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National Parks Activities for Students
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$12
Contents
Description
Format
Rights
National Park Unit – Snapshot of Resources:
- Engaging Anticipation Activity
- 5 Informational Texts & Questions
- National Park Scrapbook Activity
- Conservation Simulation Activity
- Conservation Advocacy Activity
- Design a National Park Exhibit Activity
- 4 Primary Source Analysis Assignments
- Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle
- Vocabulary Quiz
- Vocabulary Graphic Organizer
- Instructional Pacing Guide
- Digital Links for Google Drive™
- Answer Keys for ALL resources!
Spur your students’ curiosity about America’s national parks with the materials in this resource! This product is a comprehensive set of instructional materials for teaching a unit of study about the national parks. The anticipation activity, nonfiction close readings, primary source analysis assignments, extension projects, and vocabulary all provide opportunities for your students to practice and apply their learning. They also provide numerous ways for you to DIFFERENTIATE learning for your students, allowing you to choose the assignments that best support your students’ learning.
Extension Activities: Extension activities take your students deeper. You know your students best. Based on their interests, the extension activities provide an avenue for your students to enhance their investigation or demonstrate agency.
-
National Park Scrapbook Activity: The scrapbook project guides students to investigate a national park’s history, culture, and environment. Rather than just writing a paper, though, students will pack their bags for a knowledge adventure! Each page in the scrapbook directs students to learn about specific aspects of the national park. By the end of the project, you can be confident students will have developed a wealth of background knowledge to help them understand what is to come.
-
Design a National Park Exhibit Activity:The national park exhibit project is a great way to provide students with a hands-on learning experience! Students will study a specific aspect or feature of one national park then design and create an exhibit to educate others about this unique characteristic of the park. They will have to conduct research then develop a plan to communicate the information they learned to a “public” audience.
-
Conservation Simulation Activity:The conservation simulation sees students criticallyanalyze the controversy surrounding the damming of the Tuolumne River in the HetchHetchy Valley. Students will analyze primary source documents, adopt a stance on the issue, develop an argument in its favor then participate in a debate to resolve the issue. By the end of the simulation, students will have developed essential critical thinking skills and honed their ability to think about a topic from multiple, conflicting perspectives while drawing upon close readings of multiple nonfiction texts.
-
Conservation Controversy Research & Advocacy Letter Activity:Conservation remains a hot topic today, and conservationists still fight to preserve America’s natural wonders. Meanwhile, others fight for utilizing the land in different ways. This project will guide students to research a present-day conservation controversy, analyze all sides of the conflict, and compose an advocacy letter to an elected official to express their support for or against their chosen issue. With the scaffolds it contains, the conservation research and advocacy project is a great way for students to develop their ability to develop an argument, use strong evidence, engage in advocacy, and apply their knowledge in the real world.
Anticipation Activity: The anticipation resource will walk your students through a scenario that challenges them to decide on a best course of action about newly discovered land! Through thiscreative exercise, your students will boost their critical thinking abilities, apply logic and reasoning, and participate in discussion, all essential skills aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Nonfiction Readings: The informational texts help students build essential background knowledge about the national parks. These nonfiction texts provide information about key places, figures, and moments in the parks’ history. As students read, they will develop an understanding of the parks evolution over time while developing close reading skills that see them make inferences, use textual evidence, and identify cause and effect, among other essential literacy skills. By the time the students finish advancing through these resources, instead of wondering about the national parks, they will have developed the necessary background knowledge to begin a deeper exploration of them.
Primary Source Analysis Assignments: The story of the United States national parks’ formation is rich and complex. The materials in this resource present some of this history as it was lived in its historical moment. The primary source documents help tell the story of critical moments in the parks’ formation. Students will close read these documents in order to develop their understanding of the controversies surrounding the parks. As they do, they will make inferences, develop understanding of an author’s perspective, and use textual evidence to support their thinking. By engaging in these nonfiction texts, students will understand the parks’ rich history through a thoughtful, objective lens as they develop critical skills aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Vocabulary: Teaching vocabulary is an important part of any lesson. The vocabulary resources will help students learn, acquire, and utilize new words in their writing and speaking. The vocabulary resources will assist students in building their own vocabulary and engage them in varied activities to maximize their vocabulary’s expansion.
Instructional Resources: The following resources will help you effectively plan and implement any and all components of the unit. They are materials designed for you and include a 4-week pacing guide, standards alignment, exit ticket forms, and unit reflection.
PLEASE NOTE: This resource is NOT EDITABLE! It is intended to be comprehensive, but if you have particular needs for your classroom, please contact me! (lauren@lit-lessons.com)
- Zip File (PDF & Word Docs)
- Editable Question Stems
- 143.1 MB
- 108 Pages
- This downloadable resource supplies one single-teacher license for use in your classroom.
- Photocopying of this product is allowed only for the classroom use of the purchaser.
- Replication of this product, in whole or in part, for commercial sale or broader distribution is strictly prohibited.
- This product also may NOT be shared electronically, digitally, or otherwise in a manner that violates the Terms of Use detailed by LIT Lessons.
- For explicit information on permissions, please see the Terms of Use document included with this resource. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Contents
National Park Unit – Snapshot of Resources:
- Engaging Anticipation Activity
- 5 Informational Texts & Questions
- National Park Scrapbook Activity
- Conservation Simulation Activity
- Conservation Advocacy Activity
- Design a National Park Exhibit Activity
- 4 Primary Source Analysis Assignments
- Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle
- Vocabulary Quiz
- Vocabulary Graphic Organizer
- Instructional Pacing Guide
- Digital Links for Google Drive™
- Answer Keys for ALL resources!
Description
Spur your students’ curiosity about America’s national parks with the materials in this resource! This product is a comprehensive set of instructional materials for teaching a unit of study about the national parks. The anticipation activity, nonfiction close readings, primary source analysis assignments, extension projects, and vocabulary all provide opportunities for your students to practice and apply their learning. They also provide numerous ways for you to DIFFERENTIATE learning for your students, allowing you to choose the assignments that best support your students’ learning.
Extension Activities: Extension activities take your students deeper. You know your students best. Based on their interests, the extension activities provide an avenue for your students to enhance their investigation or demonstrate agency.
-
National Park Scrapbook Activity: The scrapbook project guides students to investigate a national park’s history, culture, and environment. Rather than just writing a paper, though, students will pack their bags for a knowledge adventure! Each page in the scrapbook directs students to learn about specific aspects of the national park. By the end of the project, you can be confident students will have developed a wealth of background knowledge to help them understand what is to come.
-
Design a National Park Exhibit Activity:The national park exhibit project is a great way to provide students with a hands-on learning experience! Students will study a specific aspect or feature of one national park then design and create an exhibit to educate others about this unique characteristic of the park. They will have to conduct research then develop a plan to communicate the information they learned to a “public” audience.
-
Conservation Simulation Activity:The conservation simulation sees students criticallyanalyze the controversy surrounding the damming of the Tuolumne River in the HetchHetchy Valley. Students will analyze primary source documents, adopt a stance on the issue, develop an argument in its favor then participate in a debate to resolve the issue. By the end of the simulation, students will have developed essential critical thinking skills and honed their ability to think about a topic from multiple, conflicting perspectives while drawing upon close readings of multiple nonfiction texts.
-
Conservation Controversy Research & Advocacy Letter Activity:Conservation remains a hot topic today, and conservationists still fight to preserve America’s natural wonders. Meanwhile, others fight for utilizing the land in different ways. This project will guide students to research a present-day conservation controversy, analyze all sides of the conflict, and compose an advocacy letter to an elected official to express their support for or against their chosen issue. With the scaffolds it contains, the conservation research and advocacy project is a great way for students to develop their ability to develop an argument, use strong evidence, engage in advocacy, and apply their knowledge in the real world.
Anticipation Activity: The anticipation resource will walk your students through a scenario that challenges them to decide on a best course of action about newly discovered land! Through thiscreative exercise, your students will boost their critical thinking abilities, apply logic and reasoning, and participate in discussion, all essential skills aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Nonfiction Readings: The informational texts help students build essential background knowledge about the national parks. These nonfiction texts provide information about key places, figures, and moments in the parks’ history. As students read, they will develop an understanding of the parks evolution over time while developing close reading skills that see them make inferences, use textual evidence, and identify cause and effect, among other essential literacy skills. By the time the students finish advancing through these resources, instead of wondering about the national parks, they will have developed the necessary background knowledge to begin a deeper exploration of them.
Primary Source Analysis Assignments: The story of the United States national parks’ formation is rich and complex. The materials in this resource present some of this history as it was lived in its historical moment. The primary source documents help tell the story of critical moments in the parks’ formation. Students will close read these documents in order to develop their understanding of the controversies surrounding the parks. As they do, they will make inferences, develop understanding of an author’s perspective, and use textual evidence to support their thinking. By engaging in these nonfiction texts, students will understand the parks’ rich history through a thoughtful, objective lens as they develop critical skills aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Vocabulary: Teaching vocabulary is an important part of any lesson. The vocabulary resources will help students learn, acquire, and utilize new words in their writing and speaking. The vocabulary resources will assist students in building their own vocabulary and engage them in varied activities to maximize their vocabulary’s expansion.
Instructional Resources: The following resources will help you effectively plan and implement any and all components of the unit. They are materials designed for you and include a 4-week pacing guide, standards alignment, exit ticket forms, and unit reflection.
PLEASE NOTE: This resource is NOT EDITABLE! It is intended to be comprehensive, but if you have particular needs for your classroom, please contact me! (lauren@lit-lessons.com)
Format
- Zip File (PDF & Word Docs)
- Editable Question Stems
- 143.1 MB
- 108 Pages
Rights
- This downloadable resource supplies one single-teacher license for use in your classroom.
- Photocopying of this product is allowed only for the classroom use of the purchaser.
- Replication of this product, in whole or in part, for commercial sale or broader distribution is strictly prohibited.
- This product also may NOT be shared electronically, digitally, or otherwise in a manner that violates the Terms of Use detailed by LIT Lessons.
- For explicit information on permissions, please see the Terms of Use document included with this resource. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I primarily teach students with disabilities and/or ELL students. Is this a good resource for me?
Yes! Each novel study contains a wealth of resources that allow you to differentiate for your students.
Can I use this for X? Does it have Y? What about Z?
If you have a specific question about the resource, its contents, or potential uses, please reach out HERE. We are happy to answer all and any questions to make sure the product is a right fit for you and your classroom context.
How are the resources standards-aligned?
Each resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for its applicable grades and subject. The specific standards for each resource are listed when you buy a full unit or in the implementation notes for certain products.
