Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

A zoo is a facility where animals are housed, cared for, displayed to the public, and bred in captivity. They often include animals that aren’t native, meaning they wouldn’t naturally be found in that part of the world.

Zoos provide the opportunity for endangered species to be cared for and protected. In other words, humans intervene to ensure that certain animals don’t become extinct. If an animal becomes extinct, it won’t exist anymore.

Modern zoos as we see them today were first established in the 18th century. The first ever modern zoo opened in Paris in 1793. During this time, knowledge of science and the world around us was expanding rapidly. This is known as the Enlightenment, as people’s understanding was enlightened with new scientific information.

The first zoos were used to show off as many animals as possible. Most animals during the 18th century were not bred in captivity but taken from their natural habitat to be put on display. There was little consideration for their animals, as they lived in small cages, and little effort was made to provide for their welfare.

Today, zoos put the care and welfare of the animals first. They are used as educational facilities to teach visitors about conservation and the importance of different animal species worldwide. Zoos are also used as research centers, meaning that the animals and habitats they live in are studied carefully to ensure that the species are cared for correctly.

If an animal is endangered, meaning it’s close to extinction, zoos often undergo breeding programs to ensure that it is saved from death. These are safe environments for animals to breed without the risks that their natural habitats might possess. These risks could include pollution, climate change, and human habitat destruction through deforestation, road building, or expanding cities.

The main goal of zoos is to reintroduce animals into their natural habitat when it’s safe. This includes breeding programs and mimicking their environment as close to their natural habitat.

What types of zoos are there?

There are many different types of zoos that you can visit. The most common type of zoo includes animals living in enclosures that replicate their natural habitat as close as possible. For example, penguins are kept in the same controlled environments they would experience in their natural habitat. Here is a list and meaning of the other types of zoos you can explore

Safari Parks

This is where the animals are often kept in large, outdoor enclosures that use moats or fences to restrict their animals. Visitors can drive through these parks to get close to the animals exhibited. This includes animals such as elephants, monkeys, or big cats species such as lions.

Aquariums

Inside an aquarium, you’ll discover animal species that live underwater, such as fish, species of whales, sharks, and other aquatic life forms.

Petting Zoos

This is where visitors are allowed to touch and hold the animals. Often, these are farm animals or species of animals that are safe to be around humans and pose little risk. This may include domestic animals such as rabbits, tortoises, or guinea pigs.

Theme Parks

Amusement parks that have roller coasters may also be used as zoos for amusement. They may include animals such as flamingos, dolphins, or whales.

Are zoos good or bad?

There is a lot of debate about whether keeping animals in zoos is doing more harm than good. This is because animals are in restricted locations and are away from where they naturally belong. In some places worldwide, animals may still be mistreated and live in poor conditions.

However, zoos also offer animals care and protection from risks that may mean their natural habitat doesn’t exist anymore. Zoos care for their animals, including vet care, if they become ill or injured.

Zoos are also needed to stop the extinction of animals. Zoos will often fight, fund, and petition for natural habitats to be saved for the protection of animals. For example, only around 45 Amur lemurs remain in the wild. Without zoos’ help, this big cat species would be extinct. But, with the help of zoos, over 200 have been able to be bred in captivity.

What animals will you find at a zoo?

You might discover hundreds of different animals and species when you visit a zoo. Here are some examples

• Elephants
• Lions
• Tigers
• Polar Bears
• Snakes
• Spiders
• Monkeys
• Bats
• Orangutans
• Chimpanzees

Zoo animal facts for children

If you’re teaching young learners about zoos, why don’t you kickstart with some fun animal facts for children? For example, did you know

• A zoo can give you a chance to see animals you might otherwise never get to see.
• A Polar Bear’s hair isn’t white – it’s colorless! However, the reflection of light makes it look like the fur is white to our eyes.
• Tigers belong to the cat family and are the biggest of their species.
• Elephants are the world’s largest mammals.

Free verse is any form of poetry that does not rely on consistent patterns of rhyme and meter. Free-verse poetry doesn’t have to rhyme at all.

As a result, free verse tends to follow the rhythm of natural speech.

However, a natural rhythm may still emerge despite lacking a specific metrical structure. Poets still use alliteration, rhythms, and other poetic techniques to create their desired effect. They may also use rhyme, but it’s usually irregular and doesn’t follow a particular pattern.

Free verse is also referred to by its French name, vers libre.

The origins of free-verse poetry

Traditionally, poems have a consistent rhyme scheme and meter. Poets have written this way for hundreds of years, following strict rhyme schemes in sonnets or using rhymes in narrative poetry to tell a story.

In the 19th century, however, this began to change. Poets such as Matthew Arnold and Walt Whitman explored the possibilities of poems without rhymes.

Whitman, in particular, is said to have ‘reinvented poetry.’ He was the first major poet to write in free verse, and his writing heavily influenced modernist poets in the 20th century, such as Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, and T.S. Eliot.

Why do poets write in free verse?

Free verse is one of the most common forms used in contemporary poetry. Because there are no set rules and you don’t have to follow a strict rhyme scheme or structure, poets have much more freedom to experiment.

Poets also have more freedom with word choice. With rhyming poems, you’re restricted to using words that fit the rhyme scheme and meter. With free-verse poetry, poets can choose any words they like and not worry about whether it rhymes or works in a particular meter.

Without the restrictions of a rhyme scheme or meter, poets can focus on artistic expression through similes, metaphors, phrases, images, alliteration, and more.

Free-verse poetry also depends on sounds, whereas traditional poetry depends on rhyme. This is because the sounds and intonations of words also play a part in the poem’s meaning.

How did free-verse poetry start?

To teach free-verse poems to children, it might be helpful to give them some sense of where they came from. The style of writing poetry began in the 19th Century, explaining why it can also be called vers libre.

It soon spread from France to Britain, where it became popular towards the start of the 20th Century. The way that art was expressed around this time was undergoing significant transformation. In the painting world, artists were taking to the idea of expressionism. This movement favored a subjective painting that didn’t prioritize an accurate rendition of the world but the artist’s perspective.

Similarly, in the literary world, artists were trying to create poetry that departed from the norms of past literature. For example, free-verse poet, Ezra Pound, said the point of this movement was ‘to compose in sequence of the musical phrase, not in sequence of the metronome.’ Free-verse became especially popular in the wake of The Great War, which had renewed people’s views of the world and their relationship to old traditions.

From then, free-verse became a predominant literary style that only grew in popularity throughout the 20th Century.

Examples of free-verse poetry

Here are some free-verse poems for children.

What Weeping Face

What weeping face is that looking from the window?
Why does it stream those sorrowful tears?
Is it for some burial place, vast and dry?
Is it to wet the soil of graves?

— Walt Whitman

As previously mentioned, Walt Whitman has been at the forefront of free-verse poetry. This poem features no rhymes; however, it still evokes a strong feeling and image of sadness through its word choice and intonations.

Come slowly — Eden!

Come slowly – Eden!

Lips unused to Thee –

Bashful – sip thy Jessamines –

As the fainting Bee –

Reaching late his flower,

Round her chamber hums –

Counts his nectars –

Enters – and is lost in Balms.

— Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson, an American poet, is also famous for her free verse. This poem doesn’t have a consistent rhyme scheme (even though it does rhyme in places) and instead follows the rhythm of natural speech. However, Dickinson’s carefully chosen words create an image — ‘bee,’ ‘flower,’ and ‘nectars’ all evoke nature imagery.

1. Have a Snack

This isn’t strictly an after-school activity, but your child’s likely to be very hungry after a long day at school, having used both brain power and physical energy. So preparing and having snacks is an excellent way to change from school to home mode.

We’ve got plenty of ideas for healthy snacks to replenish energy levels.

2. Bake a Snack

Making a yummy treat is a great after-school activity to switch off the day. It also allows you to chat with your child about what happened during their (and your) day.

3. Paint

The painting’s a brilliant after-school activity for your child to unwind as they follow the rhythm of their brush strokes. A set of watercolors would be a good idea as they won’t stain, and you won’t have to keep topping them up with colors.

4. Color In

This after-school activity goes hand in hand with painting, of course. The great thing about coloring is that it’s easy to get into. Again, it is a side-by-side activity that means you and your child can chat together.

5. Go for a Walk 

We’re pretty aware of the benefits of nature for our mental health. It’s free, and it’s right there, available as an after-school activity. My daughters love taking their cameras to take shots of our walks. As I write this, at the end of March, they’re building a visual collection of trees in bloom, butter-yellow daffodils, and multi-colored croci.

6. Exercise

While some children want quiet time after school, others need to let off steam. Of course, this is easily achieved if you plan to take your child to the park or a children’s playground after school.

Your child can also exercise at home if the weather’s terrible. If you have an outdoor space, then great, but it’s also easy to do this indoors.

7. Read a Story

Cuddling up on the sofa or on cushions thrown on the floor to read a story is a brilliant way to relax after school. Your child could pick a book from the bookshelf.

8. Solve some Puzzles

Like painting and coloring, puzzle solving is a calming after-school activity that allows for chatting about the day. This could be a jigsaw puzzle or any puzzle.

9. Play Games

Any game’s an excellent activity to break off from the school day! This can be silly games such as musical statues, Simon says, What’s the time, Mr. Wolf, etc.

Outside, you could play tig, hide-and-seek, or ball. Again, the possibilities are endless.

I find “Would you rather …” is a fun game to help my children to tell me about their day. You could try this question: ‘Would you rather your teacher was a chicken-sized zombie or a zombie chicken?’ You’ll be surprised at how much you learn about each scenario’s pros and cons.

10. Listen to Calming Music

My daughter loved cuddling with me when she first started school while listening to relaxing music. It didn’t take long, but it seemed to have restorative powers on her.

What is a transition word?

Transition words are words that join sentences and phrases together. Also known as linking or connecting words, transition words help us move from one idea to the next in such a way that readers can understand. Using them correctly gives our writing a sense of structure and flow, making it more coherent and enjoyable to read.

What are the essential transition words?

Check out this essential transition words list for your little ones to keep in their back pocket when writing balanced arguments, persuasive writing, stories, or instructional texts.

• Firstly
• Furthermore
• In addition to this
• Next
• According to this,
• Nearby
• Father
• Conversely

Types of transitional words or phrases

While there are many different transition words and many uses for them in a sentence, these can be divided into three different types of transitional words. These include:

1. Transition words between areas or subjects: Students might use transition words to move between topics or issues when writing longer narratives or assessments.
2. Transitions between paragraphs: If you are writing in multiple sections, you might need to use particular order transition words between paragraphs to guide the reader through the text. These transitions highlight a relationship between two points or paragraphs by summarising the previous paragraph and suggesting something of the content of the new paragraph. A transition between paragraphs can be a word or two, such as, for example, similarly.
3. Transitions within paragraphs: Similar to changes used between sections and paragraphs, changes can help readers anticipate what is coming before they read it.

What are some examples of transition words? Transition words list

Before you begin writing with your students, you might want to browse this transition words list.

However,	Therefore	In contrast,
Also	In addition to this,	Moreover,
On the other hand,	On the contrary,	As a result
Furthermore,	Hence	Again,
Finally,	Regardless	Because of this,
Comparatively	In contrast,	In comparison,
In that case,	For this reason	Last week
One morning,	Again	For example,
Nearby	Firstly	Next door,
Despite this	Secondly	Rather than
All of a sudden	Thirdly	Similarly

How do you use transition words?

Transition words and phrases are parts of a sentence that can be used between sentences and paragraphs to explain the relationship between information and thoughts. In simple terms, the words and phrases in this transition words list tell the reader what to do with the knowledge that surrounds them. They function as written signs that tell the readers how to think about, organize, and react to the ideas that your students are writing about.

Just like many other word classes, there are many ways that you can use transition words in your student’s writing. Transition words are primarily used to compare, contrast, summarise, order, and reinforce ideas in writing. Typically, you’ll find transition words at the beginning of a new sentence, but they can also be found between clauses and occasionally at the end.

In total, there are ten ways that your students will use transition words. Read on to learn more about some of these uses.

1) Using transition words to contrast:

If you are writing a balanced argument or discussing a topic from multiple angles, you might want to use transition words to contrast ideas. To use transition words to determine pictures, you must first establish your first fact or opinion. For example, in the following sentence, you will need to open your sentence with a contrasting transition word before explaining an opposing idea or option. For example:

• I had a big breakfast this morning. However, I am still hungry. – This shows the contrast between similar things or between expectation and reality.
• She wanted to go to the party on Saturday. On the other hand, she had a big test on Monday, and she should study. – This shows a comparison of two choices or two sides of an issue

Contrasting transition words and phrases, such as ‘but,’ ‘rather,’ and ‘or,’ suggest that there is evidence or a reason to believe the opposite or point out alternatives.

2) Using transition words to show consequences:

We learn in school that every action has an equal reaction. Therefore, to show cause, effect, and consequences, your student must learn to use transition words such as ‘as a result,’ ‘therefore,’ ‘then,’ and ‘consequently.’ These are time words that are used to show that, after a particular time, there was a consequence or an effect. See these examples of this use of transition words:

• As a result of the late bus, I was late for school. – Here, we have used the transitional phrase to indicate the relationship between two events.
• He was absent over 50% of the time and missed the final exam. Therefore, he failed the course. – This signals a causal relationship. Also signals a logical conclusion or reasonable inference.

3) Using transition words to suggest order

Transition words are commonly used to indicate an order or sequence. This is common in stories and instructional texts, as they suggest to the reader in what order the events occurred. For example, First, next, then, second, and then.

Check out these simple examples to see the order of transition words in action.

• Second, he walked the dog for 20 minutes.
• Third, he came home and got ready for school.
• Finally, he locked the house door and caught the bus on time.

6) Using transition words to conclude or summarise ideas.

Transitional phrases can finally be used to conclude, summarise and provide a final statement in a narrative. For example

• She had a lovely time at the wedding
• In the end, they lived happily ever after
• In conclusion, research has shown regular assessments benefit students

Similes + Metaphors

Similes and metaphors are a perfect place to start. These poetic devices are often spoken about in tandem – most likely due to their similarities. (Don’t worry, we have tips and tricks to tell them apart!)

Similes and metaphors are both poetic devices that compare two things. The difference comes with how we compare those two things.

Similes always have a comparative word.

Metaphors always directly compare two things.

Understanding the difference between metaphors and similes will come with practice. Metaphors can look like “[object a] is [object b],” making it difficult to pick them out of the text; you have to see the implicit comparison within the words, though the difference can be more clearly seen in the origin of the wording.

The word simile comes from the Latin word simulus, which means “similar to” or “like.”  

“Metaphor” comes from the Greek word metapharein. This means “to transfer.” 

Think of it this way: Metaphors transfer the essence of one object into another.

“The snow is a white blanket on the forest floor.” 

This phrase “transfers” the concept of snow into a blanket.

Using the exact phrase but as a simile, you see the comparison word used

“The snow is like a blanket on the forest floor.” 

Simile

Includes two things being compared using a comparison word to link them.

Comparative words include: like, as, so, or that.

• It was as dark as a cave.
• The ice cream was cold, like the arctic.
• The marble was smaller than an earring.

Metaphor

Will not have a comparison word to link the meanings.

• It’s raining cats and dogs.
• The classroom is a zoo right now.
• I’m a night owl.

Examples of Summer Similes and Metaphors

Summer Similes

• It’s as hot as an oven outside.
• The water was as clear as glass.
• You were sweating like a pig.
• They swam like a fish.
• Her dress was as cute as a kitten’s.
• We were as cool as a cucumber in the shade.

Summer Metaphors

• It’s a sauna outside today.
• The sun is a gift from god.
• The sun is a warm hug.

Idioms

An idiom is a phrase with a meaning other than what the original words mean; in other words, an idiom’s figurative sense is often different from the literal. However, many expressions that we use today have an origin that comes from the literal meaning of the words. See below for the origin of some of the most popular summer-themed idioms.

Social butterfly

Meaning: To be outgoing and social/to flit from one social event to the next.

Origin: Social butterfly was originally a derogatory term used to describe people who would go from social event to social event without much care about who they were interacting with. Social butterflies were seen as materialistic and disingenuous. This was in the 1800s, and since then, the phrase “Social Butterfly” has lost much of its negative connotations and is now used to describe someone outgoing, friendly, and enjoys social events.

Lead down the garden path

Meaning: To be led down (or up) the garden path by a friend means they are not being honest about what they say.

Origin: It isn’t easy to pinpoint this idiom’s exact source, though a possible explanation is from the early 1900s. Villages would marry off who they deemed the most unattractive woman by tricking the groom into marrying her while she was veiled. He would only see her face once the marriage was complete. In this scenario, the weddings were held in gardens, and the groom would be led up the garden path.

Other theories suggest that this idiom refers to someone so distracted by the garden’s beauty that they are easily fooled.

Have a green thumb

Meaning: To be good at gardening.

Origin: Algae that grows outside planting pots will stain a person’s fingers (and thumbs). Therefore, a person who always handles pots has a green thumb.

More idioms and their origins:

Spill the beans

Meaning: To reveal a secret.

Origin: The phrase arose from a method of voting in which a voter put a bean into one of several cups, indicating the candidate they chose. If the beans were spilled, then hypothetically, one may know which cup had the most beans before the voting or counting had finished, meaning they would have an idea of the winner.

Turn a blind eye

Meaning: To refuse to acknowledge that you know something important.

Origin: This came from British Admiral Horatio Nelson, blind in one eye. The story goes that a fellow admiral was trying to communicate with Nelson via flags, telling him that he should retreat. Nelson felt that he could push on. Holding the telescope to his blind eye, he pretended not to see the signals, mentioning to a fellow officer something about reserving the right to use his blind eye now and again.

Personification

Personification is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.

You can often see things like cities, countries, and natural things like seasons, trees, and rain being personified in literature. The purpose of personification is to make the description of non-human objects more vivid and to help readers understand, sympathize, or emotionally react to non-human characters or things.

You can see personification’s effects when looking at ancient gods and goddesses. Deities in ancient Greek would often be described as gods of specific inanimate objects. For example, in the old Greek tales, you hear about Zeus, the god of thunder, Eos, the goddess of dawn, and even smaller mythical creatures like nymphs (spirits of the trees), naiads (animals who took care of the springs), and much more.

These days, personification is often used in literature. A few examples of summer-themed personification can be seen below:

• The sun looked down at the people of Earth.
• The grass whispered as the wind danced through it.
• The warm weather greeted me this morning.
• The branches on the tree waved in the wind.
• The thunder engaged in a dialog with the lightning.

Hyperbole

A hyperbole is an exaggerated claim that isn’t meant to be taken literally. Instead, they emphasize solid feelings and help the reader understand the speaker’s point. Typically, they will be used in the form of humor, excitement, distress, and other strong emotions.

The word “hyperbole” comes from the ancient Greek words for “above” and “throw, “ which makes sense, as hyperboles usually describe something that is exaggerated to explain a point.

Hyperboles are often used in advertising and everyday language. Hyperboles can be a great language tool to exaggerate the benefits of a product to boost sales. Repetitive hyperbole is used in political advertisements and propaganda to give competitors a lousy reputation and increase a different person’s popularity.

Summer hyperboles

• Once summer vacation is here, I can do whatever I want!
• She got to the edge of the diving board. She was so nervous that she felt like a shaky leaf on a tree.
• They serve mountain-sized ice cream.
• I didn’t sleep all night.
• The sun was shining from the heavens.
• We spent all day in the sun.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is just as fun to use as it is to say. Onomatopoeia is when a word is used to represent a sound or an exclamation. These words will usually phonetically imitate the sound that it describes. For example, “Bang!”, “Squawk!” and “Crash!” are all examples of onomatopoeia.

Onomatopoeia can be combined with other figurative devices, such as alliteration, to create different effects. A famous example is the phrase “furrow followed free” in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In this example, the combination of the three words recreates the sound of ripples following in the wake of a speeding ship.

The same example occurs in the line “as the surf surged up the sun swept shore…” which recreates the sounds of the waves breaking on the beach from the poem “I, She, and the Sea.”

Summer-themed onomatopoeia examples

• Buzz: Bees and other insects.
• Sizzle: The sound of a barbecue.
• Splash: Jumping into water.
• Crash: The waves on the beach.

So, what do the 5 Ws mean? The five w questions are essential questions that are asked to learn about a person, event, or text. For example:

• Who is your hero?
• If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
• What’s your favorite food?
• What genre of films do you like?
• If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
• What’s your most minor famous school subject?
• Do you play a musical instrument?

These questions can help you collect crucial information about events and are essential for children to learn. Check out the simple example questions to see how the five w questions work.

• What is it about?
• What happened?
• When did it take place?
• Where did it take place?
• Why did it happen?

Examples of the5 w questions

When	When is dinner?	When did they arrive?	Where did she leave her shoes?
Where	Where did they go on holiday?	Where was the fire?	Where was the play?
What	What did he say?	What time is it?	What happened yesterday?
Why	Why did the tree fall	Why was Sarah mad at Sam?	Why are the chairs missing?
Who	Who was at the door?	Who was at the play	Who stole the car?

What is a national park?

In the United States, a national park is an area of land protected by the government to preserve its natural beauty and ecosystems. A ton of vital conservation work goes on to conserve the environment of the national parks for future generations.

The National Parks Service (NPS) preserves, conserves, protects, and educates on the U.S. national parks.

There are national parks in countries all over the world. To some extent, the push for conservation that began in the United States popularized the idea of reserving land for this purpose.

How many U.S. national parks are there?

There are 63 national parks in the United States. These sites have the name “national park” in their name.

Famous examples include Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Grand Canyon National Park.

There are also over 400 national park sites. These are different from the national parks, but the National Park Service still manages them. They can include battlefields, military parks, scenic trails, memorials, parkways, and other recreation areas.

List of U.S. National Parks

Name	Founded	State/Territory	Size (Acres)
Acadia	1919	Maine	49,071.40
American Samoa	1988	American Samoa	8,256.67
Arches	1971	Utah	76,678.98
Badlands	1978	South Dakota	242,755.94
Big Bend	1944	Texas	801,163.21
Biscayne	1980	Florida	172,971.11
Black Canyon of the Gunnison	1999	Colorado	30,779.83
Bryce Canyon	1928	Utah	35,835.08
Canyonlands	1964	Utah	337,597.83
Capitol Reef	1971	Utah	241,904.50
Carlsbad Caverns	1930	New Mexico	46,766.45
Channel Islands	1980	California	249,561.00
Congaree	2003	South Carolina	26,692.60
Crater Lake	1902	Oregon	183,224.05
Cuyahoga Valley	2000	Ohio	32,571.88
Death Valley	1994	California, Nevada	3,408,395.63
Denali	1917	Alaska	4,740,911.16
Dry Tortugas	1992	Florida	64,701.22
Everglades	1934	Florida	1,508,938.57
Gates of the Arctic	1980	Alaska	7,523,897.45
Gateway Arch	2018	Missouri	192.83
Glacier	1910	Montana	1,013,126.39
Glacier Bay	1980	Alaska	3,223,383.43
Grand Canyon	1919	Arizona	1,201,647.03
Grand Teton	1929	Wyoming	310,044.36
Great Basin	1986	Nevada	77,180.00
Great Sand	2004	Colorado	107,345.73
Great Smoky Mountains	1934	North Carolina, Tennessee	522,426.88
Guadalupe Mountains	1966	Texas	86,367.10
Haleakalā	1961	Hawaii	33,264.62
Hawai’i Volcanoes	1916	Hawaii	325,605.28
Hot Springs	1921	Arkansas	5,554.15
Indiana Dunes	2019	Indiana	15,349.08
Isle Royale	1940	Michigan	571,790.30
Joshua Tree	1994	California	795,155.85
Katmai	1980	Alaska	3,674,529.33
Kenai Fjords	1980	Alaska	669,650.05
Kings Canyon	1940	California	461,901.20
Kobuk Valley	1980	Alaska	1,750,716.16
Lake Clark	1980	Alaska	2,619,816.49
Lassen Volcanic	1916	California	106,589.02
Mammoth Cave	1941	Kentucky	54,016.29
Mesa Verde	1906	Colorado	52,485.17
Mount Rainier	1899	Washington	236,381.64
New River Gorge	2020	West Virginia	72,345.91
North Cascades	1968	Washington	504,780.94
Olympic	1938	Washington	922,649.41
Petrified Forest	1962	Arizona	221,390.21
Pinnacles	2013	California	26,685.73
Redwood	1968	California	138,999.37
Rocky Mountain	1915	Colorado	265,807.24
Saguaro	1994	Arizona	92,867.42
Sequoia	1890	California	404,062.63
Shenandoah	1935	Virginia	200,192.09
Theodore Roosevelt	1978	North Dakota	70,446.89
Virgin Islands	1956	U.S. Virgin Islands	15,052.33
Voyageurs	1975	Minnesota	218,222.35
White Sands	2019	New Mexico	146,344.31
Wind Cave	1903	South Dakota	33,970.84
Wrangell–St. Elias	1980	Alaska	8,323,146.48
Yellowstone	1872	Idaho, Montana, Wyoming	2,219,790.71
Yosemite	1890	Utah	761,747.50
Zion	1919	Utah	147,242.66

History of the U.S. National Parks

What was the first national park in the United States?

The first national park founded in the United States was Yellowstone National Park. It was established on March 1, 1872, after an expedition to collect information about the region reported back. Sketches, photographs, and paintings from this expedition captured the imagination of Congress and President Ulysses S. Grant. He quickly signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law!

Yellowstone National Park was also the first national park in the world. Its establishment encouraged other countries to enact laws protecting their landscapes from damaging human activity.

Who created the national park system?

President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Act on August 25, 1916. This created the National Park Service (NPS), which still protects our parks.

Many other presidents have made their mark on the national parks and the national park system. They have added them, expanded their scope or funding, and more.

For example, let’s take President Theodore Roosevelt. Though he enjoyed hunting for sport, he was also well-known for his love of wildlife. While he held office, he created the United States Forest Service and established many national forests, federal bird reserves, national game preserves, national monuments, and national parks.

Another notable example is President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The 32nd president was a fan of nature, so it should be no surprise that he used his executive power to improve the system. He established over ten national monuments, improved the infrastructure of the national parks, and even began tree-planting efforts to restore natural flora and fauna.

We also cannot ignore the contributions of the many conservationists –like Stephen Mather and Horace M. Albright – who guided the National Park Service and turned it into what it is today.

What is the most recent U.S. national park?

New River Gorge is the most recent U.S. national park, which is fantastic for adventurers keen on white-water rafting.

New River Gorge is found in West Virginia and was established on December 27, 2020.

U.S. National Parks by State

State or Territory	No.	Parks
Alaska	8	Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Wrangell–St. Elias
American Samoa	1	American Samoa
Arizona	3	Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Saguaro
Arkansas	1	Hot Springs
California	9	Channel Islands, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Pinnacles, Redwood, Sequoia, Yosemite
Colorado	4	Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain
Florida	3	Biscayne, Dry Tortugas, Everglades
Hawaii	2	Haleakalā, Hawai’i Volcanoes
Idaho	1	Yellowstone (also found in Wyoming and Montana)
Kentucky	1	Mammoth Cave
Indiana	1	Indiana Dunes
Maine	1	Acadia
Michigan	1	Isle Royale
Minnesota	1	Voyageurs
Missouri	1	Gateway Arch
Montana	2	Glacier, Yellowstone (also found in Wyoming, Idaho)
Nevada	2	Death Valley (also found in California), Great Basin
New Mexico	2	Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands
North Dakota	1	Theodore Roosevelt
North Carolina	1	Great Smoky Mountains (also found in Tennessee)
Ohio	1	Cuyahoga Valley
Oregon	1	Crater Lake
South Carolina	1	Congaree
South Dakota	2	Badlands, Wind Cave
Tennessee	1	Great Smoky Mountains (also found in North Carolina)
Texas	2	Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains
Utah	5	Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion
Virgin Islands	1	Virgin Islands
Virginia	1	Shenandoah
Washington	3	Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic
West Virginia	1	New River Gorge
Wyoming	2	Grand Teton, Yellowstone (also found in Idaho, Montana)

 

What is the state with the most national parks?

The state with the most national parks is California, which has nine national parks.

Hot on its heels in second place is Alaska with eight, and Utah slides into the Top 3 with five national parks.

There are tons of states with only a single national park, too!

What is the state with the fewest national parks?

It’s a 20-way tie! Several states don’t have a national park within their borders. A list of these states includes:

• Alabama
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Wisconsin

Significance of the U.S. National Parks

Why are national parks important?

You might not need any convincing regarding the importance of national parks. These beautiful, unspoiled landscapes are rich with flora and fauna you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Many parks feature rock formations or geological deposits to astound and amaze them. They’re beloved by millions of respectful visitors every year who use the parks for recreation or learning opportunities.

National parks are some of the United States’ most fabulous treasures.

But don’t take our word for it! Here’s a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt himself on the significance of national parks:

There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than Yosemite, the groves of giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of Colorado, the Canyon of Yellowstone, and the Three Tetons, and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children’s children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred.

How does the National Park Service impact the environment?

It isn’t just the national parks themselves that are important. We can’t underestimate the National Park Service’s role in preserving them for future generations. With the dangers of climate change, they are more vital than ever in protecting these natural landscapes.

Some ways the National Park Service positively impacts the environment include:

• Protecting wildlife and habitats, especially when it comes to rare or endangered species that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.
• Restoring natural waterways that are vital for natural and human uses.
• Replanting trees in forests all over the country provides more methods of capturing carbon, among other things.
• Fighting soil erosion with various sustainable methods, preventing and mitigating natural disasters like landslides and floods.
• Educating the public about the needs of the park, including how to respect nature when visiting and “leave no trace.”

10 Fun Facts about the U.S. National Parks

1. The largest national park in the United States is Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The park covers a whopping 8,323,146 acres, while the preserve clocks in at around 4,852,645. That’s over 13 million acres in total!
2. Seven of the top ten most significant national parks are found in Alaska. In addition to Wrangell-St. Elias, these include Gates of the Arctic, Denali, Katmai, Glacier Bay, Lake Clark, and Kobuk Valley.
3. The national park created after Yellowstone National Park was Mackinac National Park. This is no longer a national park, as it was returned to the state of Michigan in 1895.
4. The most visited national park isn’t Yosemite, Yellowstone, or even the Grand Canyon. It’s the Great Smoky Mountains, National Park.
5. In Sequoia National Park, you can drive through a fallen sequoia. When it fell in 1937, park rangers cut a tunnel through the log to attract visitors. Unfortunately, it’s not so great if your vehicle’s taller than 8 feet high!
6. Death Valley National Park has been the site of some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded on the planet.
7. Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the longest-known cave system in the world. It’s twice as long as the cave system in second place, Sistema Sac Actun!
8. The highest peak in any national park (and the United States in general) is found in Denali National Park. Mount McKinley stands at 20,302 feet above sea level.
9. The deepest lake in the United States is Oregon’s Crater Lake, the main feature of Crater Lake National Park.
10. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the only U.S. national park named after a person.

The degree of comparison is a term we use to describe the relational value of one thing compared to another. It’s a vital part of English grammar teaching.

How many degrees of comparison are there?

There are three main degrees of comparison – the positive degree, the comparative degree, and the excellent degree.

The positive degree isn’t a comparison, but it does tell us about the existence of a quality that someone or something has. The comparative degree is used to compare the quality of a value with another of its kind, often in another clause of a sentence. Finally, the excellent degree is the degree of comparison we use to compare the quality of something with many others.

Why are degrees of comparison necessary?

Degrees of comparison allows us to make sense of the order of things according to what adverb or adjective is used. For example, if someone is the fastest runner, we know that they beat everyone else. But if someone is a faster runner, this might mean that they are shorter than some, but not the fastest.

How do we form degrees of comparison?

Forming a degree of comparison depends on the word type and its form. Here’s a breakdown of how most degrees of comparison are created:

Adjectives

• One syllable – For one-syllable adjectives, add ‘er’ for the comparative degree and ‘est’ for the superlative degree. For example, ‘smart,’ ‘smarter,’ and ‘smartest.’
• One syllable ending in a vowel and a consonant – For these words, we need to add another consonant, then add ‘er’ or ‘est.’ For example, ‘big,’ ‘bigger,’ and ‘biggest.’
• Adjectives that are more than one syllable – for these words, we don’t add onto the end of the term to form degrees of comparison. Instead, we need to add a comment in front of the adjective. So, for example, ‘most fabulous,’ ‘least fabulous,’ ‘more fabulous,’ and ‘less fabulous.’
• Adjectives of more than one syllable that end in ‘y’ – For these words, we need to remove the ‘y’ and add ‘ier’ or ‘iest.’ For example, ‘funnier,’ ‘funniest.’
• Irregular adjectives – These words don’t fit the rules. They include ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ where the degrees of comparison are ‘better,’ ‘best,’ and ‘worse,’ and ‘worst,’ respectively.

Adverbs

• One syllable – Like adjectives, one-syllable adverbs have ‘er’ and ‘est’ added to the end. For example, ‘slow,’ ‘slower,’ and ‘slowest.’
• More than one syllable – Where and adverb has more than one syllable, we need to add a word in front. So ‘agile’ would become ‘more agile,’ ‘less agile,’ ‘most agile,’ or ‘least agile.’
• Irregular – Irregular adverbs that don’t abide by the rules include ‘well,’ which has ‘better’ and ‘best’ as their degrees of comparison.

Things to look out for

When using degrees of comparison, it’s important to remember some fundamental rules, which we’ll lay out below:

• Don’t use double comparatives and superlatives – You may be tempted to emphasize your point by adding ‘more’ or ‘most’ to a word that already has a suffix. But this would be a severe grammar error. Things like ‘longer’ and ‘longest’ are phrases where a double comparative or superlative has been used.
• If there are two things, use the comparative degree – When there are only two things to compare, you should always use the relative degree rather than the superlative degree.
• Words that can’t be compared – There are some words which degrees of comparison can’t be used for. Common examples include ‘dead’ and ‘single.’ Using degrees of comparison doesn’t make sense for these words.

A cube is a symmetrical three-dimensional shape made up of six equal squares. It is one of the simplest 3D shapes in mathematics due to its symmetry. Something that resembles a cube is often referred to as being “cubic.”

Pupils may wonder what the difference between a cube and a square is. There isn’t, as they share the symmetrical trait. However, a cube is a 3D object, whereas a square is a 2D object. Therefore, it’s best to describe a cube as being made up of squares rather than the same thing.

The next step up from this is a tesseract known as a 4D object. Much like a cube comprises six squares, a tesseract consists of eight cubes. This is a handy way of explaining to pupils that each new dimension builds on what came before.

As we’ve established already, a cube is a 3-D solid object with six square faces, and all the sides of a cube are of the same length. However, there are more unique properties that define what a cube is, which your pupils will have to know. To correctly identify a cube:

• It must have six faces, 12 edges, and eight vertices.
• It must have faces shaped like a square, making the breadth, height, and length the same.
• The angles between any two faces or surfaces must be 90°.
• The opposite planes, looks, and edges are parallel to each other.
• Each vertex in a cube meets the three faces and edges.

How to calculate the surface area of a cube

When it comes to the calculations we do with 2D shapes; we only ever work out what their area is. However, with an extra dimension comes extra calculations as 3D shapes have a surface area and volume we have to figure out.

We’ll start with how to calculate the surface area of a cube. This is a bit simpler as the process isn’t as complicated because a cube is symmetrical. The formula we need to remember when we want to calculate the surface area of a cube = six × area of one square.

As your class will remember, to work out the area of a square, we have to multiply the length of one side by two. So let’s work with this example:

What is the surface area of a cube with 4cm sides?

So first things first, we must figure out the area of one square. As we know, the sides of the square are 4cm, and we need to multiply by two to find out the area of a square; we can do the following:

4cm x 2 = 8

Next, we must put our answer into our surface area formula. This leads to the following:

8cm * 6 = 48cm²

How to calculate the volume of a cube

To calculate the volume of a cube, we must know the following formula:

Volume of cube = Length ³

Let’s use the example of a cube with a side of 3cm. Thankfully, figuring out the volume is simple as the length is whatever the side is. So with our example, all we have to do is:

Volume = 3 x 3 x 3 = 27cm²

A spelling bee is a popular competition you can hold with your students in primary school. A spelling bee is a contest/game to put spelling skills to the test. When hosting a spelling bee, students are given words they must attempt to spell correctly. This is usually in front of a moderator or impartial judge (the perfect role for teachers and teaching assistants).

This can be done individually, with each student being asked to spell the given words, or in teams for a fun, competitive streak! Typically, once a player/ student misspells a word, they can sit back down as they are disqualified. This continues until you find your winner who can spell all their terms correctly!

The origin story of why we call it a spelling ‘bee’ is unique. The ‘bee’ in ‘spelling bee’ is an alteration of a word that meant ‘the voluntary help given by neighbors toward the accomplishment of a particular task.’ This descends from the Middle-English word ‘bene.’ Before we had the term ‘spelling bee,’ we had a few other terms that sounded much more competitive such as ‘trials in spelling,’ ‘spelling combat,’ and ‘spell down.’

Why is it called a spelling bee?

The spelling bee and its name have come to us from America and first appeared in print in 1875 – that makes it a pretty old tradition! The name spelling bee is said to have originated from the Middle English word ‘bene,’ which means ‘a prayer’ or ‘a favor.’ In England, this has developed into a dialect of this word – ‘been.’ This refers to the voluntary help given by neighbors toward the accomplishment of a particular task.

This word, like many others, has developed and changed over time. By the late 1700s, the term ‘bee’ was used to describe a group gathering together to accomplish a task – words such as ‘spinning bee,’ ‘quilting bee,’ and ‘husking bee’ were pretty standard. So, as it turns out, a spelling bee is just one of the endless types of ‘bees’ you can plan. All that matters is that you and your students are coming together to achieve something!

How can I host my Spelling Bee?

Here at Twinkl, we love a fun spelling bee! They are a creative opportunity to plan a fun and interactive spelling lesson that gets everyone in the classroom excited and engaged in their spelling revision.

Putting on a spelling bee for kids can be a great way to motivate them to learn their spelling and adds fun to the process. If you want to plan and host your spelling bee, check out our range of resource packs containing everything you need for a brilliant spelling bee!