MarcoGram July 2004 -- Touring the National Parks

Touring the National Parks
Summer is the busiest season for the National Park Service. In July alone, more than 40 million people are expected to visit any of the 359 parks, battlefields, campgrounds, trails, seashores and other designated sites across the United States. This month, MarcoPolo invites you to explore all the National Park Service has to offer -- whether by foot, bicycle, automobile or the Internet. Use the warm-up activities below to learn more about America's national treasures, then scroll down for links to more lessons and resources.

Photograph of the Grand Canyon courtesy the Grand Canyon National Park, National Park Service.

1. The National Park Service (NPS) was officially created on August 25, 1916, to conserve and protect America's beautiful scenery, including natural and historic objects, plants and wildlife. Yellowstone, situated in Wyoming and Montana, was the world's first national park.

Which National Park Service areas have you visited? (Responses will vary, but Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon are common answers.) What did you do there? What did you see? Would you recommend the place to a friend?

Allow students time to search through the list of parks on the Partner-reviewed National Park Service Web site. Each student should select one park and gather information to create a promotional brochure using the Printing Press, a student interactive from ReadWriteThink. The brochure should contain such information as location, hours of operation, entrance fees, wheelchair accessibility and some history about the location. Students can add visual punch to the brochure with images downloaded from the National Park Service Digital Image Archive.

Explore the National Park Service in:

"A Landmark Lesson: The United States Capitol Building" (3-5) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities

"Grand Canyon: Stories Told and Untold" (5-8) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

"Managing the Everglades Ecosystem" (9-12) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science

"Metaphorical Gold: Mining the Gold Rush for Stories" (6-8) from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities

"Photography and the National Park Service" (9-12) from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Photograph by Dorothea Lange courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

2. Gasoline prices fluctuate almost every day and often jump to all-time highs during the summer vacation season. Although prices might seem high now, when adjusted for inflation, the price of gasoline in 1981 was the highest ever -- nearly $3 per gallon!

If a car's gas tank holds 15 gallons, how much would it cost to fill up the tank at $1.92 per gallon? (Answer: $28.80) How much would you save if you filled up at a station charging $1.76 per gallon? (Answer: You would save $2.40.)

Have students do a gas price comparison over a weekend. Students should by visit or call three local gas stations and jot down the advertised prices for fuel. Which station(s) had the lowest prices? Which one(s) had the highest prices? Compare the local prices to regional and national averages, posted online by the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy, a Partner-approved Web site. Then, lead a discussion about the pros and cons of using alternate energy sources to power an automobile.

Find out what makes cars go in:

"Avalanche, Aztek or Bravada? A Connotation Mini-Lesson" (6-8) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English

"Fill'er Up, Please: A Lesson on Supply and Demand" (6-8) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education

"Is the Price of Gasoline Really Too High?" (9-12) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education

"Technology and Inequality" (3-5) from Science NetLinks, American Association for the Advancement of Science

3. The NPS depends on federal, philanthropic, corporate and volunteer support to maintain and protect its 84.4 million acres of public land. Park visitors are expected to be respectful of their surroundings so the park can be enjoyed by future generations.

What is the difference between public property and private property? (Answer: Public property, such as a national park, is managed by the government for use by the public. Private property is owned by a person for their own enjoyment.) Can you identify some public parks in your community? What are the benefits of maintaining these public spaces? (Answers can include conserving nature and animals, providing recreational opportunities, curbing overdevelopment.) Are there any drawbacks?

Is there a local movement to keep housing or commercial development away from your area? Discuss the points of view of those who want to preserve the natural space and those who want to develop it. With which side do your students agree? Have students write letters to their local government representative, supporting their cause.

Learn about protecting and preserving open spaces in:

"Creatures and Features in America's Backyard" (3-5) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society

"Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues" (6-8) from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English

"Public Lands: Preserve or Develop?" (6-8) from Xpeditions, National Geographic Society

"Who Pays for City Hall?" (K-5) from EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education

4. Luggage space is often limited on buses, trains and airplanes -- even the trunk of a car has a limit! When packing for vacation, it's important that you take only what you'll use or wear during the trip. Don't forget to leave some extra space for any souvenirs you might collect along the way!

Will you go on a trip this year? If so, where? How many days will you be there? What activities will you do? What types of clothing will you pack?

Ask students which articles of clothing they would wear if it was snowing, raining, blazing hot or freezing cold. What items might be useful for any kind of weather? Have students look through old catalogs or on the Internet to find pictures of clothing and shoes they would pack for an overnight trip to their favorite vacation spot. Supply students with scissors and paste and encourage them to create collages of their chosen outfits.

Figure out how many outfits you can pack for vacation in:

"Bobbie Bear" (K-2) from Illuminations, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics