edHelper.com
National Parks and Monuments
 Devils Postpile National Monument

Devils Postpile National Monument

A Short Reader

Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.78

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    basalt, jams, snowfall, natural, shuttle, lava, posts, buses, however, part, rocks, unique, lined, against, nearby, total
     content words:    Devils* Postpile, Yosemite National Park, Devils Postpile National Monument, Rainbow Falls, Devils Postpile, Sierra Nevada Mountains, San Joaquin River, US Board, Geographic Names

Print Devils Postpile National Monument
     Print Devils Postpile National Monument  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)

Quickly Print - PDF format
     Quickly Print: PDF (2 columns per page)
     Quickly Print: PDF (full page)

Quickly Print - HTML format
     Quickly Print: HTML

Proofreading Activity
     Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on Devils Postpile National Monument
     Leave your feedback on Devils Postpile National Monument  (use this link if you found an error in the story)

Devils Postpile National Monument
By Meg Leonard 		  
1     Devils* Postpile is in California. It used to be part of Yosemite National Park. In 1911, it became its own national monument. It is called Devils Postpile National Monument. The Postpile area is unique. It looks like many fence posts lined up together. That is how this area got its name. However, the posts are made of basalt. There is a beautiful waterfall. It is called Rainbow Falls. It is 2 miles away from the Postpile formation. Its name comes from the rainbows that appear in the mist of the falls.
 
2     The Postpiles are made from basalt. This is a type of rock that forms from a volcano. It forms from lava that cools quickly. As the lava cools, it shrinks. This makes it crack. When the cracks form vertically, the rocks look like columns. They are 60 feet high. They have unusual symmetry.
 
3     Devils Postpile is in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Its annual snowfall total is 400 inches! Many people come to ski and snowshoe. Because of the extreme weather, the park closes during the winter. You can hike here. There are three national parks in the area. Anglers can come to fish in the San Joaquin River and nearby lakes and streams. There are lots of ways to enjoy nature.

Paragraphs 4 to 5:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable
Copyright © 2009 edHelper