Office of Curriculum, Technology, & Assessment

Join Ranger Blaine to learn about the initial preservation efforts made by The Sculptor Gutzon Borglum and The Workers and of the continued efforts to preserve America’s “Shrine to Democracy”.

A. Theme: Extensive thought and effort has gone into attempting to slow the natural process of erosion. The preservation process takes proper prior planning, luck, ingenuity, the right tools, a little technology and the right partners. 

B. Content: Students and teachers will learn about The Sculptor Gutzon Borglum and The Workers initial preservation efforts using perseverance and proper prior planning to sculpt the individual faces for greater durability. Then learn about the National Park Service’s mission to preserve The Sculpture.   

Students will graph the cyclic movement of the Memorial displaying both that the individual rock blocks within The Sculpture do and do not move.

Students and teachers will also learn how The Sculptor and The Workers accessed Mount Rushmore compared to how National Park Service Rangers do it today.

C. Method of presentation: Video conference, hosted by Ranger Blaine Kortemeyer

Contact Blaine Kortemeyer at (605) 574-3170 with your school name, address, telephone number, fax number, DDN bridge site name, number of students, and grade.

Registration Deadline: COB the Monday prior to each class 02/27/08, 03/05/08, 03/19/08, 03/26/08