The Hoover Dam
Episode of the series Man-made Wonders of America
The episode
A wall that holds back a river. In Black Canyon, on the Colorado between Nevada and Arizona, a wall of pale concrete drops away like a tower of sixty floors turned upside down, and a whole river waits behind it.
Episode worksheets (2)
- Student sheet In your teacher account
- Teacher sheet In your teacher account
Teaching guide
Objective & content
This A2+ documentary takes learners to the Hoover Dam in Black Canyon, between Nevada and Arizona. The narrator explains why the dam was built (floods, dry summers, growing cities), how 21,000 workers built it during the Great Depression, and what it gives the South-West today: flood control, stored water and electricity. The text states plainly that about 96 workers died in accidents. Language focus is present simple to describe the dam and past simple for dated build facts, with comparatives and superlatives (the Three Gorges Dam is "much bigger"). The main skill is listening comprehension, followed by the in-app quiz.
Materials & prerequisites
The episode comes with a student sheet and a teacher sheet (PDF and HTML). Learners should already know present simple, there is / there are and basic past simple forms (was, were, built, worked).
Curriculum alignment
Tagged for cycle 3 (6e): "L'enfant et le temps qui passe" and "L'enfant et son environnement élargi". The episode targets CEFR A2+.
Possible adaptations
- Lower levels: Offer segmented listening and additional visual aids.
- Advanced levels: Encourage an oral summary and a debate in English on the theme.
- Large groups: Organise group work with differentiated roles.
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