Curated OER
Exploring our National Parks
Young scholars 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.
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...
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...
Curated OER
Personal Stories of the National Parks
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...
Curated OER
Photography and the National Park Service
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 complete a...
Curated OER
USA National Parks Quiz
In this online interactive geography quiz instructional activity, students examine the chart that includes 58 state names. Students identify the names of the national parks in the listed states in 5 minutes.
Curated OER
Places Where Women Made History
Using places can help students identify with the history-making women associated with them.
PBS
Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Activist
Scholars examine the courageous efforts made by civil rights activist, Rosa Parks. Discussion questions and a brief writing assignment follows a short film. A photograph and a silent film delve deeper into Park's history and three...
Curated OER
How Rosa Parks Sparked Change
Rosa Parks proves that one person, no matter their race, can make a difference.
Curated OER
Discovering National Parks
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...
Curated OER
The Blackfeet of Glacier National Park
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.
Curated OER
Redwood National Park Coloring Sheet
Give your youngsters a piece of history with this coloring page. Redwood National Park was established less than 50 years ago, in 1968. For your olde learners, discuss why parks are created and encourage them to research various state...
Curated OER
National Park Project
Learners develop a descriptive and informative brochure for a National Park. They focus on the history and geology of the park, environmental concerns, and visitor actions that could eliminate the environmental concerns.
Curated OER
The People and Philosophy Behind Our National Parks: A Biographical Curriculum Unit
Students discover the interaction of American Literature, politics and the environmental movement. They explore the changing concept and philosophy of wilderness, and explain the development of The National Park System. They read...
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...
National Park Service
A Peace Park
Piece together American and Canadian culture by learning about peace parks! Scholars discuss differences between Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park as a group. The newly-informed pupils answers questions about this...
Curated OER
Oral History: Park City Museum
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...
Curated OER
Black History: Famous People, Movements, Events (Crossword Puzzle)
If you want a light exercise to review 12 famous people, events, and movements in American history, with a focus on African-American history, this crossword puzzle may be useful. It requires familiarity with Rosa Parks, Martin Luther...
Curated OER
Expanding the Mission: Historical Parks
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...
Curated OER
This is America
Students 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...
Channel Islands Film
A Time Capsule of a Lost Early California Lifestyle
After viewing The Last Roundup, a documentary that examines the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately owned island to a National Park, class members adopt the point of view of Tim Vail, a member of the family that once owned the...
Channel Islands Film
Eminent Domain
After viewing the documentary The Last Roundup, a documentary about the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately own island to a National Park, class members debate the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment that permits the...
Curated OER
Explorations in American Environmental History
Ninth graders explore the historical perspective of nature and the environment. In this American History lesson, 9th graders examine materials in a variety of formats to understand the contexts of America's concern for the environment.