Yellowstone became the first U.S. national park in 1872. As more Americans recognized the importance of protecting natural places from overuse and development, conservation became a national priority. With the creation of the U.S. National Park Service in 1916, the national park network grew through the 1900s, and today it maintains 63 parks around the United States. In this inquiry students will investigate the compelling question, “How do we conserve?”
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About the inquiry
Compelling Question
How do we conserve?
Standards
D2.Geo.6.9-12. Evaluate the impact of human settlement activities on the environmental and cultural characteristics of specific places and regions.
Instructional Snapshot
Class begins with students working in small groups to compare maps depicting land use over time and discuss key differences they observe. Students record their observations and identify patterns of change on the graphic organizer.
Students then analyze a collection of sources and identify how each source contributes to national conservation efforts, recording their ideas on the graphic organizer. Teachers may help students by pointing to the intentionality required for conservation and to the combination of federal government efforts in creation and maintenance with individual efforts in land use. Finally, students write an evidentiary claim based on their ideas to answer the compelling question.
Formative Tasks
DELIBERATE: Describe differences in land use over time.
COLLABORATE: Identify what each source adds to national conservation (i.e., creation, maintenance, individual use).
PRODUCE: Write a claim that answers the compelling question with reference to each source.
Sources
Source A: Xiaoyong Li, Hanqin Tian, Chaoqun Lu, and Shufen Pan, “Four-century history of land transformation by humans in the United States (1630–2020)”, 2025, Earth System Science Data
Source B: “Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)”, Shenandoah, National Park Service
Source C: Summary: H.R.3710, “National Parks and Landmarks Conservation Act”, Library of Congress
Source D: “Know the rules”, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, National Park Service
Summative Performance Task
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Taking Informed Action
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