ClassX Video Lessons Subjects Art Mount Rushmore for Kids | Learn all about the history of Mount Rushmore
Have you ever played with clay or Play-Doh and tried to make it into a shape? It’s pretty easy because it’s soft, right? Now, imagine trying to carve shapes into a hard rock with a tool called a chisel. That would be much harder! Well, that’s exactly what 400 workers did to create the amazing monument at Mount Rushmore.
Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota, in a place called the Black Hills National Forest. The mountain was named after Charles E. Rushmore, a lawyer from New York who visited the area in 1884. Before that, the Lakota people called it “Six Grandfathers Mountain,” and it is a special place for them.
In the 1920s, a historian named Duane Robinson wanted to attract tourists to South Dakota. He thought it would be a great idea to carve famous figures into the mountain. At first, he suggested a Lakota Chief named Red Cloud. But later, a sculptor named Gutzon Borglum was asked to help. He suggested including famous U.S. presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to get more people interested. Eventually, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt were added too.
The work on Mount Rushmore started in 1927 and took more than 14 years to finish. Nearly 400 people worked on it, climbing 700 stairs every day to reach the top. Some workers were even lowered down the mountain using steel cables and a special chair called a bosun chair.
Did you know that 90% of the mountain was carved using dynamite? Workers called powder men set off explosions to help shape the mountain. They removed about 450,000 tons of rock, which is as heavy as two giant cruise ships! The work was completed in 1941, just after Gutzon Borglum passed away. His son, Lincoln, finished the project.
Today, nearly 3 million people visit Mount Rushmore every year. It’s one of the most popular tourist spots in the United States and is known as the “Shrine of Democracy.” The monument is 60 feet high, with each president’s head as tall as a six-story building. Their eyes are 11 feet wide, their noses are 20 feet long, and their mouths are 18 feet wide!
Mount Rushmore is a famous symbol of the United States, showing birth, growth, preservation, and development. If you could choose four people to be carved into a mountain, who would you pick and why?
Hope you enjoyed learning with us! Visit us at learnbright.org for thousands of free resources for teachers and homeschoolers.
Clay Carving Activity: Gather some clay or Play-Doh and try to create your own mini monument. Think about the shapes and details you want to include. How does it feel to shape something with your hands? Imagine how much harder it would be to carve into rock like the workers at Mount Rushmore. Share your creation with your family and explain why you chose that design.
Map Exploration: Find South Dakota on a map and locate the Black Hills National Forest. Discuss with your family or classmates why this location might have been chosen for Mount Rushmore. What other interesting places can you find nearby? Create a mini travel brochure about the Black Hills, including Mount Rushmore and other attractions you discover.
Imagine Your Own Monument: If you could create a monument like Mount Rushmore, who would you choose to carve into the mountain and why? Draw a picture of your monument and write a few sentences about each person you chose. Consider what they represent and how they have contributed to your life or community.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any unnecessary details while maintaining the core information:
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[Music]
Today, we are going to talk about Mount Rushmore. First, let’s play pretend for a minute. Have you ever taken a piece of clay or Play-Doh and tried to mold it into a shape? It’s pretty easy since the material is soft. Now, picture trying to carve a shape into a rock with a chisel. It would be much harder, right? Can you imagine carving four enormous heads of famous people onto the side of a mountain? That’s exactly what 400 workers did to create the monument at Mount Rushmore.
So, where is Mount Rushmore and why was it created? Mount Rushmore is located in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest. The mountain was named after Charles E. Rushmore, a New York lawyer who traveled to the Black Hills in 1884. The granite peak was known to the Lakota as Tonka Silla Shakpe Paha, or Six Grandfathers Mountain, and it is considered special ground to that tribe.
Mount Rushmore was created to attract tourists to South Dakota. In the 1920s, state historian Duane Robinson suggested sculpting the granite pillars of Six Grandfathers Mountain into heroic figures of the West. Initially, he proposed Lakota Chief Red Cloud as a subject. However, in August 1924, sculptor Gutzon Borglum was contacted about the project. He suggested including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to create national interest. Later, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt were added.
The project started in 1927 and took over 14 years to complete. Nearly 400 men and women worked on the carving, climbing 700 stairs daily to reach the top of the mountain. Some workers were lowered over the mountain face using steel cables and a small chair called a bosun chair.
Interestingly, 90% of the mountain was carved using dynamite. Workers, known as powder men, set charges of dynamite to help carve the design. About 450,000 tons of rock were removed, which is roughly the weight of two cruise ships. The work was completed in 1941, shortly after Gutzon Borglum passed away. His son Lincoln finished the project.
Today, nearly 3 million people visit the Mount Rushmore National Memorial each year. It is one of the United States’ most popular tourist attractions and is known as the Shrine of Democracy. The monument is 60 feet high, with each president’s head measuring about the height of a six-story building. Their eyes are 11 feet across, their noses are 20 feet long, and their mouths are 18 feet wide.
Now, let’s briefly talk about each president included in the monument and what they symbolize:
– **George Washington**: He led the colonists in the American Revolutionary War and was the first U.S. president. He represents the birth of the United States as an independent country.
– **Thomas Jefferson**: The primary author of the Declaration of Independence, he purchased the Louisiana Territory, doubling the size of the U.S. He symbolizes the growth of the nation.
– **Abraham Lincoln**: He preserved the Union during the Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery. He symbolizes the preservation of the United States.
– **Theodore Roosevelt**: He provided leadership during a time of rapid growth and was instrumental in the construction of the Panama Canal. He represents development.
Mount Rushmore has become an iconic symbol of the United States, representing birth, growth, preservation, and development. If you could choose four people to be memorialized on the face of a mountain, who would you choose and why?
Hope you enjoyed learning with us! Visit us at learnbright.org for thousands of free resources for teachers and homeschoolers.
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This version maintains the educational content while ensuring clarity and conciseness.
