Dams: Links

Dams 101 For Kids is a great place to learn more about dams. Explore where and why dams are constructed, try a crossword puzzle or maze, and build your own dam in a fun activity. Take a look at the videos too!

Just how does water create electricity? Take a virtual tour through a hydroelectric project and see how dams turn the force of falling water into electricity.

The impact of dams on fish is an important topic. How do migrating fish manage to get by a dam? Take a Fish Passage Tour and learn about some methods engineers have designed to help fish on their journey.

Learn more about dams from National Geographic. Of special interest is this collection of photographs and articles about the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River that lets you see the dam in action.

What happens when a dam cracks? Can we model the cracking of a dam? This online simulation will help you explore the principles involved in building dams and what happens when dams fail.

The Hoover Dam is one of the largest dams in the United States. Built on the Colorado River in the 1930's, it transformed the American Southwest and allowed the growth of cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Learn more about its remarkable history and the way it produces hydroelectric power for southwestern cities.

PBS's Building Big explored large structures and what it takes to build them. Take a look at its website on dams! Learn about different kinds of dams and explore amazing dams all over the world.

Apart from humans, beavers are the only creatures on earth that construct dams. Why and how do beavers build dams? Find out in this video from PBS Learning Media.

What is the world's biggest dam? That question has many answers! Are we talking about the tallest dam, the dam that stores the most water, the dam that produces the most electricity, or the dam that contains the most materials? Find out more about the biggest dams in the world.

Did you know that the tallest dam in the world is actually a natural dam created by a landslide? What is an underground dam? Do dams ever fail? Learn everything you want to know about dams at Dam Facts for Kids.

Now that you have learned all about dams, would you like to become a dam engineer someday? Take a look at What Dam Engineers Do, Part 1 and Part 2. Then check out this interview with a dam engineer and learn more about this interesting career.

Have you ever tried building a dam of your own? Take a look at some dams built by kids and then experiment with building your own. Or make a simple water wheel that demonstrates how flowing water can generate power. Think like a scientist and have fun!