Beaver Dams Versus Human Dams

Beavers build dams to stop the flow of water which creates a pond that is safe from predators to build a lodge in. They do this by using sticks, branches, rocks, grass, and mud from their surrounding environment. Humans build dams to prevent flooding, store energy, or supply water to homes and farms. They use materials like earth, rock, and concrete.

Are human dams or beaver dams more effective?

• Why do you think beavers build dams?
• Why do you think humans build dams?
• Do you think that humans and beavers have the same purpose in building dams?
• How might humans mimic the design of dams from beavers?
• How might dams built by humans differ from dams built by beavers?

Students could:

• Work together outside to find materials in the environment to build miniature beaver dams. There is a lesson describing how to do this in the first link below.
• Draw and design a beaver dam.
• Use water to test beaver dams and simulate real wildlife.
• Investigate why their dams did or did not stop water.
• Build a dam similar to one that humans would make and test it. There is a lesson describing how to do this in the second link below.
• Compare human dams to beaver dams. Which dam stopped water better? Why did it stop water better?

• Generation Genius | Build a Beaver Dam Experiment: This lesson plan uses basic materials to construct a beaver dam with students that allows you to see how they stop water.
• Association of State Dam Safety Officials | Dams 101 for Kids: This link provides information on safety around human dams as well as kid friendly activities, videos, and readings.
• Discover Unit Studies | Beaver Unit K-3: This link leads to a resource that includes worksheets, activities, videos and books to read about beavers, their lodges and more.
• PBS LearningMedia | Animals: Beavers: The beaver is often referred to as nature's own engineer. This video focuses on the beaver's ability to transform its environment to suit itself. The beaver does so with an innate ability to construct dams—a feat that no creature apart from humans is able to achieve.
• PBS LearningMedia | Nature: Hardworking Builders: These resources from Nature: Leave it to Beavers explore beavers’ physical characteristics and how they fell trees and build dams.