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🏕️ Unit: Camping and the outdoors

Yellowstone: Our First National Park & Camping Rules

Learn essential safety rules and facts from the world's first national park.

⏱️ Estimated time: 12 mins

📋 How to use this lesson

🧑‍🏫 For the teacher:

Have students read the article independently within a 12-minute time window.
Review the answers together by asking students to locate the evidence sentence for each rule.

🎒 For the learner:

First, read the travel article and check the definitions for any new words.
Next, complete all eight questions below to see how well you remember the park rules.

Travel Website Feature Topic: Camping & Wildlife

Visiting Yellowstone

A scenic natural landscape of Yellowstone National Park showing pine trees, distant mountains, a clear meadow, and a nea

Yellowstone is a large national park in the United States. In 1872, it became the first national park in the world. Today, many people travel there to see wild animals and camp under the stars.

When you visit, you must follow some important park rules. Always keep at least 100 yards (91 metres) from bears and wolves. You must also keep at least 25 yards (23 metres) from other animals such as bison and elk.

At night, campers keep all food in a food locker or a hard bear-resistant box. Campers also sleep at least 100 yards (91 metres) from where they cook and eat.

📖 Words to know

national park

A special natural area protected by the government for wild animals and plants.

yard / metre

Units used to measure distance (100 yards is about 91 metres).

bison

A large, heavy wild animal with horns and shaggy brown fur.

elk

A very large kind of deer with big, branch-like horns called antlers.

food locker

A strong metal outdoor cabinet with a latch to keep food away from wild animals.

bear-resistant box

A tough container made of hard plastic or steel that bears cannot open or break.

Teacher's sentence model

"We were sitting by the campfire when a ranger walked into the campsite."

Why this works: Use this sentence pattern when an everyday event was already happening in camp, and then another quick action took place. Try saying what you were doing when you saw a wild animal!

PRACTICE QUESTIONS (8 TASKS)

True or False?

Yellowstone became the first national park in the world in the year 1872.

____ True ____ False

Check your work: Answer: True. Evidence: "In 1872, it became the first national park in the world." Why: The passage tells us the exact year Yellowstone was established as the world's first national park.

True or False?

Campers are allowed to put their sleeping tent right next to the place where they cook.

____ True ____ False

Check your work: Answer: False. Evidence: "Campers also sleep at least 100 yards (91 metres) from where they cook and eat." Why: The park rules require campers to sleep far away from their cooking place so smells do not draw animals to their beds.

Choose the correct answer:

How far must you stay from bears and wolves when visiting Yellowstone?

____ a. At least 10 yards (9 metres) ____ b. At least 25 yards (23 metres) ____ c. At least 100 yards (91 metres) ____ d. At least 200 yards (182 metres)

Check your work: Answer: c. Evidence: "Always keep at least 100 yards (91 metres) from bears and wolves." Why: Dangerous predators need a large safety buffer of at least 100 yards.

Choose the correct answer:

What is the safe distance to keep from other animals like bison and elk?

____ a. At least 10 yards (9 metres) ____ b. At least 25 yards (23 metres) ____ c. At least 50 yards (45 metres) ____ d. At least 100 yards (91 metres)

Check your work: Answer: b. Evidence: "You must also keep at least 25 yards (23 metres) from other animals such as bison and elk." Why: The park rule sets a minimum distance of 25 yards for non-predator wildlife.

Choose the correct answer:

Where must campers store their food during the night?

____ a. In an open bag on top of the picnic table ____ b. Inside their sleeping bag in the tent ____ c. In a food locker or a hard bear-resistant box ____ d. Under a tree next to the cooking fire

Check your work: Answer: c. Evidence: "At night, campers keep all food in a food locker or a hard bear-resistant box." Why: Storing food in secure, locked containers keeps wild bears from smelling and getting food.

Match the animal or place with its required safe distance:

Choose either 25 yards (23 m) or 100 yards (91 m) for each situation.

Situation / Animal

25 yards (23 m)

100 yards (91 m)

Bears and wolves

____ 25 yards (23 m) ____ 100 yards (91 m)

Bison and elk

____ 25 yards (23 m) ____ 100 yards (91 m)

Campers' sleeping area from cooking area

____ 25 yards (23 m) ____ 100 yards (91 m)

Check your work: Answer: Bears/wolves = 100 yards; Bison/elk = 25 yards; Sleeping area = 100 yards. Evidence: "Always keep at least 100 yards (91 metres) from bears and wolves... at least 25 yards (23 metres) from other animals... sleep at least 100 yards (91 metres) from where they cook and eat." Why: These measurements match the specific park safety distances.

Fill in the blank:

Yellowstone is a large national park located in the ___

____ (Type the country name...)

Check your work: Answer: United States. Evidence: "Yellowstone is a large national park in the United States." Why: The opening sentence explicitly identifies the United States as the country where Yellowstone is located.

Type the number:

How many yards away from their cooking place must campers sleep?

____ (e.g. 50) yards

Check your work: Answer: 100. Evidence: "Campers also sleep at least 100 yards (91 metres) from where they cook and eat." Why: Campers must keep 100 yards of space between their tents and food cooking areas for bear safety.

Reading: Yellowstone National Park Rules

Yellowstone: Our First National Park & Camping Rules

📋 How to use this lesson

Visiting Yellowstone

📖 Words to know

True or False?

True or False?

Choose the correct answer:

Choose the correct answer:

Choose the correct answer:

Match the animal or place with its required safe distance:

Fill in the blank:

Type the number:

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