St. Francis Dam

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/st-francis-dam

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the construction dates?1924-1926
2. What is the location?San Francisquito Canyon, Los Angeles County, California
3. Why did the dam break?The dam was built on shaky ground that had cracks and old landslides. The water pressure was too strong for the weak foundation, so the wall gave way.
4. When did the dam fail?The dam broke on March 12, 1928, at 11:57 PM. It was a sudden and complete failure.

Hydrostatic Pressure: The force exerted by a body of stationary water.
Geological Fault Line: A fracture in the Earth's crust where tectonic plates move.
Civil Engineering Reforms: Changes in regulations and practices following a disaster to improve safety.
Regulating Reservoir: A reservoir used to control the flow of water in a system.