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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. _________________ people have committed suicide in Yellowstone and four outside of the park.

2. A self-defense shooting happened in 1886 when stockmen Alex Ferguson and Charles Carpenter had just had a fight about what?

3. In the army era of 1886-_________, the snow was very deep.

4. Many people enter the wild every day how?

5. An accidental shooting occurred on November 15th, 1938 when Robert Leroy 'Pud' Robinson, a thirteen year old son of the Master Mechanic of the park, was playing with a loaded .22 rifle. What happened?

Short Essay Questions

1. How many have died in the Yellowstone River? What most likely led to these deaths?

2. Describe the violent deaths in Yellowstone. What does this reveal about the wild and national parks?

3. What were the causes of the earliest Yellowstone deaths? Why is little known about these deaths?

4. What happened to Charles Kenck and Richard Dietrch? Why did this happen?

5. When did the era of drowning begin? How could this have been prevented or lessened?

6. What lessons can be drawn from all the drowning?

7. Why did Britton kill Cunningham? Should he have done this? Why or why not?

8. Why was Weber pardoned for killing Zutavern? Should he have been pardoned? Why or why not?

9. How do most drownings occur?

10. What does Whittlesey think about these early deaths? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The bison or buffalo is heavily mythologized.

Part 1) Describe this myth and how it influences visitors at Yellowstone National Park. Why does this myth exist? Does it exist with other animals, as well as bison? Why or why not?

Part 2) Besides other animals, how else do visitors see the park's plants and landscape? Why do they see it in this way?

Part 3) What are your thoughts when you hear the word park? Do you think of danger? Why or why not? How might this name, park, be misleading to many who visit Yellowstone National Park?

Essay Topic 2

Many lessons can be learned from all of these stories.

Part 1) What are four lessons that can be learned from these stories? Use information from this book to support these lessons. How are these lessons important for those in the park? How could these lessons also be important for life outside of the park?

Part 2) How have those who control the park learned from the information found in this book? How has the park changed because of events in this book? As a whole, are these good changes? Why or why not?

Part 3) How can the U.S. as a whole learn from the lessons in this book? How has the U.S. already made changes because of incidences such as those found in this book? Are these good changes? Why or why not? Would the author agree with you? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Deaths have occurred due to falling.

Part 1) Describe these deaths. Why is falling such a threat at Yellowstone? What leads people to put themselves in situations in which they could suffer a potentially deadly fall?

Part 2) How have these falls and the consequences of the falls affected Yellowstone? How does the author feel about this? Why does he feel this way? How is this sentiment echoed throughout the book?

Part 3) How do these deaths compare to other deaths mentioned and discussed in this book? How are many of the deaths connected to one other? How does the author use them to support his message to the reader?

(see the answer keys)

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