Part of the Hoosier History & Indiana State Parks Elementary School Curriculum Series
Key objectives
Students will realize the long-range effects after World War II on our society, population and leisure time. They will understand the resulting growth in state parks and movements to protect the environment.
Featured state parks
Key resources
Activity 1: The End of WWII: Cause and Effects
Many changes in United States society resulted from the end of WWII. These changes had an effect on Indiana State Parks. Draw a line from the cause to its effect. Activity length: 20 minutes.
- Background
When WWII ended in 1945, 16 million servicemen and women returned to the United States looking to start a new life. To help, the United States government created the G.I. Bill. The bill provided money for college and training programs. The bill also helped with home purchases. Nearly 7.8 million young men and women went to college under the G.I. Bill and even more purchased homes. Before the G.I. Bill, both college and home ownership had been available only to the affluent. The huge increase in educated people had an effect on Indiana State Parks. More education equals higher earnings. People had money to travel and take trips to parks. Many soldiers left farms to go to war. When they returned, they went to college and got higher-paying jobs in cities. People missed nature and the outdoors, so they traveled to parks.
Soldiers returned to the United States having delayed getting married and starting families. As a result, a huge population increase called the “Baby Boom” occurred. A high number of families with young children increased the need for parks and schools. Past generations had lived on farms or had small businesses, and leaving to take vacations was difficult. The post-WWII generation had jobs that included vacation days, which allowed them the time to travel to parks. President Dwight Eisenhower, formerly the Supreme Commander in WWII, saw how the German highway system had helped quickly move soldiers and equipment. Eisenhower signed a bill to create a similar highway system in the United States. These interstates created safe, fast, paved highways for traveling to parks. Seven interstate highways cross through Indiana.
- Vocabulary, materials required, focus questions
Vocabulary
- Servicemen and women: Men and women who serve in the military in any capacity or branch.
- Interstate: A highway between two states.
- Affluent: Wealthy, having a great deal of money.
Materials required
Focus questions
- How have major events in our recent history affected our parks, either directly or indirectly?
- Step-by-step directions
- Read the Background Overview
- Complete the Cause and Effect worksheet
Activity 2: Where to build a reservoir?
After reading the background on reservoir development, students will identify the best location for a reservoir and identify the different and similar uses of a lake property and a state park. Activity length: 20 minutes.
- Background
Flooding was a common occurrence along Indiana’s many rivers and streams. After a heavy rain or snowmelt, rivers would rise out of their banks. Towns and farm fields would be destroyed and lives lost.
To alleviate this problem, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began to construct dams on Indiana’s waterways. Water behind the dam would create a lake called a reservoir. During heavy rain, the reservoir depth would increase. Gates in the dam would slowly release the extra water, preventing a flood downstream.
The lakes themselves are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The land surrounding the lakes is managed by the Indiana DNR Division of State Parks. The land is used for recreation and resource management. Activities such as hunting and timber harvesting are permitted on lake lands, but not on state park land. Monroe Lake provides flood control and recreation, and is also the drinking-water supply for the surrounding region.
A new lake can be constructed only where:
- The landscape is steep enough to hold water like a bowl.
- The bedrock stone is solid and doesn’t leak. It is siltstone or shale.
- Vocabulary, materials required, focus questions
Vocabulary
- Reservoir: A large natural or artificial lake.
- Bedrock: Solid rock underlying the soil.
- Alleviate: To make easier.
- Materials Required
Required materials
- Worksheet: Building A Lake
- Pencil/crayons
Focus questions
- What does a reservoir provide for people?
- What does a reservoir provide for wildlife?
- What makes a good location for a reservoir?
- Step-by-step directions
- Read the Background Overview
- Look at the attached landscape diagram. Draw where you would place a reservoir.
- Look at the park or lake activities diagram. Write “park”, “lake” or “both” below the various activities.
Activity 3: The Newer Parks
Students will role-play a public hearing on the issue of creating a new park. Students will take on the roles of park advocates, opponents and legislators who decide.
Activity length: 60 minutes.
- Background
After WWII, more urban, affluent and educated families were visiting parks. The demand for more parks increased. Unfortunately, fewer natural areas were available for the creation of parks. Most of Indiana was privately owned by farmers and others. Creating a new park required landowners to donate or sell their land. Some owners were willing to do this, others were not. In some instances, land was taken from unwilling owners. The unwilling owners were paid for their land, but had to leave their homes. Three parks, Harmonie, Potato Creek and Summit Lake were dedicated during this period.
Harmonie State Park, 1966
Seven-hundred acres of private farmland was donated to Indiana in 1965. This land, much of it planted with trees, became the center of Harmonie State Park. Other surrounding land was added to the park.
Potato Creek State Park, 1969
A local conservation club advocated for the creation of a park on Potato Creek starting in the 1930s. The park was founded in 1969, and man-made Wooster Lake was created in the mid-1970s.
Summit Lake State Park, 1988
Summit Lake is a man-made lake, created by a local conservancy district. The lake provided flood control and recreation. The lake construction was completed in 1980. In 1988, the lake was sold to Indiana to become a state park.
- Vocabulary, materials required, focus questions
Vocabulary
- Conservation: Protecting or restoring a natural environment.
- Advocate: Someone who supports a cause.
- Legislator: A person who makes laws.
Materials required
- Pencil/paper
- Property maps for Harmonie, Summit Lake, Potato Creek (click name of property for link)
Focus questions
- Would you give your property to be a park? Why or why not?
- Step-by-step directions
- Read the Background information. Select one of the three parks mentioned above and create a public hearing for its creation.
- You will be assigned the role of either a park advocate (someone who wants a new park) or a park opponent. Three or five students will be legislators, selected to hear arguments from both sides and make a decision.
- Write your arguments.
- Advocates: Why do you support a new park? How should the new park land be acquired? Why is creating a state park a better land use? Individuals may play roles such hiker, local tourism official or canoe-rental owner and write one reason they are in favor of the park.
- Opponents: Why are you against a new park? How would you solve the problem of a park shortage? How is the current use of the land (as a farm, for example) better for Indiana? Individuals may take roles such landowner, farmer or mayor and write one reason they are against creating a park.
- Public hearing. During this time, rules regarding time limits and procedures for questions and answers will be established. Representatives from both sides will be selected to present their opinions. Questions from the opposing opinion may be asked and answered.
- After the public hearing, the legislators will need to make a decision based on the arguments presented.
Activity 4: A Return to the Environment
After reading the background on the environmental movement, students will select a state-endangered species in their county and develop a presentation. Activity length: Variable depending on individual project choice.
- Background
The late 1960s was a time of increased awareness about the environment. The Cuyahoga River caught fire and burned in 1969 due to industrial chemicals being dumped into it. Water and air pollution were a growing problem. Many plants and animals were disappearing due to uncontrolled development.The environmental movement resulted in new laws that protected water, air, plants and animals.
New attitudes about the environment were seen in Indiana. The Nature Preserve Act of 1967 gave permanent protection to natural areas. Full-time park interpreters were hired to educate people about a park’s natural and historic resources.
With an understanding of the environment came the responsibility to care for it. At state parks, ecosystems were managed to keep them healthy. Actions included:
- Removing deer through scheduled hunts. Without predators, deer populations at some parks were too high. Deer were eating much of the plant life in parks.
- Removing invasive plant species. Many plants found in our parks were not always found in Indiana. Some were planted, some were seeds that hitchhiked on trains, cars or shoes. All of them grew rapidly and crowded out our Indiana species.
- Fires. Many ecosystems improve with burning. Fire removes invasive plant species, and allows sunlight to reach the ground.
Today other programs help purchase new land for protection. One is Indiana Heritage Trust, which raises money by selling Environmental License Plates. Next time you’re taking a trip, count the number of Environmental License Plates you see. Each one helps Indiana’s environment.
- Vocabulary, materials required, focus questions
Vocabulary
- Industrial: Related to factories or manufacturing.
- Ecosystem: Plants and animals found in a particular location.
- Predator: An animal that eats another.
Activity summary
Students will select a state-endangered species in their home county and present a project on that species.
Materials required
- Variable, depending on individual project choice.
Focus questions
- Why are environmental laws important?
- What are some environmental problems we have today?
- What are some things you can do to help the environment?
- Why are some plants and animals at risk for becoming endangered species
- Step-by-step directions
- Read the Background information for this activity.
- Visit the Endangered Plant and Animal Species web page and click on the county you live in.
- Select a state-endangered species that lives in your county. This will be noted with an “SE” in the “State” column.
- Create a project dealing with this plant or animal. Select one of the following presentation styles.
- A brief report including images of your selected plant or animal.
- A three-dimensional art project of your plant or animal.
- An interview with that plant or animal (you are the species, so give your interview questions to a friend or teacher). Include costuming.
- A poem or rap song about your plant or animal.
- Include an image.
- The project must include the following:
- A description of the plant or animal.
- A list of the type of habitats which your species is found.
- Reasons the species is listed as state endangered (i.e., reasons why its population is declining)
- What, if anything, is being done to help
