DocsTeach
Environmental Case Study: Hetch Hetchy Valley
What is more important: building a new school or preserving a nature reserve? Keeping a natural area clean or providing clean drinking water to a city of millions? Young scholars weigh these questions—almost literally—using an...
American Museum of Natural History
Theodore Roosevelt's Outdoor Adventures
Time for a virtual sightseeing trip. Pupils explore the Grand Canyon, Devil's Tower, and Yosemite Valley in an interactive online experience. They answer questions about the organisms in each location and draw conclusions based on their...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Conservation, Preservation, and the National Parks
Going green? Scholars investigate the creation of the US National Park program. Through diary entries as well as expert testimony, they synthesize information and analyze the need for conservation and preservation. Finally, they display...
K12 Reader
What Glaciers Leave Behind
Glaciers may seem distant and stationary, but they are huge deposits of moving ice that have made changes to the earth's surface. Your pupils can learn about the different types of impressions left by glaciers by reading the short...
Library of Congress
The Conservation Movement at a Crossroads: The Hetch Hetchy Controversy
Should wilderness areas be preserved or managed? Class members examine primary source documents, including lecture notes, articles, essays and congressional records to better understand the Hetch Hetchy controversy that created a split...
Curated OER
You Can Depend On me
Discover the natural beauty of California. With a conservation bent, this activity delves into some of the attributes that make this state unique. Learners discuss Yosemite and the forest habitat. They focus on the things plants and...
Curated OER
Learning Landscapes
Fifth graders analyze a landscape depicting Yosemite during the time of the Wild West. They compare their perceptions of the West from film and television to this representation. They observe the use of scale and color to depict size and...
Curated OER
Yosemite National Park, California (ESL Lesson)
A series of photographs from Yosemite National Park in California adorn the slides in this ESL presentation. Though the only text is on the title slide, the pictures provide a good opportunity for your English learners to practice their...
Curated OER
Images of the Parks
Students explore U.S. geography by completing a research project about the National Parks. In this scenery image analysis lesson, students identify the different national parks in our country and observe paintings and images by famous...
Curated OER
Silly Bear Story
In this reading comprehension worksheet, learners will read and evaluate a passage about bears and answer five true or false questions and determine whether the passage is fact or fiction. Students will then evaluate the passage and...
Curated OER
Stewardship of Yosemite National Park
Middle schoolers devise a plan that would be true to John Muir's spirit of stewardship toward Yosemite. They analyze a core map to determine the original plan and usage of the park and compare the original plan to a current park map.
Curated OER
Create a Brochure
Students explore the animals, plants and features of Yosemite in order to create a brochure. They, in groups, are assigned different areas of the park to create brochures for. They access websites imbedded in this plan.
Curated OER
Environment: John Muir Day
Students observe John Muir Day by visiting Websites containing fact sheets, excepted writings, as well as songs, pictures, and educational sources. They use April 21 as a day to reflect on Muir's accomplishment and environmental legacy....
Curated OER
John Muir in Yosemite
Learners explore different ways to value the environment and participate in a simulation of a historical debate to protect Yosemite as a National Park. They are assigned various roles in the debate in which they must research and present...
Curated OER
Saving the Big Trees
Students use a core map to obtain information about the Big Trees for measuring and graphing. In addition, students judge whether the Big Trees should be preserved or conserved.
Curated OER
Build a Journal
Students prepare for field journaling at Yosemite Institute. They create and decorate their Institute journal giving them both a place to journal and ownership of it.
Curated OER
Pre-Trip Readiness
Students demonstrate an understanding of one of the forces, floods, affecting Yosemite. After watching a video of a 1997 flood of the valley, students go to a website imbedded in this plan and answer questions.
Curated OER
Geology of Yosemite
Students are shown slides of Yosemite and explore how the valley was formed by performing an experiment. Instructions on how to set up the lab are included. They can be assessed orally or by writing a report on the outcome of the lab.
Curated OER
Creating Journals
Students take a virtual tour of Yosemite and selects photographs to use in their journal.
Curated OER
Illustrated Senses Poem
Students choose a natural object found in Yosemite and writes a poem using their senses.
Curated OER
Life Science Terms
Students work with the teacher as they go through the vocabulary. At the end of the lesson they are asked to define the terms without their notes.
Curated OER
Postcard to Self
Young scholars, during their free time near the end of their journey they are, reflect on their trip.
Curated OER
Mapping It Out: A Post-Trip Lesson
Students make a rough map of Yosemite and add elevations to the map. They are encouraged to bring photos from the trip and add them to their map.