Low-Head Dams

This low-head dam is located in Waverly, Iowa. In the picture you can see how the dam diverts the amount of water flowing down the river.

Possible Guiding, Compelling and/or Anchoring Questions

• What are the benefits of having dams in place? 
• What possible negative effects could dams have on the ecosystems around them?
• How do dams prevent weather-related hazards like floods?
• What could be other ways we could prevent weather-related hazards?

Classroom Suggestions

• Looking into what dams do 
• Look into the different types of dams
• Understand the considerations engineers must make when designing a dam.

Related Resources

• Types of Dams: This article focused on the different parts of dam and how they work.
• Hydroelectric Power: How it Works: This article talks about how we pull energy from dams like the one in the photo. 
• Dams 101 for Kids: This is a kid-friendly overview of what dams are, the history of them and fun activities related to dams. 
• Why Do We Build Dams: This is an article that has a video talking about why we build dams and a summary about why they are necessities.