Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring our National Parks

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers utilize maps/Atlases to find key spatial information, locate U.S. National Parks, characterize the geography of a specific region, and create a National Park brochure.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National Parks

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students conduct research on the U.S. National Parks. They conduct Internet research, analyze maps, and create and solve riddles that present specific clues pertaining to a selected national park and it's location.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Personal Stories of the National Parks

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore historical information about U.S. national parks using the stories of Edward and Margaret Gehrke as a primary source document. In this United States geography, history, and literacy lesson, students view the diary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People Behind the Parks

For Teachers 4th - 7th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. Geography: The West

For Teachers K - 5th
Students explore the national parks of the American West. In this geography skills instructional activity, students watch "U.S. Geography: The West," and examine print and Internet sources about the national parks found there. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Photography and the National Park Service

For Teachers 9th - 12th
During the 1800s the United States was expanding westward; land was there for the taking.  Kids explore how some early photographers used their photography to influenced the US Congress to save areas like Mirror Lake. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Take Me To Your National Park

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners describe the purposes of national parks as a part of our American heritage. They identify and describe important national park sites in a specific state. They write a journal entry or paragraph about why national parks are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering National Parks

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students work to preserve American National Parks. In this environmental activism lesson, students research the history of the national parks and determine why they were created. Students then focus on protecting the land, using it for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Your Own National Park Geologic Tour

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars research national parks. In this geology lesson, students identify the geological features of selected national parks and create PowerPoint presentations that feature their findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Images of the Parks

For Teachers 4th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Blackfeet of Glacier National Park

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research an aspect of the Blackfeet tribe in Glacier National Park. They work together to create a presentation that is representative of their culture. They share their presentation with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Expanding the Mission: Historical Parks

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore U.S. geography by viewing a documentary in class. In this national parks lesson, students view video clips of individual national parks and locate them using Google Earth software. Students create a persuasive...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's in a Name?

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students explore the plants that grow in Glacier National Park. In this plant biology instructional activity, students invite a guest speaker to speak about plants that grow in Glacier National Park, as well as the scientific names for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Looking for a Windshield Experience

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students identify American geography by participating in a national parks activity. In this road trip lesson plan, students view the Ken Burns documentary "National Parks" and identify the importance of automobiles in the park system....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oral History: Park City Museum

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Bring U.S. history to your language arts class with this lesson. Middle schoolers complete an interview for an oral history project, and discuss the importance of oral histories - and how they embellish written accounts. They write...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rosa Parks: Mother of Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read an article from Time and react to the article based upon what they have studied about Rosa Parks. They find that even though Rosa is no longer alive, she still has an impact today. They focus on that impact she has and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Turning Parks into Islands

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students discuss the effects of isolating areas in a park to make "islands" for nature. In this nature instructional activity, students role play park rangers who are developing a new section of the park. Students work in groups to plan...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You Can Depend On me

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Canaima

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the meaning and uses of definite articles in Spanish. They read a pamphlet on the national park in Canaima, Venezuela, and discuss the similarities and differences between national parks in the U.S. and Venezuela.
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Persuasive Practice: A Mt. Rushmore Addition

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Budding authors research a US President and persuade the National Park Service to add him to Mt. Rushmore. In addition to the persuasive essay, individuals are required to develop a visual presentation using a web-based software that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the National Debt

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students relate the national debt to the economy. In this algebra instructional activity, students discuss what the national debt is, create a national budget based on priority and what the government should spend money on. They analyze...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Roam Together

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students collect information about buffalo and transform their classroom into a wildlife park. In this conservation lesson, students work in groups to research a question pertaining to buffalo populations and habitat...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People and Parks in the U.S.A.

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the National Parks in the United States. After locating specified states, 5th graders predict which states have the most National Parks. Given the population of each state, students determine the average acre per...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking a Stand: Pros and Cons of Forest Fires

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students explain the components of fire, explain how forest fires impact man and the environment, analyze data in order to recognize areas that are at risk for forest fires, make recommendations based on research.