Bryce Canyon National Park: Hoodoos Cast Their Spell (Teaching with Historic Places)

Bryce Canyon, Public Domain.

This lesson is part of the National Park Service’s Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) program.

At Bryce Canyon erosion has shaped colorful limestones, sandstones, and mudstones into a spectacular array of spires, fins, and pinnacles known as "hoodoos." These whimsically arranged hoodoos remind viewers of church steeples, Gothic spires, castle walls, animals, and even people. Formations with names such as the Wall of Windows, the Chessmen, Thor's Hammer, Tower Bridge, and the Poodle, suggest but a few of the likenesses.

A legend of the Paiute Indians, who inhabited the area for hundreds of years before the arrival of European Americans, claims the colorful hoodoos are ancient "Legend People" who were turned to stone as punishment for bad deeds. Surrounded by the beauty of southern Utah and panoramic views of three states, these hoodoos cast their spell on all who visit. The area, now protected as Bryce Canyon National Park, has been a popular tourist destination since the 1920s. Use this lesson plan to learn about the wonders of Bryce Canyon. (Click on the photo to explore the full lesson plan.)

Objective

1. To describe the geological formations that both deterred settlement and encouraged tourism in the Bryce Canyon region;
2. To examine how the Bryce Canyon region was used by Mormon settlers, scientists, government agencies, and tourists;
3. To identify the major parties who promoted the scenic qualities of Bryce Canyon and influenced its development as a tourist attraction;
4. To research the history and use of a scenic attraction in their own community.

Background

Time Period: 1870s - 1920s
Topics: The lesson could be used in U.S. history, social studies, and geography courses in units on westward expansion (especially the Mormon settlement of Utah) and the conservation movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It could also be used in a geology course.

Grade level

Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade

Subject

Literacy and Language Arts,Science,Social Studies

Lesson Duration

90 Minutes

Full Lesson Plan