National parks WRITING

Transcription

1 National parks WRITING

2 Content National parks were created to preserve natural habitats and allow people to visit and appreciate the natural beauty. Learning Outcomes Read about the purpose and characteristics of national parks. Learn about three specific natural parks in the USA. Learn terms and phrases necessary for debate. 1

3 National Parks have been established around the world to preserve natural habitats and allow people to visit and appreciate their natural beauty. They are established in large, natural areas with one or more undisturbed ecosystem. They are, by definition, actively protected by the countries in which they are located. They also must allow access to visitors. 2

4 The first National Park in the world was Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872 in the United States of America. Located in the state of Wyoming. Yellowstone is famous for its geothermic features, which result from its located on the largest supervolcano in North America. The most famous of these geothermic features is Old Faithful, a geyser that shoots water over 100 feet into the air nearly every 90 minutes. 3

5 Other important features of Yellowstone National Park are lava flows, waterfalls and tremendous diversity of wildlife. Inside the park, one must watch out for bears, wolves, moose and mountain lions! There is also an enormous herd of public Bison the largest and oldest in the USA. 4

6 Aside from being the oldest, Yellowstone is the second-largest national park in the United States outside of Alaska. It encompasses more than 2,000 campsites, many of which can only be accessed by horseback. However, paved roads run through much of the park, allowing visitors to drive to the major attractions. Also, in the winter one can rent a snowmobile to explore the park with. 5

7 Death Valley National Park, located in parts of California and Nevada, is the largest national park in the lower 48 states. An enormous desert, Death Valley is the hottest national park in the United States temperature-wise with very little rainfall. Death Valley National Park is home to a number of animals, such as cougars, bobcats and coyotes. 6

8 More than a thousand years ago, Death Valley was occupied by a number of Native American tribes. It got its current name from the California Gold Rush, when prospectors had to cross the valley to reach the gold fields. Today, there are a number of paved roads throughout the Valley, allowing visitors to access many areas of the park. At night, Death Valley is a popular destination for stargazers, with one of the darkest skies in the country. 7

9 Everglades National Park is the third largest in the lower 48 states. The Everglades are a very different kind of national park in the USA. Located on the southern side of Florida, the park only encompasses one fifth of the actual Everglades, which is the largest tropical wilderness in the country. This wilderness is comprised of a system of forests and wetlands connected by a very slow-moving river. 8

10 Unlike Death Valley and Yellowstone, Everglades National Park is an extremely fragile, natural area. Humans have caused a great amount of damage to the Everglades. Throughout history, numerous attempts have been made to drain the Everglades in order to make room for urban and agricultural development. In fact, over half of the Everglades have been destroyed. As such, the establishment of the National Park was essential to their survival. 9

11 In the United States, the National Park Service is responsible for the management and conservation of national parks. The National Park system comprises 59 national parks. Although an incredible amount of time and money is required to maintain national parks such as Yellowstone, Death Valley and the Everglades, they are greatly valued for their natural beauty and considered to be the crown jewels of the United States. 10

12 ecosystem geothermic canoe herd crown jewels supervolcano boardwalk geyser stargazing lava flow tribe prospector kayak snowmobile 11

13 Were there any other words or phrases that you found difficult or have questions about? 12

14 1) bison 2) bear 3) moose 4) wolf 5) mountain lion 11) crocodile 12) whooping crane 13) great blue heron 14) florida panther 15) jaguar 6) cougar 7) bobcat 8) coyote 9) snapping turtle 10) alligator 13

15 Writing Answer the following questions 1) What is a national park? 2) What is it that makes a national park stand out from other natural areas? 14

16 Writing Answer the following question Of the three national parks mentioned in the text, which would you like to visit? Why? 15

17 Please note Debate/Discussion Terms The following phrases can be useful when having a debate or discussion: In my opinion... I think/believe that... It is a fact that... Examples: In my opinion, natural parks are very important. According to... Example: According to a recent study, the price of pickles has actually dropped. It is a fact that millions of dollars are 16 spent on national parks each year.

18 Please note Debate/Discussion Terms The following phrases can be useful when having a debate or discussion: I see where you are coming from, but... On the contrary... To the contrary... Example: John: We need to protect this wilderness area by declaring it a national park. Ryan: I see where you are coming from, as I am very fond of national parks, but we simply would not have the funds to maintain it. John: On the contrary, since balancing the budget we now have 17 significantly more money than expected!

19 1. national park an officially preserved and publicly accessible natural area 2. ecosystem a community of plants, animals and other living organisms 3. stargazing to stare up at stars and constellations in the night sky 4. wetlands ecosystems characterized as being covered by water National parks, such as Yellowstone, Death Valley and the Everglades, have been established around the world to preserve natural habitats, as well as to allow people to visit and appreciate their natural beauty. 18

20 Writing What are the key aspects and main differences between the following national parks? Yellowstone Death Valley The Everglades 19

21 Speaking Role Play Situation 1 Situation 2 After deciding to go on a camping trip to Death Valley National Park, you are trying to figure out what type of gear and clothing to pack. What do you think would be important to bring? After deciding to go on a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park, you are trying to figure out which time of year would be best to go. Which time of year do you decide on and how might that affect your trip? 20

22 Writing Anwer the following questions 1) Have you ever been to a national park? Are there any national parks where you live? 2) What types of natural areas do you find most intriguing? 21

23 Writing Match each national park with all of the animals from the list that may inhabit it. Yellowstone Death Valley The Everglades bison crocodiles whooping cranes elephants mountain lions coyotes snapping turtles moose bobcats alligator 22

24 Speaking Fill in the blank with the appropriate word(s). geyser supervolcano tropical geothermic wetlands ecosystem undisturbed uninhabitable desert 1) Hot lava flows freely at Yellowstone, as the park is situated on a. 2) The most precious natural areas are those that have managed to avoid human presence, remaining. 3) Due to freezing temperatures, Antarctica is largely by humans. 4) The sun is almost always shining in Florida due to its climate. 5) Old Faithful, the famous at Yellowstone Park, shoots water 23 hundreds of feet into the air.

25 Speaking Match the vocabulary to its meaning to be comprised of to encompass fragile tribe a group of people existing outside of states to surround to contain or consist of delicate; easily damaged a large group of animals, such as bison herd 24

26 Writing Finish the sentences The difference between a national park and a regular natural area is... National parks with sensitive ecosystems should (not) be open to tourists and visitors, because

27 Speaking True or False The American alligator can only be found in the Everglades. a) True b) False In the Winter, you can cruise through the Everglades on a snowmobile. a) True b) False Yellowstone National Park is situated on top of a supervolcano. a) True b) False 26

28 Writing Using the debate terms, express your opinion by responding to the following statement Death Valley National Park is the greatest place in the world. 27