Curated OER
The Wilderness Concept: Our National Parks, History and Issues
Students examine the history of the National parks. In groups, they discuss the concepts of conservation and preservation. They discuss the use of natural resources and how some are renewable and non-renewable. To end the lesson, they...
Curated OER
People Behind the Parks
Explore U.S. geography with your class by viewing a documentary. Show a portion of the Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks," and identify the individuals responsible for keeping the parks in order. Elementary and middle schoolers...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lesson 2: Gorongosa National Park
How has Gorongosa National Park changed over time? Discover the park's rich history, dating back to primitive human times, through an interactive timeline and scientific reading. The second installment in an eight-part series explores...
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
Designing a Poster to Communicate Information: Yellowstone National Park
It's not hard to convince someone to visit the beauty of Yellowstone National Park. But there's more than meets the eye in this region! Learners watch a short historical video and conduct research before creating an advertisement for...
Curated OER
Expanding the Mission: Historical Parks
Students explore U.S. geography by viewing a documentary in class. In this national parks instructional activity, students view video clips of individual national parks and locate them using Google Earth software. Students create a...
Curated OER
This is America
Young scholars explore world geography by viewing a documentary film in class. In this national parks lesson, students view the Ken Burns documentary about the subject and identify the contributions of individuals in support of the parks...
Curated OER
Ecotourism in National Parks and Wilderness
Students develop a plan for ecotourism after researching a nearby national park or wild area.
Curated OER
Explorations in American Environmental History
Ninth graders explore the historical perspective of nature and the environment. For this American History lesson, 9th graders examine materials in a variety of formats to understand the contexts of America's concern for the environment.
TED-Ed
The Colossal Consequences of Supervolcanoes
The threat posed by super volcanoes is explored in a short video that reviews the destruction caused by Mount Tambora in 1815 and by Peru's Huaynaputina in 1600. Think it can't happen again? The narrator contends that the explosive...
National Park Service
Who Grows There?
More than 127 non-native species live in Glacier National Park in Montana and their infestations are growing! Pupils read about and gather samples of exotic plants. Participants create a master book of pressed plants and complete a...
Curated OER
An Elephant Never Forgets
Young scholars are introduced to the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa. In this natural science lesson plan, students identify the elephants by name according to the diagrams. Young scholars study the unique characteristics of...
Curated OER
Who Me?
Students examine their place in society by looking closely at themselves as well as their role in their family and community. Students also examine the origin of the National Parks system and how it contributes to National Identity.
Curated OER
Wild Horses of the Outer Banks
Learners explore animal habitats. In this cross curriculum animal survival and writing lesson, students view a website about wild horses on Shackelford Island and discuss ways in which the horses have changed to this environment. ...
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...
Curated OER
Exploring Caves
Learners explain why many caves have become National Parks. They determine that caves provide shelter from enemies, and from bad weather in the summer or the winter, and provide certain mineral resources. They discover that ancient art...
Curated OER
Public Lands: Hidden Histories
Students identify the economic, scientific, recreational, and spiritual values of public lands. They interpret First Nations quotes that demonstrate the unique relationship between First Nations and the land. Students identify important...
National Park Service
It Was a Very Good Year
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park includes whitebark pines that are over 1,200 years old, meaning they have been there since before medieval times. The second lesson of five details how to read tree rings for climate change and...
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...
Curated OER
Native Harvest
Students read Native Plants and Early Peoples and explore the plants in Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and find how the Native Americans used them. In this Native American plant and people lesson, students research two types...
Curated OER
Save Our Soil
Students read about the history of soil and complete language arts, math, social studies, and more activities about soil. In this soil lesson plan, students complete fraction problems, create a school compost pile, write about conserving...
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Hetch Hetchy: The Story of San Francisco's Water
How did San Francisco supply enough water for its residents over the last two centuries? Learn about droughts and water conservation in California, as well as specific historical events that led to the water system today. Kids read two...
Curated OER
Observation Hike
Students participate in an observational hike to study the natural surroundings. In this observational hike instructional activity, students hike through a state park and observe the plant and animal life. Students learn about...
Curated OER
Earth Day: a Look Into the World Around Us
Pupils develop an artwork made entirely out of recycled materials to exhibit during an Earth Day celebration. They participate in a lecture discussion on the history of Earth Day and environmental issues, do internet research on a...