Unit 3: Canada and the United States

Chapter 6: Notes and Reading Guide

NATIONAL PARKS: SAVING THE NATURAL HERITAGE OF THE U.S. AND CANADA

Chapter 6 Notes:

Global Studies 8Mr. Schiebel

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Elev

atio

n (fe

et)

Unit 3: Canada and the United States

Chapter 6National Parks: Saving the Natural Heritage of the U.S. and Canada

Below is part of a topographic map of Grand Canyon National Park. Locate Point A on the map. Then, with your finger, follow the line from Point A to Point B. You will be completing the elevation profile of a trip along this line. The elevation profile will be a cross-section of the topographic map. It will show how the elevation increases and decreases over the course of two miles.

Finish the elevation profile. The first half mile has been done for you.

Topography of Grand Canyon National Park (detail)

A B

0 1/2 1 mile

0 2,000 4,000 feet

Elevation Profile7,000

A6,500

6,000

5,500

5,000B

4,500

4,000

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000 11,000

Distance (feet)

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Chapter 6National Parks: Saving the Natural Heritage of the U.S. and Canada

What are National Parks?

How Many:

Canada?

United States?

Creation of National Parks?

Purpose?

Other Facts:

Yellowstone:

Great Smokey Mountains:

Conservationists:

_____________________:

_____________________:

1. Why was Roosevelt so worried about protecting our forest areas?

2. Why did Roosevelt have to create so many national parks and forests in such a short period of time?

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GEOTERMS

Read Sections 1 and 2 on pages 93-95. Then create an illustrated dictionary of the Geoterms by completing these tasks:• Create a symbol or an illustration to represent each term.• Write a definition of each term in your own words.• Write a sentence that includes the term and the words national park.

Geoterm and Symbol

Definition Sentence

conservationist

fauna

flora

topographic map

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Reading a Topographic MapWhen you look at a topographic map, what you’re seeing is an aerial view, or a view from above. When contour lines on the map are closer together, it means the elevation in that area is changing quickly. The land there is steep. When contour lines are farther apart, the elevation is changing more slowly. The land there is relatively flat.

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Because Trail Y is steeper than

Trail X, you would walk over a longer horizontal distance along Trail X to climb the same 40 feet in elevation.

340 feet

Profile View of a Mountain

The incline, or slope, along Trail Y is greater than the incline along Trail

X. So, if you walked along Trail Y, you would travel up a much steeper incline than along Trail X.

Trail X

Trail Y

Contour lines are 40 feet apart in elevation.

T

opographic View of a Mountain

Since the elevation change between contour lines on a topographic map is always the same, the elevation change along Trail X is the same as the elevation change along Trail Y.