Plotting Protected Places

SUBJECTS: Math, Geography, Career Education, Government and Social Studies

GRADES: 4-5

KERA GOALS: Meets KERA goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS: Use reference tools and research tools; make sense of a variety of materials they read; use mathematical ideas and procedures; organize information and use of classification rules and systems; understand and use number concepts; understand use of space and dimensionality concepts; understand and use measurement concepts; understand the democratic principles; recognize, apply and understand the relationship between people and geography; show their abilities to become self-sufficient individuals; show their abilities to become responsible members of a family, work group, or community; organize information to develop or change their understanding of a concept; use a decision-making process to make informed decisions; connect knowledge and experiences from different subject areas; use what they already know to acquire new knowledge, skills, or interpret experiences; and expand their understanding of existing knowledge.

DURATION: One class period of 45-60 minutes

GROUP SIZE: One classroom of 25-35 students (or less)

SETTING: Indoors or outside at tables

KEY VOCABULARY: Coordinates, plot, map, key, National Park Service

ANTICIPATORY SET: Can anyone think of a definition for the word plot? A word that means the same thing will be fine too. Today we are going to find and plot some special places on a United States map!

OBJECTIVES: The students will be able to: 1) read a map to find various locations; 2) plot several locations on a map; 3) work independently using map reading skills.

MATERIALS: (the plotting protected worksheets are below, however, you will need to plotting protected places map, found in the pdf version, to complete the activity)

• Plotting Protected Places activity sheets
• Pencil
• Ruler

BACKGROUND: The National Park Service (NPS) originated with the passage of the Organic Act of 1916. Since that time the National Park Service and the United States government have designated many places as valuable places to be protected. These places are selected because of their historical or natural significance to our nation. Today there are over 380 National Park Service areas across the country. These areas include national parks, national monuments, national battlefields, national seashores, national recreation areas and national wild and scenic rivers. In Kentucky, there are four National Park Service areas including: Mammoth Cave National Park, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Each National Park Service area has its own unique cultural, biological, and geological significance. Cultural heritage (people), vegetation (plants), wildlife (animals), and landforms (rocks) are the reasons the parks were set aside.

Mapping is a basic skill that requires taking information given in one area and correlating it to another. The correlation gives meaning to new information. As far back as human history can be traced people have been making and reading maps. This unique way of communication can only be achieved through a medium such as a map.

PROCEDURE:

1. The teacher presents the students with a map. The teacher asks the students if they can find a key on the map. The students should read the map and find the directional diamond for North, South, East, and West.
2. The teacher asks the students what National Park Service Area is at 32,M ? The students should respond Mammoth Cave National Park.
3. The teacher asks the students, “Where is Yellowstone National Park?” A student responds 13, T .
4. The teacher asks the students to work on the first part of their activity page, numbers 1-4.
5. Together the class reviews the answers to the first half of the activity sheet.
6. The teacher and students review the second half of the activity sheet. The teacher points out that there is a map that will help the student to plot the parks listed in the second half of the activity.
7. The students work individually on the second half of their sheet.
8. The class reviews this part of the activity sheet.
9. The teacher then asks the students one final question- If you could create a park anywhere in the United States, at what coordinates would you put it? What plants, animals, people, and rocks would your park protect? In a few sentences describe your park at the bottom of your activity sheet.
10. The students share their created parks, if they choose to do so.

CLOSURE: Today we have plotted a few of the many National Park Service areas that are located all over the country. Each one is a special place and has a very special story to tell.

EVALUATION: The teacher is able to evaluate the students through their class participation and through the answers they have turned in on their activity sheets.

EXTENSIONS:

1. The teacher could have the students look at a United States road map and map out a vacation to several different parks. The students could then list the coordinates from that map for each National Park.
2. The students could create a graph of their classroom, plotting various items in the room.
3. The students could take a look at a Kentucky map and find the four national park areas that are within its borders. Then they could look at the coordinates of the National Parks found on that map. They could also find their town on the map. The students could then measure the distance from each park to their hometown.
4. The students could select a favorite National Park Service site and could investigate that area via mail or the internet at www.nps.gov.

Plotting Protected Places Worksheet information and questions

1. Mammoth Cave National Park is the site of the longest known cave system in the world. Its coordinates are 32,M. Find a star on the map at these coordinates and put Mammoth Cave National Park’s index number by it. Index number ____________.
2. National Parks were developed to take care of all the resources inside their boundary lines. These resources include Vegetation (plants), Wildlife (animals), Cultural History (people), and Landforms (rocks). Can you list a park from the index that is best known for each topic?
   Vegetation: ___________________________________________________________________
   Wildlife: _____________________________________________________________________
   Cultural History: _______________________________________________________________
   Landforms: ___________________________________________________________________
   *Each park protects everything in its boundary, but some answers are better than others.
3. On the map, which park is furthest East? _______________________________________ What are its Coordinates? _________________
4. Name the two parks in California and their coordinates. ___________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
5. Now add these parks to your map. Everglades National Park Grand Canyon National Park Yosemite National Park Big Bend National Park Mount Rushmore National Memorial
6. On the map which park is furthest south? _______________________________________ What are its coordinates? ___________________
7. Which Park is known for its famous inventors? __________________________________ What are its coordinates? _____________ *BONUS What was the famous invention?___________________
8. California is the state with the most National Park Service Sites. Put Parallel lines (///) through the state to mark that it has the most sites.
9. Delaware is the only state without any National Park Service Sites. Shade Delaware with your pencil.
10. Look at your index. There are no coordinates listed for Glacier Bay National Park. Why or why not?______________________________________________________________________________.
    

Your map shows only a few National Park Service Sites. There are currently over 380 National Park Service Areas.