EPISODE I TEACHERS’ GUIDE

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

II

USE AND PHILOSOPHY .......................................................................................................................................... II

SERIES OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................... V

EPISODE I: ORDERING THE LAND

ORIENTATION .......................................................................................................................................................... 2

VIEWING GUIDE ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

LESSONS

Lesson 1: Minnesota’s Landscapes ............................................................................................................................ 7

Lesson Worksheet ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

Lesson 2: Perspectives and Dividing Landscapes ..................................................................................................... 10

Lesson Worksheet ........................................................................................................................................................ 11

ANSWER KEYS

Viewing Guide Answer Key .......................................................................................................................................... 12

Lesson 1 Worksheet Answer Key ................................................................................................................................... 14

Lesson 2 Worksheet Answer Key ................................................................................................................................... 14

SUGGESTED RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................................... 15

WEB SITE ............................................................................................................................................................ 16

MAPS ............................................................................................................................................................. 17

CONTENTS

III

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-

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:

• 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-

cal ways—through an immense web of complex interdependencies, cycles, and energy

flows that is connected to landforms, soils, seasons, and rainfall patterns.

• The gap between human perception and ecological reality has led repeatedly to unin-

tended 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

USE AND PHILOSOPHY

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.

T H E F O U R - P A R T D O C U M E N T A R Y S E R I E S D V DOriginal soundtrack by Peter Ostroushko

IV

Goals for Student LearningThis 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

resource management.

How to Use the Teachers’ GuideWhile 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 easy-

to-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

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.

USE AND PHILOSOPHY continued

Northern Lights LinksN

T E A C H E R S ’ G U I D E

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

V

EPISODE I: Ordering the Land / 16,000 BP–1870s

Witness 16,000 years of Minnesota’s fascinating early history.

Its unique place in North America is revealed through state-

of-the-art animations and graphics. Prominent members of

Minnesota’s Native American community describe their long

relationship with the land. With the arrival of Europeans

comes a new way of looking at the land, one that will change

the region forever. See how this is expressed in the land sur-

vey, which carves the natural world into squares that can be

bought and sold. The fur trade era and early lumbering are

brought to life with historic re-creations and photographs.

Discover what happens when early entrepreneurs fail to

understand the geology of St. Anthony Falls.

EPISODE II: Changes in the Land / 1870s–1900

Voices from the past and stunning nature videography re-

create the natural world Euro-Americans first encountered.

Find out what happens to North America’s most abundant

species as commercial hunters and the railroad arrive in

Minnesota. The majestic Big Woods are cut down to make

room for farms and villages. Visit one of the little-known

crown jewels of Minnesota, the Bluestem Prairie. Find out

why Minnesota has some of the richest soils in the world

and how Minneapolis becomes the flour-milling capital of

the world. Historic re-creations bring to life the bonanza era

of wheat farming. And experience the catastrophic fire that

ushers in a new way of looking at the land.

EPISODE III: Out of the Ashes / 1900–1940s

Never-before-seen historic footage brings to life the begin-

nings of conservation in Minnesota. Discover why

Minnesota is at the forefront of conservation in the United

States and the key role that women play. See what happens

to the Mississippi River as the population of the Twin Cities

explodes. Graphic animations help viewers imagine the

results of one man’s plan to flood the boundary waters

region. Then, get to know the fascinating character who

helps to save the region from destruction. In the series’ most

ambitious historic re-creation, find out which prominent

Minnesota conservationist begins his career promoting the

destruction of wolves.

EPISODE IV: Second Nature / 1940s and Beyond

Unique historic footage and photographs depict the

momentous changes brought to Minnesota during and after

World War II. A vivid re-creation brings to life the revolu-

tionary work of a University of Minnesota graduate student.

Simple inventions like nylon nets and the introduction of an

exotic species bring the fishery of Lake Superior to the brink

of collapse. Through rarely seen footage, experience the

extensive pollution of Lake Superior caused by the disposal

of over 60,000 tons of waste a day. Then, hear firsthand how

a group of citizens plays a central role in stopping this pollu-

tion. Discover the ways in which our own homes and busi-

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.

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

1

Ordering the Land 16,000 BP – 1870s

E P I S O D E I :

2

Episode SummaryAs the landscapes of Minnesota emerge from the most recent ice age, an intersection of natural systems is revealed. Three biomes

and a confluence of waterways mark the region and draw American Indians, who inhabit and sculpt the land. When the first

European settlers arrive, they usurp the territory and plot a new path for its future.

Surveyors begin mapping the land for sale, and entrepreneurs cast a covetous eye toward its natural resources. Loggers head

toward the rich stands of white pine in Minnesota’s northern forest, and small towns begin to dot the landscapes at St. Anthony

Falls and along the St. Croix River. The great influx of European settlers would come later in the nineteenth century. Episode I:

Ordering the Land, describes the land they were coming to and the systematic way it is made ready for the axe and plow.

3.0 minutes Series Introduction. The episode begins with an intro-duction to the entire series (Episodes I-IV). Scenesfrom the series are interspersed with featured scholarswho explain what the series is about.

9.0 minutes Fire and Ice. The first part of this segment shows howglaciers sculpted the landscape, and how subsequentmajor climate change supported a succession of vege-tation types across the Minnesota landscape. Even atthis early point in history, humans used and manipulat-ed the landscape. The Meeting Place explains howMinnesota’s central location on the continent made it aconfluence for continental weather systems that madethe climate wetter and cooler in the northeast, anddrier and warmer in the southwest. These climateswere a major determinant of the ecosystems thatdeveloped here.

7.0 minutes The Fur Trade is the story of the trade betweenEuropeans and American Indians from the 1680s to the1840s in Minnesota. This segment explores the role ofthe natural landscape in that enterprise—the fur-bear-ing animals that supported it, the network of rivers andlakes that became its lines of commerce, and theregion’s Dakota and Ojibwe, who provided the huntingand trapping. The story of the overhunting and nearextinction of the bison foreshadows things to come.

3.0 minutes The Land Is Taken describes how the U.S. governmentacquired the land from the Dakota and Ojibwe in orderto make it available for settlement and development.

6.5 minutes Ordering the Land describes the conversion of the nat-ural landscape into real estate ready to be bought andsold. The 1785 Land Ordinance effectively divided thenation into a grid of square miles. The grid had no con-nection to the ecological landscape that underlay it,which led to a total rearrangement of that landscapeand serious ecological consequences for the future.

5.5 minutes Building a Perfect Landscape looks at howMinnesota’s new settlers perceived their purchases ascreated by God for their own benefit. The segmentfocuses on St. Anthony Falls, the principal source ofpower in the state at the time, and its proximity to whitepine forests and the rich prairie soils. The segment fore-shadows how the commercial system that developedthere would trigger unintended consequences thatwould change the state’s landscapes forever.

18.5 minutes When White Pine Was King chronicles the beginningof that change as lumbermen began cutting the whitepine out of the state’s northern forest. White pine ecol-ogy is discussed. St. Anthony Falls was radicallychanged as attempts to maximize its power nearlydestroyed the cataract.

1.5 minutes The Close provides a brief summary of the majorthemes of Episode I and foreshadows the content ofEpisode II.

ORIENTATIONEpisode I: Ordering the Land (16,000 B.P. – 1870s)

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.

SEGMENT LENGTH DESCRIPTION

3

Episode Key Terms

glacier: a huge mass of compacted snow and ice

biome: an ecological region of certain plants and animals

ecology: the relationship between plants, animals, and their environments

topography: the physical features (hills, valleys, plains) of a place

watershed: a region draining into a river or other body of water

prairie: a mostly treeless expanse of grasses, flowers, and animals adapted to

frequent drought

deciduous forest: a forest composed primarily of trees that lose their leaves annually

mixed northern forest: the forest of northern Minnesota made up of a mixture of

deciduous trees and coniferous trees

survey: to determine the boundaries of an area, often while noting the landscape features

commodified landscape: a landscape that is considered only in terms of its real estate

value or the financial value of its natural resources

ecosystem: a community of organisms interacting with each other and with

their environment

Northern Lights Links

The following chapters have contentthat connects to this episode:

Chapter 2: The First Minnesotans

Chapter 3: The Dakota

Chapter 4: The Ojibwe

Chapter 5: The Fur Trade

Chapter 6: The Land Changes Hands

Chapter 7: Minnesota’s Newcomers

Chapter 11: Flour, Lumber, and Iron

Discussion Questions

1. What is unique about Minnesota’s watersheds? Biomes? Climate?

2. Why is Minnesota referred to as “the Meeting Place” in the video?

3. Compare and contrast how the Dakota and Ojibwe viewed the land and how settlers did.

4. Why did the U.S. government want to make treaties with the Indians?

5. How has Minnesota’s landscape changed since before the fur trade? How has it stayed the same?

6. How did the Land Ordinance of 1875 affect Minnesota’s landscapes?

7. What made St. Anthony Falls such a great place to build a city?

8. What new technologies made it possible to increase the rate of lumbering the forests?

9. If you could return Minnesota to the way it was 200 years ago, would you? What consequences would that have?

10. What were some of the unintended consequences of the development of St. Anthony Falls?

?

Episode I: Ordering the Land ORIENTATION continued

N

4

Ordering the Land and The Meeting Place

1. How did the glaciers change Minnesota?

2. Complete the following chart.

Fur Trade

3. How did the fur trade begin to change after the 1830s?

Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________ Class :_______________________

What are the three biomes ofMinnesota? Where are they?

What are the three weather systemsthat affect climate in Minnesota?

What are the three main watershedsof Minnesota? Where do they flow?

VIEWING GUIDEEpisode I: Ordering the Land (16,000 B.P. – 1870s)

5

The Land Is Taken

4. Why did the United States make treaties with the Indians of Minnesota?

Ordering the Land

5. Complete the following chart.

Building a Perfect Landscape

6. Why was the location of St. Anthony Falls so perfect for building mills and a city?

Intended Consequences:things people expected to happen

(name two or more)

Unintended Consequences:things people didn’t realize might happen

(name one or more)

THE 1785 LAND ORDINANCE

What was it? The law that described how the land would be surveyed and divided into six-mile townships.

Episode I: Ordering the Land VIEWING GUIDE continued

6

When White Pine Was King

7. Why was white pine so valuable?

8. What were some unique things about the ecology of white pine?

9. What caused the St. Anthony Falls to collapse?

Episode I: Ordering the Land VIEWING GUIDE continued

Loggers. Photo courtesy of the Hennepin History Museum.

7

LESSON 1 PLAN: Minnesota’s Landscapes

Lesson Objective Upon completion of this lesson, students will understand:

• how vegetation, elevation, and precipitation are parts of the

ecological landscape

• where Minnesota’s major watersheds and biomes are located

MaterialsLesson 1 Worksheet

Background None

Procedure1. With the class, view the first 12 minutes of Minnesota: A

History of the Land Episode I. Review the concept of biomes.

2. Discuss with the class the meaning of each of the four the-

matic maps on the worksheet.

3. Using the four thematic maps and information from the

video, have the class fill out the cells of the grid and answer

the two questions.

Follow-Up Find your county on the reference county map.

Using the maps in this lesson plan and drawing

on what was learned in the video, discuss with

the students how the glaciers and the forces of

nature shaped the physical landscape of your

local area.

Extension Ideas:

• Have students research the name of their local major andminor watersheds. Visit the Department of NaturalResources Web site for a map of Minnesota’s watersheds:http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watersheds/map.html

• Have students build their own topographic relief maps ofMinnesota. Use corrugated cardboard to build up the ele-vated areas of Minnesota.

• Using an atlas of the United States, ask students to findother areas that have the same elevation, precipitation,vegetation, or watersheds as Minnesota.

SEE PAGE 16

LESSON 1 PLANEpisode I: Ordering the Land (16,000 B.P. – 1870s)

Look at the maps on the following page. Use the information on the maps to fill in the remainder of the cells

below. After completing the chart, answer the question below.

1. Compare the elevation patterns in landscape A to the rest of the state. What is different about this area?

2. What connections do you see between the precipitation patterns and the biome patterns? What does this

suggest about the effect of precipitation on biomes?

8

Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________ Class :_______________________

Watershed Biome Precipitation Elevation

Landscape A

Landscape B

Landscape C

Landscape D

Lake Superior and Red River Watershed

prairie in west, deciduous and conifer-ous forest in east

flat land in west, steepvalleys in east wherestreams cut down tothe Mississippi River

medium precipitation,increasing from west to east

Minnesota’s Landscapes LESSON 1 WORKSHEET

9

Minnesota’s Landscapes: LESSON 1 WORKSHEET continued

Lake Superior

Mississippi

Red River

Watersheds

Low

Middle

High

Precipitation

PRECIPITATION WATERSHEDS

Over 16001400-16001200-14001000-1200600-1000Lakes

Elevation (feet)

Prairie

Deciduous Forest

Coniferous Forest

Biomes (around 1850)

BIOMES (around 1850) ELEVATION

AB

C

D

AB

C

D

AB

C

D

AB

C

D

10

Lesson Objective After completing this lesson, students will:

• demonstrate how different perspectives affect what aspects of a

landscape people notice and value

• hypothesize how the division of the land into grids and the dif-

ferent treatments of those divided areas might affect the natu-

ral ecosystem

MaterialsLesson 2 Worksheet Markers or crayons

Background This lesson emphasizes two concepts that most students will

have some background in: perspective and food chains. To help

teach perspective, remind students that different people will

often value—and, therefore, treat—the same thing differently.

As an example, consider any artifact in your classroom, such as

someone’s book bag on the floor. The owner will probably value

that bag as unique because it contains things he or she owns. A

fellow student may see that same bag as a barrier in the path to

the pencil sharpener. A teacher may see that bag as something

out of place that needs to be removed. A bag salesperson may

see it as a certain make and model.

Most students will have a basic understanding of food chains

and how different species interact. You may want to review how

the animals and plants in the map might interact (e.g., the bison

eat grass, the people eat bison).

Procedure1. As a class, watch the segments The Land Is Taken and

Ordering the Land. Review the concept of different perspec-

tives and the role of surveyors.

2. Pass out the worksheet and ask students to consider the map

as an American Indian, then as a surveyor. What features

might each of these persons value?

3. Ask students to complete step 2 of the exercise. Compare the

choices that students make, and ask them to explain why they

made those choices.

4. Ask students to complete step 3 of the exercise. How will

those changes affect the fourth area?

Follow-Up Discuss the results of the student worksheets as a class.

• How do the perspectives of the American Indians and

surveyors compare and contrast?

• How did the removal of just one element (e.g., the pine

forests) affect the rest of the areas?

• Which change do you think had the greatest effect on this

imaginary landscape?

• Which change in real life do you think has had the greatest effect?

• If you could go back and restore some aspect of our landscape,

which would it be and why?

• Is there a way for humans to live without affecting their landscape?

Extension Ideas:

• Students can see the dramatic results of the grid system byviewing aerial photographs of our state. The Web sitehttp://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/default.aspx offersthe ability to view and zoom in on all areas of the state.

• Many of the treaty provisions that were made between theU.S. government and Minnesota’s Indians are still in effecttoday, such as the retaining of hunting and fishing rights.Students can research the status of the treaties in regard totoday’s Ojibwe and Dakota.

• This lesson integrates well with the Northern LightsInvestigation 6: I Am Poems. Consider completing that perspective and poem activity at the same time.

LESSON 2 PLAN: Perspectives and Dividing Landscapes

LESSON 2 PLANEpisode I: Ordering the Land (16,000 B.P. – 1870s)

Perspectives and Dividing LandscapesThe values that you have affect how you see things. American Indians valued the landscape as a completepiece, with the animals, plants, and people all connected to each other. Surveyors valued the landscape for thefeatures that could be used to make money.

Step 1Study the map of this area, and imagine that you are an American Indian and then a surveyor. What are the

similarities and differences in the parts of the landscape that an American Indian and surveyor might have valued?

Step 2Draw a grid line from point A to point C, and another grid line from point B to point D. Color the section that would

be most appealing to a farmer green. Color the section that would be most appealing to a lumberjack purple. Color

the section that would be most appealing to a mill owner red. (Hint: look for an area that has waterpower.)

11

Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________ Class :_______________________

Step 3Imagine that each of those three sections has

been altered and developed into a farm, lum-

bered area, and mill company and town.

How would those changes affect the animals,

plants, and people in the fourth area?

Similarities(shared values)

SurveyorAmerican Indian

C

D

A

B

prairie

rapids

wild rice

maple tree

Perspectives and Dividing Landscapes LESSON 2 WORKSHEET

12

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uy

and

sel

lla

nd

with

ou

t ev

en s

eein

g it

.

13

ANSW

ER K

EY

Mill

ers

bu

ilt a

tu

nn

el s

yste

m t

o c

han

nel

th

e w

ater

to

th

eir

mill

s. T

his

wea

ken

edth

e lim

esto

ne

led

ge

un

der

nea

th t

he

falls

, wh

ich

eve

ntu

ally

co

llap

sed

.

Wh

ite p

ine

nee

d f

ires

to

reg

ener

ate.

It t

end

s to

gro

w in

ric

her

so

ils, a

nd

it g

row

sab

ove

th

e ca

no

py

of

oth

er t

rees

. Bef

ore

maj

or

log

gin

g b

y E

uro

pea

n s

ettle

rs,

wh

ite p

ine

oft

en g

rew

in v

ein

s th

at w

ere

form

ed b

y n

atu

ral d

istu

rban

ces

on

th

ela

nd

.

Wh

ite p

ine

gre

w u

p t

o 2

00 f

eet

tall.

Th

ey c

ou

ld b

e 4

or

5 fe

et a

cro

ss a

t th

e tr

un

k.It

was

eas

y to

cu

t in

th

e w

oo

ds

and

in t

he

mill

s. It

was

res

ista

nt

to r

ot

and

dec

ay.

It w

as e

asy

to w

ork

with

an

d n

ail.

It flo

ated

hig

h o

n t

he

wat

er a

nd

was

eas

y to

dri

ve d

ow

n t

he

rive

r.

14

ANSW

ER K

EY

valu

es t

he

area

as

a h

om

e,

valu

es t

he

anim

als

as r

elat

ives

valu

e th

e d

eer,

bu

ffal

o, f

ish

, an

dm

aple

tre

es a

sso

urc

es o

f fo

od

valu

es th

e fo

rest

s as

po

ssib

le lu

mbe

r, va

lues

the

prai

ries

as

poss

ible

farm

s, v

alue

s th

e w

ater

-fa

lls a

s a

pow

er s

ourc

e,va

lues

the

area

as

afu

ture

hom

e

Stu

dent

ans

wer

s w

ill v

ary.

Ans

wer

s m

ay in

clud

e:•

The

loss

of t

he b

eave

r w

ill a

ffec

t wat

erle

vels

and

fish

pop

ulat

ions

.•

The

loss

of t

he fo

rest

s w

ill a

ffec

t bir

dan

d de

er p

opul

atio

ns.

• Th

e lo

ss o

f the

dee

r w

ill a

ffec

t hum

anfo

od s

ourc

es.

• The

cre

atio

n of

a m

ill w

ill a

ffect

wat

er le

v-el

s, w

ater

qua

lity,

and

fish

mov

emen

ts.

• Th

e lo

ss o

f th

e pr

airi

e w

ill a

ffec

t bi

rd,

buff

alo,

and

dee

r po

pula

tions

.•

The

loss

of

the

map

le t

rees

will

aff

ect

hum

an f

ood

sour

ces.

Red

Riv

er a

nd

Mis

siss

ipp

iR

iver

Wat

ersh

eds

dec

idu

ou

s an

d c

on

ifero

us

fore

st

high

pre

cipi

tatio

n,in

crea

sing

from

wes

t to

east

area

of h

ighe

stel

evat

ion;

a s

harp

drop

-off

alo

ngLa

ke S

uper

ior

low

to

med

ium

pre

cip

itatio

n,

incr

easi

ng

fro

mw

est

to e

ast

on

e ar

ea o

fh

igh

ele

vatio

n,

gen

tly s

lop

ing

wes

t

Min

nes

ota

Riv

erW

ater

shed

pra

irie

, an

d a

little

dec

idu

ou

sfo

rest

in N

E

Mis

siss

ipp

iR

iver

Wat

ersh

ed

pra

irie

an

dd

ecid

uo

us

fore

st

hig

hes

t p

reci

pi-

tatio

n, i

ncr

eas-

ing

fro

m w

est

to e

ast

nea

rly

flat,

with

ris

e in

SE

Th

e ar

ea in

lan

dsc

ape

A h

as t

he

area

of

hig

hes

t el

evat

ion

in M

inn

eso

ta w

ith a

shar

p d

rop

-off

fro

m t

he

rid

ge

of

lan

d t

o t

he

sho

re o

f La

ke S

up

erio

r at

604

fee

tab

ove

sea

leve

l. M

uch

of

the

rest

of

the

stat

e is

fla

t b

y co

mp

aris

on

exc

ept

for

the

un

gla

ciat

ed s

ou

thea

st c

orn

er o

f th

e st

ate

wh

ere

stee

p-s

ided

hill

s an

d d

eep

val

leys

hav

e b

een

cu

t b

y st

ream

s th

at f

low

eas

t to

th

e M

issi

ssip

pi R

iver

.

In w

este

rn M

inn

eso

ta, t

her

e is

low

pre

cip

itatio

n, a

nd

th

is is

wh

ere

the

pra

irie

islo

cate

d. I

n e

aste

rn M

inn

eso

ta, t

her

e is

hig

her

pre

cip

itatio

n, a

nd

th

is is

wh

ere

the

fore

st is

loca

ted

. Pre

cip

itatio

n is

a m

ajo

r fa

cto

r in

th

e ty

pe

of

pla

nts

th

at c

an g

row

in a

n a

rea.

15

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Web Sites

Aerial Photographs of Nation and State: http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/default.aspx

Census Bureau: www.census.gov/

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 Department of Natural Resources – Watersheds: www.dnr.state.mn.us/watersheds/map.html

Minnesota Department of Planning Maps: http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/mapping_services.html

Minnesota Environmental Atlas: http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/EPPL7/Atlas/

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

Minnesota Population Distribution Map: http://www.mnplan.state.mn.us/maps/2001/DotState.pdf

Books for Teachers

Sansome, Constance. Minnesota Underfoot. Voyageur Press, 1983.

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.

16

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, water-

sheds, and glacial history.

17

Scale:

0 50 mi

Major Lakes & Rivers LAC QUI PARLE

BIG STONE

STEVENS

SWIFT

TRAVERSE

CHIPPEWA

LINCOLN LYON

MURRAYPIPE-STONE

YELLOW MEDICINE

REDWOOD

RENVILLE

ROCK NOBLES JACKSON MARTIN FARIBAULT

NICOLLET LE SUEUR

COTTON-WOOD WATON-

WANBLUEEARTH

BROWN

FREEBORN

DODGE

RICE GOODHUE

MOWER

STEELEWASECA WINONAOLMSTED

WABASHA

FILLMORE HOUSTON

SCOTT DAKOTA

CARVER

SIBLEY

MCLEOD

MEEKERHENNEPIN RAM-

SEY

WASHIN

GTON

ANOKA

CHISAGO

ISANTIBENTON

WRIGHT

COOK

ITASCA

KOOCHICHING

LAKE

ST. LOUIS

Aitkin CARLTON

CASS

BELTRAMICLEARWATER

CLAYBECKER

DOUGLASGRANT

KITTSON

MAHN-OMEN

LAKE OF THE WOODS

MILLE LACS

KANABEC

HUBBARD

CROW WING

NORMAN

PENNINGTON

POLK

RED LAKE

ROSEAU

OTTER TAIL

MARSHALL

WADEN

A

TODD

STEARNS

MORRISON

KANDIYOHI

POPE

PINE

SHERBURNE

WILKIN

Upper Red Lake

Lower Red Lake

Lake of the Woods

Rainy Lake

Lake Winnibigoshish

Lac qui Parle

Lake Pepin

Mille Lacs

Leech Lake

Lake Superior

Big Stone Lake

Red River

Red River

Mississippi River

Mississippi River

Root River

Minnesota River

Cannon River

St. Croix River

Saint Paul

Duluth

Mankato

Minneapolis

Grand Marais

InternationalFalls

Worthington

Morris

Bemidji

Hinckley

Moorhead

Roseau

GrandRapids

Brainerd

Rochester

MAP 1: MINNESOTA COUNTY REFERENCE MAP

18

Lake Superior

Mississippi

Red River

Watersheds

MAP 2: MAJOR WATERSHEDS OF MINNESOTA

Lake Superior

Mississippi

Red River

Watersheds

19

Lake Superior

Basin

Mississippi HeadwatersBasin

Minnesota River Basin

Lower Mississippi-

Cannon-Root

Rivers Basin

Lower Mississippi-

Reno Rivers BasinLower Mississippi-Cedar-

Wapsipinicon Rivers Basin

Des Moines

River Basin

Red River Basin

Rainy River Basin

Missouri-Big Sioux Rivers Basin

Missouri-Little Sioux Rivers Basin

Major Watersheds

St. Croix River

Basin

MAP 3: SUBWATERSHEDS OF MINNESOTA

20

Prairie

Deciduous Forest

Coniferous Forest

Biomes (around 1850)

MAP 4: MAJOR BIOMES OF MINNESOTA (around 1850)

Prairie

Deciduous Forest

Coniferous Forest

Biomes (around 1850)

21

Over 16001400-16001200-14001000-1200600-1000Lakes

Elevation (feet)

MAP 5: ELEVATIONS OF MINNESOTA

Over 16001400-16001200-14001000-1200600-1000Lakes

Elevation (feet)

22

Low

Middle

High

Precipitation

MAP 6: PRECIPITATION PATTERNS OF MINNESOTA

Low

Middle

High

Precipitation

23

Population DensityPer Sq. Mile 2000

10 or fewer

11 to 50

51 to 100

101 to 200

More than 200

MAP 7: MINNESOTA POPULATION DENSITY/SQUARE MILE (circa 2000)

24

Major RiMajor Ri

Develocombined and minin

AgricuForest/combined and brush

Wetlanprairie wepeatlands

Lakes Rivers

Land Use inMinnesota

MAP 8: LAND USE IN MINNESOTA 2000

Major RiversMajor Rivers

Developed combined urban, rural, and mining development

AgricultureForest/Brush combined forested landand brushland

Wetland prairie wetlands,peatlands, forest swamp

Lakes Rivers

Land Use in Minnesota 2000