The First Conservation President

This year is the 100th anniversary of the creation of The National Conservation Commission. This original initiative of President Theodore Roosevelt to save our environment complements several April themes: Keep America Beautiful; Arbor Day; Earth Day, and National Garden Month.

Here are some excerpts from President Roosevelt acknowledging the work of the commission:

"The function of our Government is to insure to all its citizens, now and hereafter, their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If we of this generation destroy the resources from which our children would otherwise derive their livelihood, we reduce the capacity of our land to support a population, and so either degrade the standard of living or deprive the coming generations of their right to life on this continent. If we allow great industrial organizations to exercise unregulated control of the means of production and the necessaries of life, we deprive the Americans of today and of the future of industrial liberty, a right no less precious and vital than political freedom."

"All this is simply good common sense. The underlying principle of conservation has been described as the application of common sense to common problems for the common good."

Students can learn more about Teddy Roosevelt and his progressive reform agenda that included his championing of environmentalism.

Click the 1900s icon > Theodore Roosevelt > Select the Document Based Question (DBQ) link

Assign an essay of about 150 words that addresses the DBQ using at least three of the resources provided for that question.

Assign students to address the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can create or substitute others) in a report of about 150 words using at least three resources provided in this topical study unit. This report will provide a broader review of the Teddy Roosevelt and his presidency.

• How did Teddy Roosevelt achieve fame prior to his presidency; how did he become president?
  
  
• Why did President Roosevelt believe that resource conservation was such an urgent matter?
  
  
• What other reform initiatives did President Roosevelt champion and why?
  
  
• What reforms introduced by President Roosevelt affect our lives today?
  
  
• What did Roosevelt's slogan "Square Deal" mean?

Don't miss our written report model or PowerPoint presentation aides (model 1 or 2.)