Benefits and Consequences of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Founded by Congress and approved by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was established to control flooding and navigation along the Tennessee Valley. TVA also provided inexpensive electric power to residents in the area by establishing dozens of dams, power plants, and coal-fired steam plants. While many jobs were created, the landscape of Tennessee and bordering states was forever changed. By 1946, TVA had removed over 72,000 people from their homes and acquired 1.1 million acres. By analyzing primary sources from the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Color Photographs Collection on the Library of Congress Web site, students will have the opportunity to distinguish between the intended benefits and the unintended consequences of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Weblink address (URL): 
Benefits and Consequences of the Tennessee Valley Authority
Home Page- source

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Understanding
Extension suggestions: 
  • Allow students access to TVA’s history through the Tennessee Valley Authority Web site. Divide your students into groups to read and summarize sections of this timeline (for example, one group reads and summarizes the sections on the 1930s and 1940s). Each group will present their summary in chronological order to create a succinct timeline of the history of TVA.
  • If students have access to computers, direct them to the Farm Security  ministration/Office of War Information Color Photographs Collection on the Library of Congress Web site. Here, students may find more images of the influence of TVA in Tennessee.