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Social Studies 4: Creation of the National Park Service 18 Views


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Description:

It turns out people actually like seeing the wilderness rather than turning it into sprawling cityscapes. Go figure. Today's lesson is on the creation of the National Park Service.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

[Dino and Coop singing]

00:13

If you've ever camped in the wilderness, hiked to the top of a mountain, or run frantically [Man roasting marshmallows]

00:17

from a ferocious and honey-crazed black bear... [Man running from a bear]

00:20

…chances are you've probably spent time in one of America's National parks.

00:23

Or else you live in a really interesting subdivision. [Sign for 'Bear Creek']

00:27

Officially-designated National Parks haven't always been a thing. [National park locations shown on a map]

00:30

They’re actually the product of the National Park Service, which was created with the purpose

00:33

of protecting American landforms and bodies of water. [Coop pointing at a blackboard]

00:37

Mostly from…Americans, sadly enough. [Girl next to tree that has 'Casey was here' carved into it]

00:39

The very first National Park to be established by the National Park Service very well might

00:44

be the most famous one of them all...

00:46

Yellowstone National Park.

00:48

Like Jellystone Park, but with fewer stolen picnic baskets.

00:52

Yellowstone was officially created in 1872 with the purpose of protecting the land for

00:54

[Yellowstone park location]

00:56

future generations to enjoy.

00:58

Assuming Yellowstone's volcano doesn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed any time soon… [Volcano smoking next to a bed]

01:02

The National Park Service was created by President Woodrow Wilson, who worried that, without

01:07

official protection…

01:08

…it wouldn't be long before America ran out of natural beauty for visitors to admire.

01:12

That’s not counting Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, of course. [Woodrow Wilson giving a speech]

01:16

Preserving land for tourism isn't the only thing the National Park Service does.

01:19

They also assist in scientific research. [Dino pointing at a blackboard]

01:22

National parks give scientists access to protected land where climate, biomes and ecosystems [Scientists watch a bear poop]

01:27

can be observed. [The scientists look amazed and write notes]

01:28

The NPS also helps cities and towns protect their own historic landmarks so that tourists

01:32

can enjoy them.

01:33

Whether it's San Francisco's Alcatraz Island and its famous Alcatraz Prison… or Mark [Picture of Alcatraz]

01:38

Twain's boyhood home in Hannibal, Missouri…or the world’s largest donut in Inglewood,

01:42

California…

01:43

… the NPS will preserve it all.

01:45

Okay, maybe not the donut. [Stop sign appears over the giant donut]

01:47

National Parks can be found across the country in all four regions of the United States.

01:51

There’s Yellowstone in the West, Big Ben National Park in the South, Apostle Islands [The parks locations are shown]

01:56

National Lakeshore in the Midwest, and Arcadia National Park in the North.

02:00

So the next time your family wants to start planning the next vacation, why not suggest [Kid pointing at the map of national parks]

02:04

a nearby national park instead of something cliché and crowd-heavy, like a cruise or

02:09

Disneyland?

02:10

You don’t need a Fast Pass to observe nature…

02:11

And if you go down a waterfall that's pretty much like flash mountain... [Boy jumping off a waterfall]

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