Curricular Resources > 1990 Volume III > Unit 6 (90.03.06) > Section 2

The U.S. National Parks Movement

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 90.03.06

Unit Guide

Introducing Children To National Parks

Maureen Onofrio

Tools for this unit:

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National Parks Time Line

1806—Lewis & Clark Expedition
1807—John Colter, earliest known white trapper
____ —Epic Journey
1808—Winter—called “Colter’s Hell”
1822—Jim Badger (3 years trapper)
1834—Warren Angus Ferris (American Fur Co.)
____ wrote about Firehold Geyser Basin
1849—Parks placed under authority of Department of the Interior
1859—Capt. William Raynolds
____ Military Expedition
1860’s—Folsom, Cook, and Peterson
____ Famous Expedition
1864—Yosemite Valley explored
____ —U.S. Senator John Conness
1864—June 30, President Lincoln signed Bill
1870—Washburn, Langford—Doane—expedition
____ First charted and named “Old Faithful”
____ Judge Cornelius Hedges —“idea” of ‘a place set apart for all’
1871—Congressmen William Clagett from Montana introduced National Park Act
1872—Passed Senate
____ March 1, President U. S. Grant signed Yellowstone National Park Bill
1890—Sequoia National Park, Yosemite, and General Grant
____ Rock Creek Park authorized (D.C.)
1916—August 25, President Woodrow Wilson created National Park Service in Dept. of Interior

Sample Lesson

Reading a Time Line

Objectives

1. A Time Line can be helpful in understanding when important things happened;
2. A Time Line shows how one happening may lead to another;
3. A Time Line gives a sense of the order in which things took place.

Procedures Distribute mimeoed Time Line and mimeoed questions:
Use Tine Line to answer these questions.

1. What does this Time Line show?
2. What happened in 1806?
3. In what year was Capt. Raynolds Expedition?
4. What was important in 1872?
5. How many years before parks came under authority of Dept. of Interior?
6. What year was important for Yosemite ?

Materials Mimeoed Time Line and Questions

Sample Lesson

Yosemite National Park

Objectives

1. To acquaint student with location and beauty of Yosemite;
2. To foster discussion of what is a national park;
3. To introduce students to John Muir’s book, The Yosemite .

Procedures Introduce book to students. Have them read chapter excerpts. Discuss children’s reactions to his writings.
Have students write observations gained from readings. Show video of Yosemite.

Questions for Discussion

1. Who was John Muir?
2. Why did he go to California?
3. What were some of his feelings about Yosemite Valley?
4. Do you think having national parks is a good idea? Why?

Materials Needed

1. Book The Yosemite —John Muir
2. Video of Yosemite National Park
3. Map of United States

Sample Lesson

Map Lesson on National Park Sites

Objectives Students will be able to:

1. Identify sites of National Parks in contiguous 48 states;
2. Locate Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite by states;
3. Observe numbers of parks in National Park System;
4. Map an imaginary trip to a park site from home in Connecticut.

Procedures Pass out mimeoed map of National Park System.

A. Ask pupils to observe locations of various parks by name and to identify the states in which they are found.
B. Questions to be asked:
____ 1. Can you estimate number of sites?
____ 2. Locate Petrified Forest .
____ (Why is this included in Park System?)
3. Locate Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite.
____ Name the states in which they are found.
4. Map out your own trip to a National Park.

Materials Mimeoed maps of National Park Service

The National Park System

(figure available in print form)

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