Celebrate Earth Day with 4 National Parks Activities

Celebrate Earth Day with 4 National Parks Activities. A focus on National Parks will help make it easier to fathom just how vast and awesome our planet is and help students understand the importance of caring for it. With these 4 engaging National Parks activities, you can spark students’ curiosity and motivate them to make small changes to protect and preserve Earth’s beauty and majesty, just as forward-thinking minds did over 100 years ago.

1 | Create a National Parks Scrapbook

Guide students through a National Parks scrapbook project. Rather than just writing a paper, though, students will pack their bags for a knowledge adventure! Create a scrapbook that captures a park’s history, culture, and environment. Through the scrapbook, students learn about specific aspects of the National Park. Then, compile all the scrapbook pages from students or groups to create a comprehensive guide to America’s National Parks. Share the book to get students talking, engage them in learning about other parks, and expand their knowledge about these magical places.

2 | Design a National Park Exhibit

The National Park exhibit project is a great way to provide students with a hands-on learning experience! Students study a specific aspect or feature of one National Park. Then, they design and create an exhibit to educate others about this unique characteristic of the park. After students or groups design and create their exhibit, share their work with a National Parks fair. The fair is a wonderful inter-disciplinary celebration of their exhibits that will also get all the students in the class up and engaged.

3 | Conservation Simulation Activity

The conservation simulation has students think critically and analyze the controversy surrounding the damming of the Tuolumne River in the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Select 3-5 documents from the time period at DocsTeach.org. For example, The Raker Bill helps build background knowledge. The following list are great sources perfect for middle grades students:

• “Dam Hetch Hetcy!” by John Muir
• San Francisco Examiner Petition to the Senate of the United States Supporting the Raker Bill
• Protest Against Diversion of Waters from Lands Requiring Irrigation from Citizens of Merced and Stanislaus Counties, California, May 30, 1913
• Resolution from the Augusta, Hallowell, and Gardner Central Labor Union of Maine Supporting the Raker Bill
• House Committee on the Public Lands, Hetch Hetchy Dam Site, 63rd Cong., 1st sess. (25–28 June 1913; 7 July 1913), (Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1913)
• Telegram from the Executive Board of the San Francisco District of the California Federation of Women’s Clubs Supporting the Raker Bill

Once chosen, students will analyze those primary source documents. Next, encourage students to adopt a stance on the issue. After they select a stance, have them develop an argument in its favor in order participate in a debate to resolve the issue. By the end of the simulation, students will have completed close readings of multiple nonfiction texts, developed critical thinking skills, honed their ability to think about a topic from multiple, conflicting perspectives, and developed a persuasive appeal.

4 | Watch Episode(s) of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea by Ken Burns

Ken Burns’ series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, traces the splendor and history of the National Parks. Just shy of two hours, the series is chockfull of interesting facts and information. Whether you watch just one episode or all six, they are a great way to celebrate the National Parks, conservation efforts, and Earth Day all in one.

Are you interested in all these activities above and more? Celebrate Earth Day with 4 National Parks Activities and more with the National Parks Unit. It has everything you need to create a meaningful experience for your students. The bundle includes a thought-provoking anticipation activity, informational texts, and the above mentioned activities to help students deeply explore our incredible, breathtaking planet.