Virginia SOL 2.12.c
The Standard
Yellowstone National Park
Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students locate Yellowstone on a United States map and identify Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. They explain how geysers, wildlife, and other natural features helped make the area a protected park.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students place Yellowstone in the western United States and name at least one state it covers. They describe it as a protected natural place with features such as geysers, mountains, and wildlife.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may confuse Yellowstone with Yosemite or think it is only in Wyoming. They may think a landmark must be a building or that Old Faithful erupts like a volcano.
How to Assess It
- Give students a map with state outlines. Ask them to mark Yellowstone, name one nearby state, and write one reason the area became a national park.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Use clay, blue yarn, and picture cards to build a model of Yellowstone with mountains, rivers, geysers, and wildlife.
Ask students to write: Why might people decide to protect Yellowstone instead of building homes and stores there?
Play a map relay where teams place Yellowstone, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho cards in the correct locations.
Compare Yellowstone visitor rules with rules at a nearby park, then discuss how both places protect land, animals, and visitors.
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Printable 2.12.c Worksheet
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