NATIONAL PARKS AND THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

Mary Ann Kurke and Anita Rasmussen

Preview of Main Ideas

The purpose of this lesson is to help students reinforce their understanding of the five themes of geography, learn about our national parks, and determine where they are located.  This lesson involves students in a hands-on cooperative learning experience.  This activity could also be used as an alternative assessment of student learning.

Connection with the Curriculum

Geography, social studies, science, language arts, and reading.

Teaching Level:  Grades 5-8.

Objectives Classification Outline (Also see objectives classification matrix below.)

Objectives #1:  The student will be able to determine which of the five themes of geography is dealt with after reading selected information about a national park.

Essential Element:  Places and Regions.

Standard #4:  The physical and human characteristics of places.

Knowledge Statement #1:  How different physical processes shape places.

Knowledge Statement #2:  How different human groups alter places.

Skill Set #4:  Analyzing geographic information.

Skill #3:  Interpret and synthesize information obtained from a variety of sources-graphs, charts, tables, diagrams, texts, photographs, documents, and interviews.

Themes:  Location, Place Human/Environment Interaction, Movement, and Regions.

Objective #2:  The student will be able to decide if facts given describe physical or cultural features.

Essential Element:  Places and Regions.

Standard #4:  The physical and human characteristics of places.

Knowledge Statement #1:  How different physical processes shape places.

Knowledge Statement #2:  How different human groups alter places.

Skill Set #4:  Analyzing geographic information.

Skill #3:  Interpret and synthesize information obtained from a variety of sources-graphs, charts, tables, diagrams, texts, photographs, documents and interviews.

Theme:  Place.

Objective #3:  The student will be able to determine on a map the locations of several national parks by ascertaining absolute location (coordinates of latitude and longitude).

Essential Element:  The World in Spatial Terms.

Standard #1:  How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire process, and report information from a spatial perspective.

Knowledge Statement #2:  How to make and use maps, globes, graphs, charts, models, and databases to analyze spatial distributions and patterns.

Skill Set #4:  Analyzing geographic information.

Skill #1:  Interpret information obtained from maps, aerial photographs, satellite-produced images, and geographic information systems, as exemplified by being able to use maps to recognize spatial associations.

Theme:  Location.

Materials

1.                  10 copies of National Parks information packets.

2.                  Individual student National Parks answer sheets.

3.                  National Parks answers.

4.                  National Parks Check-Off sheet.

5.                  National Geographic Society’s Federal Lands and Wilderness Areas, or any map showing the United States national parks.

Suggestions for Teaching the Lesson

Opening the Lesson

1. This hands-on exercise would best be used as a culminating activity or review of a short unit on the five themes of geography.  It could also be used as an alternative assessment, in place of (or in addition to) the approach that involves cooperative learning and movement around the classroom—an activity that students of almost all ability levels can actively participate in and enjoy!
2. The day before the actual national park lesson, the teacher divides the class into teams of two (perhaps one of a higher ability level and the other of a lower ability level).
3. Pass out a copy of packet #10, and a National Park answer sheet, to each team.
4. Have a student read aloud each of the first five description cards on the packet.
5. Have each team cooperatively decide which of the five themes of geography is exemplified in each description.
6. After the students fill in their answer sheets, go over the correct answers and have the students discuss the reasons.
7. Have students read descriptions 6-8.  Ask students if the facts are emphasizing a cultural or physical feature.
8. After discussing the answers, ask if any student can hypothesize the name of the national park described.
9. Pass out a copy of the Federal Lands and Wilderness Areas map to each team.  (Any map showing the national parks and coordinate references will do.)  Look at the map and point out the lines of latitude and longitude.
10. Read information card #9 on the packet (coordinates of latitude and longitude for this national park).  Have students determine which national park it is.  Did any student hypothesize correctly?
11. Ask if any student has visited that national park or any in the United States.  Discuss their visits to the various national parks.

Developing the Lesson

1. On the following day pass out an answer sheet, a check-off sheet, the maps and a different packet to each team.
2. Have the teams cooperatively decide (first) which themes of geography are exemplified in the first five cards.  Second, are physical or cultural features described in cards 6-8.  Third, determine the national park by the coordinates given in card #9.
3. When students are finished with the packet they are to bring them to the teacher for checking.  (It helps to have two people checking.  Ask another teacher to help during their support period or use a reliable student.)  Remind the students they must have all the answers correct before they can go on to a different packet.  Have students complete as many packets as they can.
4. Initial the check-off sheet as they finish a packet.  If there are mistakes in their answers, tell them the number they have incorrect in cards 1-5, cards 6-8, or if the location of the park is incorrect.  Again emphasize that they must have all answers correct before they can go on to a different packet.
5. Collect all answer sheets after correcting, so students do not share their answers.

Concluding the Lesson

Following this activity, students should bring up their check-off sheet.  The teacher can assign grades or rewards by the number of packets successfully completed.

Extending the Lesson in Geography

1. Show videos or filmstrips on national parks.
2. Have students create their own national park.  They name it, describe it, map it, think up a logo, and locate it in the United States.
3. Have students create a dilemma in a national park.  (Examples:  crime, an animal attacking a human, overcrowding.)  Discuss possible solutions.

Extending the Lesson in Other Areas of the Curriculum

Science:            Have the students make posters or give reports about wildlife found in the national parks.

English:             Have the students write an imaginative journal or narrative from the point of a first time visitor to a national park.

History and Literature:  Using the actual journals of famous explorers and environmentalists like John Muir, John Wesley Powell, and Theodore Roosevelt, draw a map of their explorations, recording important dates and names of national parks or federal land established.

Math:               Convert statistical information into graphs for analyzing various criteria (total visits, incidence of crime, decline or increase of wildlife).

Assessing Student Learning

1. A grade can be easily determined by the number of national park packets correctly completed.  Just check the National Park Check-Off Sheet.
2. Have students write a short description of their home town demonstrating each of the five themes of geography.

Additional Resources

Journals of famous explorers available at libraries.  National Geographic Society maps, videos, filmstrips, magazines, and other publications dealing with national parks.  Rand McNally atlases, maps, and other publications on national parks.  The United States Federal Lands and Wilderness Areas map, from the “Geography Awareness Week Packet 1994” National Geographic Society.  U.S. National Park Service publications.

GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS CLASSIFICATION MATRIX – GRADES           5-8   

Title:          National Parks and the Five Themes of Geography          Author:     Mary Ann Kurke, et. al.

Note:  See also Objectives Classification Outline in the lesson.

 Handouts

Handout A/B

NATIONAL PARKS HANDOUTS

PACKET #1   

-           The main attraction in this part is the lake in the center of a now-dead volcano

-           This sis one of the deepest, bluest lakes in the world

-           It is the result of a huge volcanic explosion over 6,500 years ago

-           Only 6 lakes in the world are deeper than this one. It is the second deepest in North America

-           Besides many animals, the park also has many pine and fir trees as well as wildflowers.

PACKET #1                        CARD #2

-         This park is located in the Cascade Mt. Range.

-         From the park the 14,000’ high Mt. Shasta can be seen, although it is 100 miles away.

-         Nearby towns are Klamath Falls and Medford.

PACKET #1                        CARD #3

-         This park is the Pacific Northwest section of national parks.

-         States in this section include Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

-         This park has a highland climate (typical of mountain regions) that varies with height and altitude.

-         This highland climate averages 50 feet of snow per year.

PACKET #1                        CARD #4

-         A favorite hiking trail is 1.7 miles long, going along the rim of Garfield Peak and ending 1,900 feet above the lake.

-         Rim Drive runs 33 miles around caldera’s edge.

-         Rowboats can be rented, but private boats are not permitted on the lake.

-         Airlines are available from Medford and Klamoth- as well as rental cars and buses.

PACKET #1                        CARD #5

-         Fishing is permitted in park streams.

-         In 1869, visitors from Jacksonville gave the lake its present name.

-         Several visitors have been bitten by animals, and some bites-even small nicks- can be dangerous.

-         Park naturalists give talks throughout the day explaining the origin of the lake.

-         Hotel rooms, sleeping cabins, cottages, a lounge, dining room, and cafeteria are available for visitors.

-         Visitors should carry in their vehicles a tow rope, shovel, and chains in the winter.

PACKET #1                        CARD #6

-         Animals include eagles, hawks, chipmunks, deer, bears, fox, coyote, marten, porcupine, bobcat, elk, and cougar.

PACKET #1                        CARD #7

-         John Wesley Hillman, a young prospector and member of a party looking for the rumored Lost Cabin Mine, discovered the lake on June 12, 1853.

PACKET #1                        CARD #8

-         About 6,600 years ago Mount Mazama was an active volcano soaring 12,000 feet into the air; today it is a water-filled crater half that high.

PACKET #1                        CARD #9

-         The absolute location is 42 degrees N, 122 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout C/D

PACKET #2                        CARD #1

-         There are 800 miles of horse and foot trails as well as several short “do-it-yourself” self guiding nature trails.

-         Saddle horses are available for rent.

PACKET #2                        CARD #2

-         Visitors can trout fish.

-         More than any other national park, this one creates images of the American pioneer, and many of their early settlements have been preserved in this park.

-         At the Oconaluftee Pioneer Museum there are exhibits and live demonstrations, as well as an early 1900s farmstead that show the lives of the mountain pioneers.

-         There are evening ranger programs and nature walks.

-         There are 7 developed campgrounds and 3 primitive areas.

PACKET #2                        CARD #3

-         The park is named for the smoke-like haze that hangs over its tree-covered ridges.

-         It contains some of the oldest mountains on Earth, which are eroded and tree covered.

-         There seems to be a constant fog on the peaks.

-         The rhododendrons, from 2-20 feet high, are especially beautiful when they bloom as well as the gorgeous dogwood.

PACKET #2                        CARD #4

-         The park is in part of the Appalachian Highlands and includes 68 miles of the old Appalachian Trail.

-         It is on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina.

-         The nearest major city is Knoxville, Tennessee.

-         It’s also close to Gatlinburg and Asheville.

PACKET #2                        CARD #5

-         This park is in the Southeast section of the United States.

-         States in this section include Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.

-         This is an eroded mountainous region with a temperature climate of warm, humid summers and mild, rainy winters.

-         In the winters temperatures may drop to -20 degrees F. There can be deep snow.

PACKET #2                        CARD #6

-         This park has some of the finest deciduous forest in the world, and there are over 1,400 kinds of flowering plants here.

-         Bears may also been seen here.

-         Once there were wolves, elk, bison, and mountain lions here, but no longer.

PACKET #2                        CARD #7

-         This park has more visitors each year than any other national park in the United States.

-         Man introduced the wild boar to this park in the 1920s when some boars escaped from a game preserve.

PACKET #2                        CARD #8

-         The soil is very fertile and there are often heavy rains here in the valleys of the mountains.

PACKET #2                        CARD #9

-         The absolute location of this park is 35 degrees N, 83 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout E

PACKET #3                        CARD #1

-         This park is in the Southeast section of national parks.

-         This section includes the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.

-         The states in this area have a temperate climate of warm humid summers, and mild, rainy winters.

PACKET #3                        CARD #2

-         This park has over 2,000 known caves and many more undiscovered ones.

-         It is known as the cave capital of the United States.

-         There are breathtaking rock formations of cascading stone, domes, deep pits, and a subterranean crystal lake.

PACKET #3                        CARD #3

-         Over 150 miles of passageways have been explored and charted.

-         Cave trips are offered throughout the year (lasting from 1 to 6 hours).

-         Outside the cave are over 52,000 acres which can be viewed from many hiking trails and self-guided nature walks,

-         A one hour cruise is available on the boat Miss Green River II, which travels the Green River.

PACKET #3                        CARD #4

-         There is evidence that early Indians were in the cave over 4,500 years ago.

-         During the war of 1812 miners used oil lamps to search for nitrates used in making gunpowder.

-         Today electric lights are strung throughout the cave for visitors.

PACKET #3                        CARD #5

-         This park is in the south-central Kentucky.

-         It is half way between Nashville, Tennessee, and Louisville, Kentucky.

PACKET #3                        CARD #6

-         The cave was formed over 300 million years ago when shallow inland seas covered the region. After seas drained away, the underlying layer of porous limestone was exposed to weather and water seepage. Solution caused the formations seen today.

PACKET #3                        CARD #7

-         Modern man first discovered the cave in 1779.

PACKET #3                        CARD #8

-         Hardwood forests and wildlife abound in the park.

PACKET #3                        CARD #9

-         The absolute location of this park is 37 degrees N, 86 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout F

PACKET #4                        CARD #1

-         Prehistoric Indians lived here and built their homes with the petrified wood.

-         These ruins and petroglyphs (drawings and signs etched on stone).

-         When hiking in the desert visitors must bring water, for there is little in the desert.

PACKET #4                        CARD #2

-         This park is in the Western region of national parks.

-         The states in this area are California, Nevada, and Arizona.

-         The climate is arid, desert type.

PACKET #4                        CARD #3

-         This park is in the Arizona badlands.

-         Nearby towns are St. Johns and Springerville.

-         Gallup, New Mexico, is on the east and Winslow, Arizona, is on the west.

-         Major cities close are Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Phoenix, Arizona.

PACKET #4                        CARD #4

-         The eerie landscape of this park includes oddly shaped mesas and fossilized trees.

-         Great logs have been preserved in glittering quartz crystals, jasper, agate and amethyst.

-         Animals here today include coyotes, mice, kangaroo rates, pack rats, rattlesnakes, and badgers.

PACKET #4                        CARD #5

-         Visitors may drive the 27 mile park road to view the Painted Desert.

-         Visitors may also hike along walking trails.

PACKET #4                        CARD #6

-         The life history of the fossilized trees can still be “read” by their annual rings.

PACKET #4                        CARD #7

-         Here are also the preserved remains of the earliest forerunner of the dinosaur.

PACKET #4                        CARD #8

-         The Paiute Indians thought the petrified tree trunks were arrow shafts of Shinauv, the thunder god. The Navajos thought they were bones of a giant.

PACKET #4                        CARD #9

-         The absolute location of this park is 34 degrees N, 109 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout G/H

PACKET #5                        CARD #1

-         The federal government established this park in 1947 to protect the plant and animal communities from destruction.

-         The commercial industry and agriculture around it threaten the park’s species.

-         Park rangers give talks and walks to tourists.

-         Fishing is permitted, but spear fishing is not.

PACKET #5                        CARD #2

-         A marina houses boats up to 18.3 meters long.

-         Powered skifts, houseboats, and canoes are available to rent.

-         There is a marked 99 mile wilderness waterway for boaters.

-         In the Flamingo Area are 4 marked canoe trails, hiking trails, and bike trails.

-         In Shark Valley is a tram ride.

PACKET #5                        CARD #3

-         This subtropical wilderness has crocodiles, manatees, bald eagles, rosette spoon bills, and wood storks- which are rare in other parts of the country.

-         Other plants and animals are the alligator, tarpon, pink shrimp, royal palm, mahogany, and mangroves.

-         There are over 100 species of grasses here.

-         The name of the park means “river of grass.”

PACKET #5                        CARD #4

-         The park is along a river that drops into Florida Bay.

-         Most of Florida Bay is with in the park.

-         Other ranger stations are on Key Largo and Flamingo.

-         The Florida Keys lie between the Straits of Florida and Florida Bay.

-         The Natural History Association for this park is in Homestead, Florida.

-         The nearest principal city is Miami, Florida, 35 miles away.

PACKET #5                        CARD #5

-         This park is part of the Southeast section of national parks.

-         This section includes 8 states.

-         This area has a subtropical climate-warm and humid.

-         Summer is wet and winter is a little drier.

-         Precipitation is about 50 inches a year.

PACKET #5                        CARD #6

-         The park is best known for its abundance of bird life.

PACKET #5                        CARD #7

-         The freshwater river that runs through the park is six inches deep and 50 miles wide.

PACKET #5                        CARD #8

-         Human concern and wise management are needed to save the plant and animal life in the park.

PACKET #5                        CARD #9

-         The absolute location of this park is 25 degrees N, 80 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout I

PACKET #6                        CARD #1

-         People can walk and explore along the 40 miles of carriage paths.

-         Some people travel these paths by horse-drawn carriages or bicycles.

-         Many sailboats are sheltered in Northeast Harbor.

-         You may go on tide-pool walks or a naturalist-led cruise.

-         Snowmobiling, cross country skiing and snowshoeing are permitted as well as horseback riding.

PACKET #6                        CARD #2

-         The park is surrounded by rocky sea coasts.

-         It has a series of rounded granite mountains.

-         The highest mountain is 1,530 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

-         Many lobster buoys, fisherman, and sea gulls can be seen.

PACKET #6                        CARD #3

-         The park is on the coast of Maine and also on offshore several islands.

-         Part of it is on the Schoodio Peninsula.

-         Most of the park is on Mt. Desert Island.

-         The nearest international airport is 40 miles away in Bangor, Maine.

-         Trenton is 8 miles from this park.

PACKET #6                        CARD #4

-         This park is in the North Atlantic section of national parks.

-         This section includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

-         The climate for this area is temperate with short, warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.

PACKET #6                        CARD #5

-         John D. Rockefeller, Jr., built many miles of park here and donated more than 11,000 acres of land to establish the park.

-         Champlain named this island in 1604.

-         A museum shows exhibits of Indian artifacts as well as ship models.

-         Fishing and swimming are allowed.

PACKET #6                        CARD #6

-         Lobstermen, boat builders, and coast guardsmen, as well as canneries, lobster pounds, and boat yards can be seen here.

PACKET #6                        CARD #7

-         Blue mussels and barnacles can be seen in the waters. Sea anemones often extend their tentacles.

PACKET #6                        CARD #8

-         Behind the sea coast are mountains, ponds, and lakes.

PACKET #6                        CARD #9

-         The absolute location of this park is 44 degrees N, and 68 degrees W. What is the name of this park?

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Handout J/K

PACKET #7                        CARD #1

-         This is a wilderness archipelago in Lake Superior.

-         The main island has over 200 small islands around it.

-         Here are undisturbed woodlands, lakes, and rugged scenic shores.

-         Moose can be seen wading in inland lakes. Wolves sometimes prey upon the moose.

PACKET #7                        CARD #2

-         There are no roads, cars, or phones here.

-         The only way to get there is by boat or float plane.

-         There are over 160 miles of trails for hiking on the island.

-         Rangers conduct nature walks.

-         Swimming is not recommended because Lake Superior is so cold.

PACKET #7                        CARD #3       

-         This park is in the Midwest section of national parks; and this section includes the states of Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

-         The type of climate is temperate with short, warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.

-         A needle-leafed forest covers this region.

PACKET #7                        CARD #4

-         This island is in the northwest corner of Lake Superior.

-         It is 15 miles from the nearest mainland shore.

-         It is just south of Ontario.

-         Close towns are Copper Harbor and Houghton in Michigan.

PACKET #7                        CARD #5

-         Prospectors swarmed over the island and burned many acres of forest trying to expose copper and clear space for mining settlements.

-         Lumbering also occurred here.

-         Before that the Indians mined copper here as early as 4,500 years ago.

-         The French used the island for fur trading and gave the island its present name.

PACKET #7                        CARD #6

-         Forests dominate the scenery of the park, as well as several hundred species of wildflowers.

-         There are over 200 kinds of birds as well as squirrel, beaver, red fox, snowshoe hare, and moose.

PACKET #7                        CARD #7

-         The Chippewas gave this island to the United States in 1843.

PACKET #7                        CARD #8

-         This island was created by volcanoes, ice, and water.

-         The billion year old rocks are basalt lava flows.

PACKET #7                        CARD #9

-         If the absolute location of this park is 48 degrees N, 89 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout L

PACKET #8                        CARD #1

-         This park is in the Pacific Northwest section of national parks.

-         This section includes the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska.

-         The type of climate for this region is sub-Arctic with very short, cool summers and very cold, snowy winters.

-         This is on a part of the mountain range that runs through the western states.

PACKET #8                        CARD #2

-         Visitors may climb mountains or fish.

-         Backpacking requires a permit.

-         Only Mt. Everest and a few other Himalayan peaks offer greater challenges for mountain climbers.

-         Early mountain climbers were a federal judge, some miners, and the archdeacon of a church.

PACKET #8                        CARD #3

-         This park is in the Alaska Range of mountains stretching across 580 miles of Alaska.

-         These mountains are between Anchorage on the coastal lowlands and Alaska’s northern interior.

-         West of the park is a drainage divide for rivers (water goes either to the Bering Sea or Gulf of Alaska).

PACKET #8                        CARD #4

-         The highest mountain in North America.

-         It contains a 32 mile long glacier.

-         Part of the park is on a fault line.

-         Caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and wolves as well as grizzly bear are in this park.

-         In summers there are 16-24 hours of daylight.

PACKET #8                        CARD #5

-         People can ride on the park roads or charter an airplane tour.

-         There are dogsled demonstrations.

-         Main airports are in Anchorage and Fairbanks.

PACKET #8                        CARD #6

-         Mt. McKinley has twin peaks and rises to 20,320 feet.

PACKET #8                        CARD #7

-         Mt. McKinley was called a name (the name of the park) meaning “the great one” by the Athabascan Indians, but a gold prospector renamed the mountain to honor President William McKinley.

PACKET #8                        CARD #8

-         Caribou migrate in herds through the park.

PACKET #8                        CARD #9

-         The absolute location of this park is 63 degrees N, 150 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout M

PACKET #9                        CARD #1

-         This park is in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California.

-         Fresno is on the south, Merced is on the west, and Lee Vining is on the east.

PACKET #9                        CARD #2

-         This park is in the Western Area of national parks.

-         States in the area include California, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii.

PACKET #9                        CARD #3

-         It has sculpted mountain parks and domes, waterfalls tumbling over granite cliffs, groves of giant sequoia trees, and alpine meadows of wildflowers.

-         Elevations range from 2,000 to 13,000 feet above sea level.

-         It has the world’s 5^th largest tree-Grizzly Giant.

-         It has the 2^nd highest waterfall in the United States.

-         The sequoia trees have lived as long as 3,000 years, the bristlecone pines 4,000 years.

PACKET #9                        CARD #4

-         Over 200 miles of roadways are traveled by car or shuttle bus.

-         Skiing is permitted here.

-         There are horse-drawn carriages available.

-         Saddle and pack animals are available to rent.

-         Hiking and pack trips into the high country can be enjoyed.

-         Over 700 miles of trails exist.

-         Exhibits show the early days of railroad in the park.

PACKET #9                        CARD #5

-         At the History Center there are living history demonstrations showing man’s history in the park.

-         Swimming is permitted, but there are no lifeguards.

-         Trout fishing is excellent.

-         The visitor’s center has audio-visual shows as well as naturalist talks.

-         There are swimming pools, tennis courts, pitch and putt courses, dances and movies.

PACKET #9                        CARD #6

-         This area was first formed 500 million years ago when the thick layers of an inland sea sediment were twisted and thrust above sea level while molten rock underneath formed a base of granite.

-         Erosion and glaciers then stripped away the soft sediment leaving the granite exposed.

PACKET #9                        CARD #7

-         Spanish explorers named one of the rivers “The River of Our Lady of Mercy.”

PACKET #9                        CARD #8

-         There are 220 bird species here and 75 mammal species. Conifers are the predominant tree.

PACKET #9                        CARD #9

-         The absolute location of this park is 37 degrees N, 119 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout N/O

PACKET #10                        CARD #1

-         Trout fishing is excellent here.

-         Every year bears claw and bite visitors and destroy hundreds of dollars worth of people’s equipment.

-         More human injuries, however, result from the bison gorings because people get too close to the seemingly harmless animals.

-         When camping, people need to store food in locked trunks to keep it away from the bears.

-         There are ranger talks, walks, and hikes.

PACKET #10                        CARD #2

-         This park has high mountain plateaus, steaming geysers, glacier-carved canyons, icy cold streams, and rainbow-hued pools.

-         This was the first national park (established in 1872).

-         It is one of the largest parks in the nation and one of the most popular.

-         It is famous for its wildlife.

-         A huge fire destroyed much vegetation in the park, but re-growth is occurring.

PACKET #10                        CARD #3

-         There are over 500 miles of public roads in the park.

-         There are over 1,000 miles of hiking trails.

-         There are rowboats, outboard skiffs, and cabin cruisers available.

-         Scenic cruiser bus trips are available.

-         Horses can be rented in the summer.

-         Backpack trips can be arranged.

-         In the winter cross-country skiing and snowshoe trips are possible.

PACKET #10                        CARD #4

-         This park is in the Rocky Mountain section of the national parks.

-         States in this section include Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

-         This area has a highland climate that varies with height and altitude.

PACKET #10                        CARD #5

-         Most of this park is in Wyoming, but it spills, into Montana and Idaho.

-         Nearby towns are Silver Gate, Moran, Cody, Cooke City, Livingston, Garner, and Jackson.

PACKET #10                        CARD #6

-         It is very famous for its wildlife-moose, bison, waterfowl, pronghorn deer, elk, coyote, bighorn sheep, black bear, and grizzly bear.

PACKET #10                        CARD #7

-         Some of the most famous attractions are Old Faithful geyser and Mammoth Hot Springs, which were created by volcanic activity. The park itself is actually a huge caldera-a huge basin that was created when a volcanic blew up. Another great eruption is expected within the next 100,000 years!

PACKET #10                        CARD #8

-         Often times people create “bear jams” on the roads by stopping their cars and blocking traffic to watch the bears.

PACKET #10                        CARD #9

-         If the absolute location of this park is 44 degrees N, 100 degrees W. What is the name of this national park?

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Handout P

NATIONAL PARK ANSWERS

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Handout Q

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Handout R

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Handout S

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