“What about our National Parks”
Valerie Isaac
Fairfield Intermediate
www. Nps.gov
Fall 2010
This is a great resource for students to enhance their knowledge about latitude and
longitude lines as well as landforms. This lesson plan also enhances and introduces
students to the National Parks of the United States.
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview
Objectives
Recommended time frame
Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials
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Students will:
 Gain an understanding how to measure longitude
and latitude
 Gain an understanding of absolute location.
 Gain an understanding of landforms and how they
were formed.
2- 45 minute classes possible 3rd class
5th grade
Absolute location
 Smartboard
 Atlas
 Pencil
 Rubric
 Worksheet “What about our National Parks?”
Ohio State Learning Standards
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Grade 5 Social Studies Benchmarks:
A. Use map elements or coordinates to locate physical and
human features of North America.
B. Identify the physical and human characteristics of
places and regions in North America.
C. Identify and explain ways people have affected the
physical environment of North America and analyze
the positive and negative consequences.
A. Obtain information from a variety of primary and
secondary sources using the component parts of the
source.
B. Use a variety of sources to organize information and
draw inferences.
C. Communicate social studies
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information using graphs or tables.
D. Use problem-solving skills to make decisions individually
and in groups.
Grade Five Social Studies Indicators:
Location 1. Use coordinates of latitude and longitude to
determine the
absolute location of points in North America.
2. Use maps to identify the location of:
a. The three largest countries of North America;
b. The 50 states of the United States;
c. The Rocky and Appalachian mountain systems;
d. The Mississippi, Rio Grande and St. Lawrence rivers;
e. The Great Lakes.
Places and Regions 3. Describe and compare the landforms,
climates, population,
culture and economic characteristics of places and regions
in North America.
Procedures
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Day One:
 Ask students to raise their hand if they have ever
visited a National Park. If so, allow the learner to
tell about their experience.
 Give background info how the National Park system
developed in the United States.
 On Smartboard, have the National Parks
website.www.nps.gov
 Navigate the site so the learners can become familiar
with the information provided on the site.
 Handout atlas
 On pages 3-4 review landforms with students.
Day Two:
 Do a quick review of day one’s lesson.
 On Smartboard, pull up www.nps.gov website.
 Handout worksheet.
 Read and discuss directions of worksheet.
 Assign as independent work.
 A third day may be needed to complete assignment.
Evaluation
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Students will turn in worksheet and teacher and the
teacher will assign a different student to evaluate the
worksheet using the rubric provided.
Extension
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Students may create a model of a National Park.
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Students may concentrate on one National Park and
research environmental issues that a National Park may
face.
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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Resource Table
Images
Description
Mt. Rushmore
Citation
www.nps.gov
URL
http://www.nps.gov/a
mericasbestidea/
Great Smokey
Mountain National
Park, cliffs, taken
before 1934, Great
Smoky Mountain
National Park, TN
Courtesy of the Frances
Loeb Library, Graduate
School of Design,
Harvard University
http://memory.loc.gov
/cgibin/query/r?ammem/a
lad:@field(yDOCID+
@lit(alad001879))
Water gushing from
glacier Lamplugh in
Glacier Bay
www.nps.gov
http://www.nps.gov/a
mericasbestidea/
Teaching with Primary Sources
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Old Faithful
Yellowstone National
Park
Western
History/Genealogy
Department, Denver
Public Library
http://memory.loc.gov
/cgibin/query/r?ammem/h
awp:@field(NUMBE
R+@band(codhawp+
00137705))
View of the Grand
Canyon
Lee, Russell, 19031986,
http://memory.loc.gov
/cgibin/query/r?ammem/f
saall:@field(NUMBE
R+@band(fsa+8b264
40))
View of sandstone
formations Arches
National Park
Beam, George L.
1868-1935.
http://memory.loc.gov
/cgibin/query/r?ammem/h
awp:@field(NUMBE
R+@band(codhawp+
00135744)
Carlsbad Caverns
www.nps.gov
http://www.nps.gov/a
mericasbestidea/
Flordia Everglades
Library of Congress, http://memory.loc.gov/
Prints and
cgiPhotographs Division, bin/query/r?ammem/d
Detroit Publishing
etr:@field(NUMBER
Company Collection
+@band(det+4a24101
))</permanent_url>->
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Rubric
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Name______________________ Period_____
“What about Our National Parks Rubric”
o Longitude
o Latitude
o Landforms (At least three landforms listed for each
National Park)
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Handouts
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Insert each handout as a separate page so that it can be printed for student use. We have
provided four blank pages for you to copy and paste your student handouts.
Name____________________________Period_
___
“What about Our National Parks?”
Below you find several pictures of National Parks that are
located in the United States. Using a atlas, complete the
table below.
National Park
Latitude/Longitude
Landforms
Mount Rushmore
Great Smokey Mountains
Glacier Bay
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Yellowstone
Latitude/Longitude
Landforms
Grand Canyon
Arches National Park
Carlsbad Caverens
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