Step 1- Pick a United States National Park
! Here is an abbreviated list—please refer to www.NPS.gov for a complete list of all 59 accepted Parks.
o Acadia, American Samoa, Arches, Badlands, Biscayne, Bryce Canyon, Channel Islands, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Glacier, Grand
Canyon, Grand Teton, Kings Canyon, Mesa Verde, Petrified Forest, Pinnacles, Sequoia, Shenandoah, Voyageurs, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, Yosemite, etc.
Step 2- Begin Outlining Your Park: Break It Into Five Subsections, or Days.
! Your first page is the itinerary, which is to be itemized as the Table of Contents. (See in class example.) This should include the places, objectives and other pertinent pieces of the project.
! The idea is that this is a 5-day trip, so I suggest dividing the park into 5 pieces, corners, or areas. Then, research and create a list of ‘objectives’or things to learn/see. This list will end up being the outline for the term paper.
! Your main focus needs to be on the geography (think sightseeing). Do not focus your trip around meals, shopping, or relaxing. Again, this is a term paper. Your paper needs to answer the question, ‘What do we stand facing?’In other words, think of this question as a past, present, and future thought. What is the orogeny, how was this feature formed, what is the future of your feature?
! This paper is to be YOUR OWN ORIGINAL WORK! This means that while I do expect you to thoroughly research your park using outside sources, sources must be properly cited. Under no circumstances should large sections of text be cut and paste from outside sources. The use of sources and images that are improperly cited or copy pasted will be considered plagiarism.
! Include maps, diagrams and photos. If you belong to AAA, go visit them for free maps and travel information. Be creative— postcards, park maps, and photos are always a fun way to discover a Park’s early history.
Step 3- The Project Itself
! This is worth 25% of your final grade for the class. Be thorough! The typical project is between 25-30 pages.
! Make sure you begin the project at the destination. For example, if you chose the Florida Everglades, begin day one at the Park; there is no need to waste a day on traveling.
! Formatting: your text citations should be in the form of footnotes. Remember, this is a term paper—so I expect it to be presented that way. Be sure to have your paper edited by a peer before you submit the assignment as grammar, formatting, and content will be addressed in your grade. Spelling counts!
! Fonts for the paper itself may only be size 12 Times New Roman or Arial. Do not use any other font. Fonts for the titles or section headings, however, are your choice.
