Back to Article

CRISSCROSSING THE COUNTRY: LEARN ABOUT FAMOUS PLACES (#2)

DIRECTIONS: Crisscross the United States to learn fun facts about the ten famous places below. Answer the question about each place.

TIP! You can use library books to find the answers. Or you can find the answer by typing the name of the place into the Visit Your Parks search engine at http://www.nps.gov/parks.html.

1. Homestead National Monument of America. This national monument in Nebraska commemorates the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided land to pioneers willing to settle the western territories. How much free land did the Homestead Act grant each settler?

   ______________________________________________________________

2. Andrew Johnson National Historic Site. This site in Tennessee honors the life and work of the 17th U.S. president. On what date was Johnson sworn in as president? (Include the month, day, and year.)

   _______________________________________________________________

3. Antietam National Battlefield. This national site in Maryland commemorates the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history. How many soldiers were killed or wounded in that battle on September 17, 1862?

   _________________________________________________________________

4. Nicodemus National Historic Site. The town of Nicodemus, Kansas, was established by African Americans a couple of years after the 13th Amendment ended slavery. In what year was School District #1 established?

   ________________________________________________________________

5. Arizona Memorial. The USS Arizona Memorial commemorates the Americans who lost their lives in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Early in the morning of the attack, what did the crew of the USS Ward see near the entrance to Pearl Harbor?

   _________________________________________________________________
   (Continued)

   CRISSCROSSING THE COUNTRY: LEARN ABOUT FAMOUS PLACES (#2)

   (Continued)

6. Washington Monument. This famous monument to our nation's first president took more than 35 years to build. Most of the construction was done in the last four years of work. Track the growth of the monument for those four years. Next to each year below, write the height to which the monument was built that year.
   1881: ________     1882: _________     1883: ________      1884: _________

7. Cape Hatteras National Seashore. These islands, once called the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," stretch more than 70 miles. Number the names of the places below in order of their location, from northernmost (#1) to southernmost (#5), on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
   ____ Hatteras Island     ____ Kitty Hawk             ____ Nags Head
   ____ Ocracoke Island    ____ Southern Shores

8. Ellis Island. Part of the national monument that includes the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island served for many years as the first stop for millions of immigrants to America. When a shipload of immigrants arrived, those who traveled in third class (or "steerage") passed through Ellis Island to be inspected. Passengers who traveled first or second class were not required to undergo inspection at Ellis Island. Why were those immigrants allowed to forego inspection?

   ________________________________________________________________

9. Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake, the seventh deepest lake in the world, was first discovered by white explorers in 1853. But the discovery was soon forgotten. Why were the discoverers not very interested in "Deep Blue Lake"?

   ________________________________________________________________

10. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. John Brown played an important role in the history of Harpers Ferry. What did he hope to accomplish by seizing 100,000 weapons at the U.S. Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry?

    ________________________________________________________________

© 2001 by Education World®. Education World grants teachers permission to reproduce this work sheet for educational purposes only.