What is the geography of Kenai Fjords National Park?

Kenai Fjords' coastline is varied and extreme.

Geographical place names emanate from different sources and can be categorized as historical, cultural and scientific.

Geography

Science

Language Arts

Describe the geographic concepts of location, place, human environment, relationships and region.

Identify and locate geographical features.

Create a key to distinguish different geographical features on a map.

Express ideas through different forms (writing, speaking, visual arts).

Classify place names according to their origin.

Write original stories.

Activity One:
Mapping Kenai Fjords: Coastal Geography

Identify and map the geographical features of Kenai Fjords.

What's in a name?

Brainstorm, read/research to create a chart of place names, their origins and their classifications.

What is the cultural history of Kenai Fjords National Park?

Cultures survive and sustain themselves by adapting to the environment.

A people's culture and beliefs are reflected in their stories.

People create stories to understand and explain their world. Stories transmit a people's culture to succeeding generations.

Geography

Science

Language Arts

Participate in group discussions.

Express ideas through different forms (writing, speaking, visual arts).

Explore the relationship between a region's geography and its inhabitants.

Revise, edit and publish writing.

Read legends and myths.

Prepare and present a story to a particular audience.

Activity Two:
A Day in the Life of the People of Kenai Fjords

Examine the daily life activities of the ancient Chugach culture to create a class diorama.

Tell me a story:

Rewrite and illustrate a traditional Chugach story in picture book format.

Write a legend or myth appropriate to your area.

Why would you go to Kenai Fjords?

National Parks preserve and protect different kinds of ecosystems.

National Parks protect a wide variety of wildlife.

National Parks preserve and foster appreciation of the cultural resources in their custody and demonstrate respect for the peoples traditionally associated with those resources.

Cultural elements-including language, literature, the arts, customs, and belief systems-reflect the ideas of a specific time and place.

Cultural elements influence human interaction.

Geography

Science

Language Arts

Participate in group discussions.

Express ideas through different forms (writing, speaking, visual arts).

Use technology to observe, analyze, interpret and draw conclusions.

Revise, edit and publish writing.

Read/research to gather information and gain knowledge.

Use facts to form conclusions.

Read to gain knowledge.

Compare and contrast data to form conclusions.

Activity Three:
Ecosystems and Cultures

A Sensory Delight: Brainstorm descriptive and sensory words.

Create a visual collage.

Write a descriptive, simple, sensory poem-diamante or cinquain.

Kenai's Wildlife: Read the online story "Kenai the Kid."

Explore Kenai Fjords National Park online.

List animals living and protected in Kenai Fjords.

Create and share animal riddles.

Discovering a Culture:

Brainstorm components that make up a culture.

Research, compare and contrast Alaska Native cultures.

What is a National Park and what is the purpose of Kenai Fjords National Park?

National Parks preserve and protect the beauty, culture, wildlife, and biomes within the park's boundaries.

Kenai Fjords National Park was established out of a need to preserve and protect the unique characteristics of the land.

Kenai Fjords National Park is comprised of a specific number of acres.

Social Studies

History

Language Arts

Participate in group discussions and debate.

Gather information and group it into categories.

Revise, edit and publish writing.

Use technology to observe, analyze, interpret and draw conclusions.

Use current events to analyze and debate.

Use scale to compare size.

Approximate size through rounding off.

Activity Four:
National Parks and Kenai Fjords: Why, How and Where

Categorize U.S. National Parks.

Create a timeline of national parks.

Kenai Fjords National Park:

Create a timeline of Kenai Fjords.

Debate the future of Kenai Fjords and our National Parks.

Put National Parks in Perspective:

Research national parks and their sizes.

Create a grid to illustrate the comparison.

How do you plan a trip to Kenai Fjords - then and now?

Why and how people traveled to Kenai Fjords in the past.

Why and how people travel to Kenai Fjords today.

Geography

History

Language Arts

Research letters, diaries, maps, documents, books and other media.

Use reliable sources to retrieve relevant information.

Collaborate on a project.

Research and debate.

Write a position paper.

Activity Five:
Planning a Trip to Kenai Fjords: Then and Now

Read/research to:

Write letters or poetry postcards.

Write a travel brochure.

Write a dialogue for a tour director.

Plan a Trip to Kenai Fjords: 2100

Research and debate issues in conservation.

Plan a tour.

What is a nature journal?

Nature journals use words and sketches to describe flora, fauna and the sensations of the wilderness through a regular record of observations.

Nature journals convey feelings and thoughts through prose or poetry, drawings, paintings, photographs or recordings and can preserve the feel of a natural area over time.

Geography

Science

Language Arts

Participate in group brainstorm and discussion to define terms.

Express ideas through different forms (writing, speaking, visual arts).

Refine concepts based on example.

Activity Six:
Nature Journal: Rockwell Kent at Kenai

Define nature journal.

Examine Rockwell Kent as a nature journalist.

Write descriptive word pictures for Kenai Fjords photos.

How is Rockwell Kent's journal a legacy?

Personal journals are a legacy of the past they capture through feelings, thoughts and descriptions of time and place.

Personal journals preserve an historical perspective.

Geography

Science

Language Arts

Participate in group brainstorm and discussion to define terms.

Express ideas through different forms (writing, speaking, visual arts).

Analyze readings as they relate to the natural world, lifestyles of the past and historical perspective.

Activity Seven:
Rockwell Kent's Legacy

Define "legacy."

Examine Rockwell Kent's legacy of the natural world, lifestyles of the past and perspective on historical events.

Determine historical events of Kent's time and select and compare comparable current events.

How can you create a legacy using your own nature journal?

Nature journals use words and sketches to describe flora, fauna and the sensations of the wilderness.

Nature journals convey feelings and thoughts through descriptions and can preserve the "feel" of a natural area across time.

Geography

Science

Language Arts

Express ideas through different forms (writing, speaking, visual arts).

Recognize the concepts used in studying environments.

Recognize the diversity and productivity of different regional environments.

Refine artistic skills and develop self-discipline through rehearsal, practice and revision.

Use communications technology to exchange ideas and information.

Final Activity:
Creating a Legacy

Review and discuss samples from the nature journals kept by Rockwell Kent and his son.

Derive and describe attributes of a nature journal.

Set up a plan for beginning a nature journal.

Create a nature journal in traditional format.

Create and present a variety of nature journals and explorations in a variety of formats.