Give Yellowstone’s Wildlife Room
A crowd gathers along the boardwalk near Old Faithful, waiting for the famous geyser to erupt. Then someone notices a bison beyond the walkway. Phones rise, people shift for a better view, and a few visitors wonder whether they can move closer. The geyser may be the main attraction, but the animal has changed the situation.
Yellowstone National Park should make wildlife safety just as visible as geyser information in the busy Old Faithful visitor area. The park already provides safety guidance, but reminders should meet visitors where they make decisions: at parking areas, trail entrances, and places where crowds gather. Clear signs, frequent announcements, and well-supported rangers could help people enjoy an extraordinary place without treating wild animals like props for photographs.
This is not an argument for keeping visitors away from Old Faithful. It is an argument for making a visit safer for everyone—including the animals that live there.
- erupt:
- To burst out suddenly, as water and steam do from a geyser.
- guidance:
- Advice or directions that help people decide what to do.
- boundaries:
- Lines or limits that mark where one area ends and another begins.
- minimums:
- The smallest amounts or limits allowed.
- reinforce:
- To make an idea stronger or easier to remember.
- encounter:
- A meeting with someone or something, often unexpectedly.
- associate:
- To connect one thing with another in the mind.
- designated:
- Chosen or marked for a particular purpose.
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Purpose
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Structure
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What change does the author want Yellowstone to make near Old Faithful, and why?
- 2How does the opening scene prepare readers for the author's argument?
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About this opinion piece passage for Middle School
“Give Yellowstone’s Wildlife Room” is a opinion piece reading passage about Wildlife safety, written for Middle School. It takes about 6 minutes to read (860 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.