Mount Whitney

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mount-whitney

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How high is Mount Whitney?14,505 feet (4,421 meters)
2. What is the scientific name?N/A (Geographical Feature)
3. What is the location?Sierra Nevada mountain range, California, USA
4. Why is Mount Whitney called Tumanguya?The Paiute people call it Tumanguya, and it is considered sacred to them.
5. How do people climb Mount Whitney?Hikers use the Mount Whitney Trail that starts at Whitney Portal. It is a tough hike and requires a permit that is often awarded by lottery.

Sierra Nevada Batholith: A large underground body of molten rock that cooled and solidified, forming the granite of the Sierra Nevada.
Glacial Erosion: The process by which glaciers carve and shape the land through the movement of ice and debris.
Topographic Isolation: A measure of how far one must travel horizontally to reach higher ground.
Topographic Prominence: The height of a mountain's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling it and containing no higher summit.