1998–2003
St. Paul
0.8
7.4
N/A
6.8
6.5
7.6
7.55
7.6
8.04
Newport
0.5
1.1
N/A
4.3
1.8
3.9
6.84
7.5
7.48
Grey Cloud
N/A
1.7
N/A
4.1
1.7
3.3
6.77
7.2
7.28
Hastings
0.3
4.8
N/A
6.2
5.5
6.6
6.88
7.7
7.37
Red Wing
2.2
6.2
N/A
6.4
6.9
7.2
7.37
7.4
7.88
11
The Mississippi River and Pollution: LESSON 5 WORKSHEET continued
Step 1: Create a river time-line chart.
With your graph paper, create a chart that shows the dissolved oxygen levels at each place in each time period.
There are many different ways to chart this information.
Step 2: Answer the following questions.
1. Overall, how did the oxygen levels change between 1926 and 2003?
2. What different things caused the water quality to improve?
3. Generally, which places had the highest levels of dissolved oxygen, and which places had the lowest?
What might have caused those patterns?
4. Between which two time periods did the dissolved oxygen levels decrease? What might have caused that?
5. What do you think are the major causes of water pollution today?
12
Episode III: Out of the Ashes (1900 – 1940s)
LESSON 6 PLAN
LESSON 6 PLAN: The Story of the Wolf
Lesson Objective
Upon completion of this lesson, students will understand:
• How human attitudes toward wolves as predators have
changed over the past 100 years
• How changes in human attitudes and behaviors have
affected wolves
• How to communicate this information to others
Materials
Lesson 6 Worksheet
Scissors, markers, tape, cardboard or shoeboxes, Popsicle
sticks (all optional: used if creating finger-puppet theater)
4. Divide students into groups of three to five, and ask them to
read the worksheet and prepare a five-minute presentation
that illustrates how human attitudes and behaviors have
affected wolves and their ecology over the past 100 years. You
may want to allow one day for preparing their presentations
and one day for presenting. If students use the finger-puppet
templates, they may want to use a copying machine to duplicate the illustrations to make multiple finger puppets.
Follow-Up
Allow students to present their shows. Possible discussion
questions include:
• What makes a show more effective?
Background
As the information in the student text shows, human attitudes
toward wolves have changed significantly over the past 100 years.
These attitudes have greatly affected human behavior toward
wolves and, therefore, the size and health of wolf populations.
Of all the regulations concerning wolves, the 1973 Endangered
Species Act had the greatest impact. This act gave wolves “endangered” status in all states but Minnesota, meaning that wolves
were in danger of becoming extinct. In Minnesota, wolves were
given “threatened” status, which means that they were likely to
become “endangered” in the near future. Animals under either
classification are protected from hunting, and their critical habitats are protected from destruction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is responsible for enforcing the Endangered Species Act.
Procedure
1. With the class, review the section Eye of the Wolf in Episode III.
2. Discuss with the class the image of wolves in stories like
“Little Red Riding Hood” and “Peter and the Wolf.”
Brainstorm adjectives that describe these images of wolves.
3. Discuss with the class the image of wolves in the film. How
do Aldo Leopold and Sigurd Olson describe wolves?
Brainstorm words that describe the modern image of wolves.
How do these two images of wolves compare?
• Has wolves’ behavior changed at all?
• How have human attitudes affected wolves?
• Why have people’s attitudes changed? What attitudes and
assumptions about wolves are the hardest to change?
• Do you think we should allow wolves to multiply and expand
their territory in Minnesota? Why or why not?
Extension Ideas:
• Minnesota is home to the leading wolf research and education organization at the International Wolf Center near Ely.
The center has a Web site at www.wolf.org that has information for students and ideas for educators.
• Through the elyminnesota.com web site, students can view
a live “wolf cam” to see the wolves at the International Wolf
Center. Go to www.elyminnesota.com/cams/wolfcam/ to
view the wolves.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for managing wolf populations. They have much information online,
including maps of wolf locations, wolf population numbers,
and updates on the status of wolves as threatened or endangered. Go to midwest.fws.gov/wolf/l for more information.
13
Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________ Class : _______________________
The Story of the Wolf
LESSON 6 WORKSHEET
By 1973, the gray wolf was nearly extinct in the lower forty-eight states.
Historically, wolves had ranged across almost all of the United States,
Canada, and Mexico. However, after decades of hunting and trapping,
the only gray wolves in the lower forty-eight states were found in
northern Minnesota, with a scattered few on Michigan’s Isle Royale.
In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was passed, and gray wolves were
listed as “endangered,” meaning it was illegal to kill or harm them.
After thirty years, the efforts to help gray wolves recover are paying
off: gray wolves have returned naturally to Wisconsin and Michigan
and have been successfully reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park.
How did this happen? Why were people hunting and trapping wolves in 1960 and carefully reintroducing them
in the Rocky Mountains in 1995? The story of the wolf is really a story about people. Read through the following
passage and prepare a presentation that explains this story. You can develop a short play, poem, finger-puppet show,
or other method to present your ideas. You can use the finger-puppet templates on the next page or create your own.
MINNESOTA WOLF POPULATION TRENDS 1951–98
3,000
1977
1988
Population estimate
1998
2,450
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,500–1,750
1,235
1,000
500
0
1950
1965
Wolf population expansion in Minnesota.
Courtesy of the International Wolf Center.
1980
1995
Year
Lowest estimate
Highest estimate
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fold here
attach to popsicle sticks.
3. Tape or glue tabs to make finger puppets or
2. Color and cut out pieces from following page.
1. Cut out and fold theater on this page.
Puppet Theatre Instructions
The Story of the Wolf : LESSON 6 WORKSHEET continued
15
fold here
Deer
Wolf
Elk
Hunter
Farmer
Environmentalist
The Story of the Wolf : LESSON 6 WORKSHEET continued
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The Story of the Wolf : LESSON 6 WORKSHEET continued
Act I: Wolves Are Considered Bad
In the early 1900s, wolves were considered dangerous killers who competed with humans. Wolves killed deer and
other big game, apparently reducing the number of game for hunters. Wolves also sometimes killed cattle and other
livestock. Both hunters and farmers seemed to have good reasons to get rid of wolves. In Minnesota, the government
paid bounties for dead wolves, rewarding people for killing them. It was thought that decreasing the numbers of
predators would increase the numbers of game animals, but that didn’t happen.
Act II: People Begin to Reconsider the Wolf Question
In the 1930s and 1940s, people began to question their assumptions about wolves. Even after people nearly eliminated wolf populations, game species were not recovering. Naturalists like Sigurd Olson and Aldo Leopold began to suspect that eliminating wolves wouldn’t solve the problem. Olson realized that wolves were an integral (central) part of
their wilderness community. Leopold came to understand that when people consider animals only for their economic worth, they ignore the important role animals play in the larger balance of nature. People like Leopold and Olson
realized that wolves were important to the greater ecology, but they didn’t fully understand the wolf’s role in its
ecosystem.
Act III: The Wolf Is Protected
In the late 1950s and 1960s, people began to realize that wolves were about to disappear. Wisconsin and Michigan
passed laws to protect wolves in 1957 and 1965, respectively. Unfortunately, those efforts came too late: there were no
wolves left in Wisconsin or Michigan (outside of Isle Royale) by 1965. Minnesota eliminated its wolf bounty in 1965
but continued to allow hunting of wolves.
In 1973, the federal Endangered Species Act was passed, protecting wolves from harm or hunting. In the late 1970s,
wolves returned to Wisconsin, and in the late 1980s, wolves returned to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Wolves were
finally recovering in the Midwest.
Act IV: Wolves Are Reintroduced to Yellowstone
In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone National Park. At first, many
people who lived by the park in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho were opposed to the idea. Many of these people were
ranchers who feared the wolves would kill and eat their livestock. Others were hunters who worried that the wolves
would eat all the elk. No one knew what would happen.
By 2004, the wolves in Yellowstone were successfully reproducing and expanding their territory. As the ranchers have
feared, some wolves have killed some livestock. Mostly, however, the wolves hunt wild elk and deer.
In Yellowstone, scientists were able to study the “before” and “after” of the wolf reintroduction. They have uncovered
some evidence that proves that Leopold and Olson were right: wolves are a very important part of the ecological
community. In Yellowstone, the wolves have killed off half the coyotes (their main competitors for food). The
decrease in coyotes has led to an increase of rodents, which has led to an increase of other smaller predators like
hawks, eagles, foxes, fishers, wolverines, lynx, and bobcats. Wolves have also eaten many elk, and the wolves’ presence
has forced the elk to move about more, seeking protection from the wolves. Since the elks are moving more, they are
no longer staying in the willow stands along the streambeds, eating all the young willows. This means the willow
trees have begun to recover, and the birds, fish, amphibians, insects, and beavers that rely on the willow stands are
increasing too.
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The Story of the Wolf : LESSON 6 WORKSHEET continued
Act V: Wolves in Minnesota
In Minnesota, the wolf population has recovered from around 750 in 1973 to around 2,500 in 1998. The wolf range
has expanded back down into central Minnesota. Wolves do occasionally kill livestock, and hunters still worry that
the wolves will kill all the deer. However, deer populations in Minnesota are at unnaturally high levels in the early
years of the twenty-first century (deer do very well in recently lumbered areas and along farm fields). Wolves also
tend to chase down and kill deer that are weak, sick, or feeble. Hunters, on the other hand, kill the deer that happen
to walk nearby, whether healthy or not. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering removing wolves in
Minnesota from the “threatened list,” and returning management of wolves to Minnesota’s state government. When
that happens, Minnesota plans to establish a minimum population level of 1,600. If there are more wolves than that
in Minnesota, the state could allow hunting of wolves again.
As you prepare your story, decide what you think: Should wolves in Minnesota be removed from the “threatened list”?
Should we allow wolves to continue to increase and expand? Or should we allow hunting of wolves again in the future?
Now, create a presentation that tells this story in five acts. As you create your presentation, think about these guidelines and goals:
All five acts are covered.
____ /10
The changes in human attitudes are clearly shown.
____ /30
The presentation shows how human attitude have affected wolves.
____ /30
The presentation is creative, clear, and accurate.
____ /15
The presentation is dramatic, entertaining, and interesting.
____ /15
Total:
____ /100
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The new plant treated the sewage before it went into the river. Soon the health of
the river improved, the oxygen levels increased, and the fish returned.
Untreated sewage was pumped directly into the Mississippi River. Soon the river
was unhealthy, and there wasn’t enough oxygen. There were methane gas, strong
smells, and few fish.
The creation of the Chippewa National Forest was a result of a compromise
between lumberers, farmers, and conservationists. The lumbering practices in the
Chippewa (leaving 5 percent of trees uncut, leaving trees along shorelines uncut,
requiring slash to be piled and burned) were considered radical, and it was one of
the first managed forests in Minnesota. It marked the beginning of a new
approach to land use in Minnesota.
Scientific forestry was the attempt to find a middle ground between completely
clear-cutting an area and not lumbering it at all. Scientific forestry attempted to
use a scientific method to cut down some of the trees and leave others to help
the forest grow back. People wanted the forests to be able to recover after they
had been lumbered.
The lumber barons (lumberers), farmers (settlers), and reformers
(conservationists) were interested in these lands.
ANSWER KEY
Oberholtzer and the Quetico-Superior Council went to Washington, D.C., and
pushed through a bill called the Shipstead-Nolan Act in Congress. This protected
public lands in the boundary waters area from flooding and preserved forests on
lakes and rivers.
Oberholtzer had seen the flooding damage that Backus’s existing dams had
caused to shorelines, timber stands, and local farmers’ fields. He didn’t want
more dams to do more damage.
Backus wanted to build a series of dams that would generate lots
of electricity.
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There were fewer waterfowl to hunt.
Bird breeding, nesting, and feeding
grounds were destroyed.
Leopold and Olson realized that predators were a part of a larger ecological system. They realized it was important to protect every part of the ecological system—
not just specific animals.
Farmers had new land to grow corn
and wheat on.
The destruction of habitat was causing animal populations to decline.
People thought that wolves and other predators were bad. They thought that by
reducing predators, they could increase the number of game. The state paid people
bounties to kill predators.
ANSWER KEY
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ANSWER KEY
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Answers will vary. Sources of water pollution include industrial pollution, street
runoff, and farm runoff.
Between 1934–38 and 1942–55, and between 1942–55 and 1956–65 the oxygen levels decreased. This might be because the river coming into the cities was more
polluted upstream, or because the increasing population caused more sewage,
which could not be treated as efficiently.
St. Paul had higher levels of oxygen above the treatment plant. Red Wing also had
higher levels. Right below the treatment plant, at Newport and Grey Cloud sites,
levels often were lower. It is worst below the plant because that is where the treated sewage comes out. By the time the river reaches Red Wing, farther downstream, dissolved oxygen levels have improved a little bit through natural mixing
processes.
Building the plant in 1938, improving the plant in 1972, the new laws in the 1970s,
and expanding the plant in the 1980s.
Oxygen levels increased, especially between 1926 and 1934–38.
ANSWER KEY
SUGGESTED RESOURCES
Web Sites
International Wolf Center: www.wolf.org
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.state.mn.us/
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – Interactive Maps: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/index.html
Minnesota Environmental Atlas: http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/EPPL7/Atlas/
Minnesota’s Forest Health: www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/index.html
Minnesota: A History of the Land – Interactive Maps: http://www.historyoftheland.org
Minnesota Historical Society: Forests, Fields and Falls: http://discovery.mnhs.org/ConnectingMN/
Minnesota Historical Society, Northern Lights: http://www.mnhs.org/school/classroom/nlights.html
Minnesota Office of Environmental Education: www.moea.state.mn.us/ee/index.cfm
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wolf Information: http://midwest.fws.gov/wolf/
Water Science: www.waterontheweb.org
Books for Teachers
Tester, John. Minnesota’s Natural Heritage. University of Minnesota, 1995.
Wagner, Nancy O’Brien and Hilary Wackman. Northern Lights: The Stories of Minnesota’s Past (annotated
Teacher’s Edition). Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2004.
Books for Students
Arthus-Bertrand, Yahn. The Future of the Earth: An Introduction to Sustainable Development for Young Readers.
Harry N. Abrams, 2004.
Dolan, Edward. Our Poisoned Waters. Dutton Books, 1997.
Hoose, Phillip. The Race to Save the Lord God Bird. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2004.
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WEB SITE
Minnesota: A History of the Land is a four-part documentary series that weaves together human and natural
history and illustrates the historical and ongoing importance of Minnesota’s landscapes to the social, cultural,
and economic systems of the region. To learn more about the series, and dig deeper into the history of
Minnesota, visit the web site. On the site, you can:
• View Interactive Maps
• View 4-minute Video Clip
• Order the CD Soundtrack
• Order the Series on DVD
www.historyoftheland.org
The Minnesota: A History of the Land web
site provides brief overview of each episode,
behind-the-scenes information, video trailer,
interactive maps, and much more.
On the web site, you will have
access to interactive maps featured in
the 4-part video that illustrates
Minnesota’s major biomes, watersheds, and glacial history.
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MAP 1: MINNESOTA COUNTY REFERENCE MAP
Lake of the Woods
Roseau
KITTSON
ROSEAU
Rainy Lake
Red River
LAKE OF
THE WOODS
International
Falls
MARSHALL
KOOCHICHING
Upper Red Lake
PENNINGTON
Lower Red Lake
COOK
Grand Marais
RED LAKE
CLEARWATER
POLK
Red River
MAHNOMEN
NORMAN
BELTRAMI
LAKE
Bemidji
ST. LOUIS
Lake Winnibigoshish
ITASCA
Lake Superior
Grand
Rapids
Leech Lake
HUBBARD
Moorhead
BECKER
CLAY
CASS
WADENA
WILKIN
Duluth
CARLTON
Aitkin
Brainerd
OTTER TAIL
CROW
WING
Mille Lacs
MORRISON
MILLE
LACS
PINE
GRANT
DOUGLAS
KANABEC
TRAVERSE
TODD
Hinckley
BENTON
ISANTI
er
Riv
ix
ro
.C
St
BIG
STONE
POPE
O
AG
IS
CH
STEVENS
Morris
STEARNS
SHERBURNE
Big Stone Lake
Lac qui Parle
CHIPPEWA
LAC QUI
PARLE
MEEKER
MCLEOD
YELLOW MEDICINE
LYON
HENNEPIN RAMSEY
Minneapolis
Saint Paul
CARVER
REDWOOD
SCOTT
ROCK
MURRAY
NOBLES
Worthington
50 mi
Major Lakes & Rivers
COTTONWOOD
Lake Pepin
NICOLLET
JACKSON
WATONWAN
MARTIN
DAKOTA
SIBLEY
LE SUEUR
RICE
GOODHUE
r
Rive
non
Can
BROWN
PIPESTONE
0
RENVILLE
Min
nes
ota
Rive
r
LINCOLN
ANOKA
WRIGHT
Scale:
WASHINGTON
KANDIYOHI
SWIFT
Mi
ssi
ssi
pp
iR
ive
r
BLUE
EARTH
WABASHA
Mankato
WASECA STEELE DODGE
Mi
ssi
ssi
pp
iR
ive
r
Rochester
OLMSTED
WINONA
Ro
ot
Riv
er
FARIBAULT
FREEBORN
MOWER
FILLMORE
HOUSTON
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MAP 2: MAJOR WATERSHEDS OF MINNESOTA
Watersheds
Watersheds
Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Mississippi
Mississippi
Red River
Red River
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MAP 3: SUBWATERSHEDS OF MINNESOTA
Rainy River Basin
Red River Basin
Lake Superior
Basin
Mississippi Headwaters
Basin
St. Croix River
Basin
Major Watersheds
Minnesota River Basin
Lower MississippiCannon-Root
Rivers Basin
Des Moines
River Basin
Missouri-Big Sioux
Rivers Basin
Lower Mississippi-CedarWapsipinicon Rivers Basin
Lower MississippiReno Rivers Basin
Missouri-Little Sioux
Rivers Basin
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MAP 4: MAJOR BIOMES OF MINNESOTA (around 1850)
Biomes
Biomes
(around 1850)
(around
1850)
Prairie
Prairie
Deciduous Forest
Coniferous Forest
Deciduous Forest
Coniferous Forest
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MAP 5: ELEVATIONS OF MINNESOTA
Elevation (feet)
ElevationOver
(feet) 1600
Over 1600
1400-1600
1400-1600
1200-1400
1200-1400
1000-1200
600-1000
1000-1200
Lakes
600-1000
Lakes
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MAP 6: PRECIPITATION PATTERNS OF MINNESOTA
Precipitation
Precipitation
Low
Low
Middle
Middle
High
High
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MAP 7: MINNESOTA POPULATION DENSITY/SQUARE MILE (circa 2000)
Population Density
Per Sq. Mile 2000
10 or fewer
11 to 50
51 to 100
101 to 200
More than 200
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MAP 8: LAND USE IN MINNESOTA 2000
Land Use in
Minnesota
Land Use in
Minnesota 2000
Developed
combined urban, rural,
and mining development
Agriculture
Forest/Brush
combined forested land
and brushland
Wetland
prairie
Majorwetlands,
Rivers
peatlands, forest swamp
Lakes
Rivers
Develo
combined
and minin
Agricu
Forest/
combined
and brush
Wetlan
prairie
Majorwe
Ri
peatlands
Lakes
Rivers
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