Pretend you are a news reporter assigned to cover the announcement of the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Watch the video of Franklin D. Roosevelt's historic speech launching the TVA and to read an excerpt from the speech. Write a short article announcing that the TVA Act has been signed into law. In your article, use information from the documentary and Roosevelt's speech to highlight at least three changes you believe TVA will bring to the Tennessee Valley. Use the website template and photo archive to create your story.

Imagine you and your classmates have been asked to give up your homes, farmland and property so that TVA can build Norris Dam. Your class will be divided into two groups for a debate. One group will support Norris Dam, and the other will oppose it. Work with your group to prepare for the debate by reviewing interviews and footage about Norris Dam, then create a list of arguments supporting your position.

The interviews and stories in the film demonstrate the personal impact of the TVA on the lives of the people of the Tennessee Valley region. Choose an older friend or family member to interview about their experience growing up in the Tennessee Valley and the impact of TVA. To prepare for the interview, review the personal stories and excerpts from the film, then create your own set of questions. You may write out the interview or film it.

Option: Instead of interviewing a friend or family member, select a person featured in one of the photographs on the website. Write what you imagine their story to be: Who are they? Where do they live? How did their life change as a result of the TVA?

For Teachers:

Watch the videos under the heading Valley Stories: Reflections from the Past" with your classroom for several firsthand accounts of what life was like in the Tennessee Valley region.

After discussing these interviews with your students, have your class choose a photo from our gallery and write a fictional account about the photo they choose. In their stories, have your students describe the people in the photo and how their lives changed as a result of TVA and the development of the Tennessee Valley region. Then let your students share their stories with the class.

Nebraska Senator George Norris was instrumental in passing this bill, which permitted the building of Norris Dam. Watch the video reenactment of Senator Norris's speech to discover reasons why he supported the building of the dam. Pretend to be Senator Norris and write a speech arguing for the passing of the bill in the Senate. Be prepared to give the speech to your class.

Eminent domain is a law that allows the government to purchase privately owned land from landowners in order to meet a public need. Your class will be divided into two groups for a debate. One group will support eminent domain, and one group will oppose it. Prepare for the debate by reviewing the "Eminent Domain" information on the website and by watching the Tellico Dam Controversy (Snail Darter) and Norris Dam (Extended Version) videos. Generate a list of specific examples from the video Built for the People—The Story of the TVA to support your position.

For Teachers:

When does the nation's "greater good" take precedence over the private property rights of an individual? Eminent domain is a complex legal concept that allows the government to compulsorily purchase privately owned land from landowners to meet a public need. Watch the videos "Tellico Dam Controversy (Snail Darter)," "Norris Dam (Extended)" and "Built for the People—the Story of the TVA" to gain a clearer understanding of eminent domain and how it affected the Tennessee Valley region and its people.

After discussing the videos with your classroom, divide the class into two groups. The groups can be randomly assigned or based on your students' true feelings. Let the students research and debate the pros and cons of eminent domain.

For Students:

President Roosevelt's program called The New Deal was created to help lead the entire country out of the Great Depression. One part of his program, called the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, contained an important statement about eminent domain.

The definition of eminent domain is: "the power of the state to take private property for public use with payment of compensation to the owner."

Many TVA projects and dams constructed under the Tennessee Valley Authority Act could not have been built without the implementation of eminent domain. Although landowners would be compensated for the use of their property, the idea that the government could compel people to leave behind their homes and land was not without controversy. However, by signing the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, President Roosevelt and Congress demonstrated a belief that the sacrifice of a few could greatly benefit a majority of the people in the Valley.

Read below to find out what the act said about eminent domain:

"(h) [The U.S. government] Shall have power in the name of the United States of America to exercise the right of eminent domain, and in the purchase of any real estate or the acquisition of real estate by condemnation proceedings, the title to such real estate shall be taken in the name of the United States of America, and thereupon all such real estate shall be entrusted to the Corporation as the agent of the United States to accomplish the purposes of this Act.

(i) Shall have power to acquire real estate for the construction of dams, reservoirs, transmission lines, power houses, and other structures, and navigation projects at any point along the Tennessee River, or any of its tributaries, and in the event that the owner or owners of such property shall fail and refuse to sell to the Corporation at a price deemed fair and reasonable by the Board, then the Corporation may proceed to exercise the right of eminent domain, and to condemn all property that it deems necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act, and all such condemnation proceedings shall be had pursuant to the provisions and requirements hereinafter specified, with reference to any and all condemnation proceedings: Provided, That nothing contained herein or elsewhere in this Act shall be construed to deprive the Corporation of the rights conferred by the Act of February 26, 1931 (46 Stat. 1422, ch. 307, secs. 1 to 5, inclusive), as now compiled in section 258a to 258e, inclusive, of Title 40 of the United States."

Watch the video interviews with Leo Cobb then think about what electricity has meant to Leo and his family. Now choose a photograph, object or artifact that best represents the significance of electricity and its effect on society and the Great Depression. Create a short presentation about the image or artifact to share with your class.