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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.
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']
Full Transcript
- 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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