Lesson Plan

National Parks: Where Plants Hold a Place of Honor! Grades 2-3

Many wildflowers, primarily poppies and lupine, bloom.
Grade Level:
Lower Elementary: Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade
Subject:
Literacy and Language Arts,Science
Lesson Duration:
60 Minutes
Common Core Standards:
2.RI.3, 3.RI.3
State Standards:
2-LS4-1, 2-LS2-2, 3-LS4-3
Thinking Skills:
Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts.

Essential Question

Why is it important for National Parks to protect plant species?

Objective

1. Students will learn that cause and effect relationships exist between plants and animals.
2.Students will compare and contrast different plant species.
3. Students will understand why some national parks are created specifically to protect plant species.

Background

  • Many national parks have been named to honor a specific plant species, including Sequoia, Redwood, Saguaro, and Joshua Tree. 
  • In 1936, Joshua Tree was established as a National Monument, and in 1994 it became a National Park.  Originally, the land was set aside to stop the widespread removal of desert plants for landscaping in Los Angeles.  It protects 3 distinct ecosystems and preserves diverse plants and animals. Joshua Trees grow in the western half of the park, providing habitat needs for insects, reptiles, rodents, and birds. 
  • In 1993, Saguaro National Monument was established, and in 1994, it was upgraded to a National Park.  Saguaro Cactus are the largest cacti in the country; they can live to be 150 years old, and provide food, moisture, and shelter to insects, rodents, bats, and birds. 

Preparation

  • Gather chart paper and markers to make 3 large charts. (This can also be done on a white board.)
  • Load all videos and web pages needed for this lesson. Find the links for these materials in the 'procedure' section.

Materials

A Tree Named Lily PDF Version

Download A Tree Named Lily

Procedure

 

1. Play the"Find Your Park" Video (1:00 minute)
2. Discuss with students why National Parks are created. Ensure they understand that national parks protect natural areas and historic locations, which is what distinguishes them from local parks.
3. Ask students if they have visited a national park. If so, ask them to share their personal memories.
 
1. Explain to students that they will be learning about two national parks today, and that these parks are both named after something they protect...a PLANT!
2.Ask students why a plant might need to be protected. Answers may include: growth of cities, logging for lumber, severe weather, climate shifts, fires, people stealing plants, etc.
 
1.Introduce Joshua Tree National Park by showing students some photos of the park.
2. Explain that Joshua Tree National Park was created to stop people from digging up wild plants for gardens in Los Angeles during the 1930s. This is an example of the park service protecting natural resources.
3. Read the book, A Tree Named Lily. (also, see the 'materials' section to download the book as a pdf if that is preferred)
 
1. As a class, create a chart to show the ways that Joshua Trees provide food for wildlife in years of bloom. Emphasize the cause and effect relationships described in the book. (For example, Yucca moths lay eggs in pollen and babies eat nectar. Quails and squirrels eat seeds that fall to the ground. Rabbits get water from the skin of a young plant. Shrikes use thorns on leaf ends to spear lizards before eating them.)
 
1.As a class, created a second chart to show how Joshua Trees provide shelter for wildlife. Emphasize the cause and effect relationships. (For example, lizards stay cool on hot days between layers of dead leaves. Bats and snakes burrow near roots in the ground. Woodpeckers use holes in the trunk as nesting spots.)
 
1. Introduce students to Saguaro National Park by showing them photos of the park.
2. Explain that the park was created to protect the only habitat to the nation's tallest cacti from growing cities.
3. Play the "Speaking of Saguaro: Apartments" Video (3:40 minutes)
 
1. Discuss the different wildlife that benefit from the Saguaro Cactus.
2. As a class, create a chart that emphasizes the cause and effect relationships between wildlife and the Saguaros.
 
1. Compare and contrast between Joshua Trees and Saguaros using the charts you created.
2. Remind students of the National Park Service's mission to protect these species and the wildlife that depend on them for future generations to enjoy.

Vocabulary

  • National Park: an area that is owned and maintained by the federal government because of its natural beauty or importance to history 
  • Joshua Tree: a type of tree that has spiky clusters of leaves and grows in dry regions of southwestern North America 
  • Saguaro: a giant cactus with a thick stem and branches that grows in dry regions of southwestern North America 
  • Habitat: the natural surroundings where a plant or animal lives 

Assessment Materials

1. Ask students to identify two reasons that national parks have been established to protect specific plant species.

2. Ask students to sequentially describe how Joshua Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife throughout their growth stages.

Additional Resources

Contact Information

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Last updated: January 20, 2022