Summary
Rivers flood and change over time which can cause major issues regarding political boundaries between nations. What happens when this directly impacts people’s homes, cultural beliefs, and economic zones. This session focuses on the shifting Rio Grande border with Mexico due to significant flooding in the 19th century and the changes that resulted in a 100 year dispute over a stretch of land in El Paso, Texas. During a time period of heightened Cold War tensions, a peaceful negotiation was reached that ended the dispute and permanently altered the course of the Rio Grande River in this area. Various materials and resources will be provided along with lessons that can be used in U.S. History courses or AP Human Geography classes.
Session Focus
Higher Education | Physical & Environmental Geography | U.S. History
Conference Room
Robins Family Forum Theater
Meet the Presenter
Dawn Schmidt teaches in Tempe, Arizona at Corona del Sol High School. This is her 30th year and she is teaching Honors World Geography to 9th graders, AP Human Geography, an elective for 10th-12th graders, and Honors United States History to 11th graders. Schmidt currently serves as a board member of the Arizona Council for Social Studies and she is also Teacher Consultant for the Arizona Geographic Alliance. She was awarded the K-12 Distinguished Teaching Award by NCGE in 2021, the Isidore Starr Outstanding Social Studies Teacher by ACSS in 2016, and the Flinn Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award in 2013 and 2008. Schmidt has had the opportunity to participate in educational study tours in Taiwan, Japan, Tajikistan, Honduras, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates.
