The Secret History of Lake Pend Oreille
July 14
Dear Diary,
Today was the most surprising day of summer camp so far. We are staying at Farragut State Park, right on the edge of Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho. When my parents dropped me off, all I saw were towering pine trees, dusty hiking trails, and a lake so massive it looks like a blue ocean trapped between the mountains. I figured this place had always been a quiet wilderness. I was completely wrong.
During our afternoon hike, our camp counselor, Sarah, led us to a large brick building that turned out to be the park’s visitor center and museum. She told us to look around and find one mind-blowing fact. It didn't take long. As soon as I walked inside, I saw old black-and-white photographs of thousands of men in sailor uniforms marching right where our cabins are standing today!
I learned that during World War II, this peaceful forest was actually the Farragut Naval Training Station. It was the second-largest naval training base in the whole world! Over 293,000 sailors trained here between 1942 and 1946. I asked Sarah how they could train Navy sailors in Idaho, since our state is totally landlocked and hundreds of miles away from the Pacific Ocean.
- Landlocked:
- Entirely surrounded by land, having no direct access to the ocean.
- Sonar:
- A technology that uses sound waves to find and track objects underwater.
- Acoustic:
- Relating to sound or the sense of hearing.
- Station:
- A military base or headquarters where people are trained or positioned.
Educational example text · Diary Entry
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- 1Where is Maya's summer camp located?
- 2What did Maya initially believe about the park when she first arrived?
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About this diary entry passage for Upper Elementary
“The Secret History of Lake Pend Oreille” is a diary entry reading passage about History of Farragut State Park, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (374 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.