Bonanza Farms: Bonanza Farms and the Millers
In the 1870s, millers discovered new ways to mill the hard northern spring wheat that grew best in North Dakota and produced some of the best flour in the world. The result was the "Dakota Boom" in the 1880s with more than 80 bonanza farms created. Milling companies sprang up in Minneapolis, ready to mill the wheat.
Bonanza farms, enormous and productive, were the unique outcome of railroad building and settlement enticement in the late 1800s in the Red River Valley. Covering thousands of acres and utilizing hundreds of workers, the farms and their relatively brief history are featured through interviews, photographs and contemporary media coverage.
Source
Bonanza Farms, Prairie Public Broadcasting.
Grade Level
4 - 12
Subject Matter
Social Studies, Science
Standards
Identify different uses (e.g., building materials, sources of fuel) of Earth’s materials based on their properties
Evaluate the effects of technology on people and the environment (e.g., new construction, oil drilling, electric cars)
Identify consequences of natural and human-induced environmental changes (e.g., erosion, tsunami, deforestation)
Explain ways humans benefit from Earth’s resources (e.g., air, water, soil, food, fuel, building materials)
7.6.1. Identify ways in which technology has influenced the course of history and improved the quality of life
Interpret simple time lines (e.g., identify the time at which events occurred, the sequence in which events developed, and what else was occurring at the time)
Describe how community life has changed from past (i.e., pioneer and tribal) to the present
Describe ways (e.g., the development of transportation, communication, industry, and land use) geography has affected the development of the local community over time
Use map scales to locate physical features and estimate distance on a map
Use chronological order and sequence to describe the cause-and-effect relationships of historical events and periods in North Dakota (e.g., how the railroads led to settlements in the state)
Identify the contributions of prominent individuals (e.g., Teddy Roosevelt, La Verendrye, Rough Rider Award winners) to North Dakota
Explain reasons for settlement in North Dakota (e.g., railroads, Bonanza farms, Homestead Act)
Explain the significance of agriculture in North Dakota history (e.g., immigration, railroads)
Describe the effects of changes in industry, agriculture, and technology in North Dakota (e.g., energy production, transportation, farming methods)
Identify the location and characteristics of significant features of North Dakota (e.g., landforms, river systems, climate, regions, major cities)
Identify different patterns of land use in North Dakota (e.g., land use in urban, suburban, and rural areas, mining, agriculture, manufacturing)
Describe ways geography has affected the development (e.g., the development of transportation, communication, industry, and land use) of the state over time
Describe similarities and differences between past events and current events in U.S. history (e.g., in the lives of people from different cultures past and present)
Explain how human activity (e.g., settlement patterns, migration) affects the physical environment (e.g., soil uses, economy, pollution, use of energy sources)
Describe how advances in technology (e.g., irrigation, development of tools, specialization) impacted productivity
Explain the factors (e.g., trade routes, goods available, location) that influenced the growth of cities
Explain how physical systems affect human systems (e.g., Where do people live and why?)
Describe how technological advances (e.g., cotton gin, steel plow, McCormick reaper, steamboat, steam locomotives) and industrialization impacted regions of the United States prior to the Civil War
Evaluate how economic opportunities (e.g., manufacturing, agricultural, business) impact North Dakota and other regions (e.g., Midwest, Northeast)
Compare human characteristics (e.g., population distribution, land use) of places and regions (i.e. North Dakota)
