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Introduction

In the 1950s, Lake Washington was polluted, smelly, and unsafe for swimming. Raw sewage from surrounding cities poured into the lake daily, and algae blooms choked the water. But one determined lawyer, Jim Ellis, believed that ordinary citizens could solve big problems by working together. In this inquiry, students investigate how Ellis led a movement to clean up Lake Washington by organizing people, forming new government agencies, and using the tools of democracy. Through this case study, students explore the power of civic participation, how public infrastructure decisions are made, and what it takes to solve environmental challenges through collective action.

HistoryLink Articles

• Ellis, James (Jim) Reed (1921-2019)
• King County voters reject first Metro plan on March 11, 1958.
• Metro Council, formed to clean up Lake Washington, holds inaugural meeting on October 1, 1958.

Curriculum

Change Over Time: The Lowering of Lake Washington

The Change Over Time curriculum was developed by the Eastside Heritage Center in collaboration with the Bellevue School District to guide students in an exploration of the impacts of the lowering of Lake Washington in 1916, when the Lake Washington Ship Canal was opened. The activities introduce students to the study of maps and environmental history, and focus on specific people who lived in various places around Lake Washington, whose lives were affected by the lowering of the lake.

Each person’s set of materials includes a brief biography, primary source documents, historic photographs, a map showing the shoreline before and after the lake was lowered, and suggested questions and activities, aimed at 7th-grade students.

A complete printed set of the curriculum materials is available to check out from the Eastside Heritage Center. For more information contact them at education@eastsideheritagecenter.org

For a HistoryLink article about the history of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, click here.

For more HistoryLink articles about the ship canal, click here.

Download Lesson PlanDownload Teacher's Guide to Primary Source DocumentsDownload Primary Source Documents