Format
1.) The program begins with a brief introduction to the ranger and the format of the distance learning program.
2.) The ranger will introduce the national park arrowhead. As each different parts of the arrowhead are discussed, the ranger will ask students questions and share information. Students will also learn a chant and motion to help them remember the meaning of the different parts.
3.)The ranger will transition to the postcard activity and give directions to the students using PowerPoint slides. Students will receive either a picture (front of postcard) or a letter (back of postcard). Once the ranger has given the directions, the students are to get out of their seats to find their partners by matching the postcard image to the letters using key words from the letter and elements of the image. When students have found their postcard partners they are find a place to sit together. They then read the letter, examine the image, and practice completing the sentence frame* using the information from the image and letter while they wait for the other students to find their partners.
4.)The ranger will introduce the To Build or Not to Build activity with PowerPoint slides and props. At the beginning of this activity the ranger shares background information about a possible new auditorium. The ranger then introduces four ranger jobs (visitor service, resources, maintenance, and law enforcement). After providing a brief description of the visitor service ranger job, the presenting ranger will share two comments that the visitor service ranger might make regarding the idea of building a new campground. Students will be asked to discuss each comment with a partner and determine if it supports or does not support the idea of building a new auditorium. The ranger will then call on the students to raise their hands to show if they think each comment supports or does not support the idea of building a new auditorium and record the number of hands for each position. The ranger repeats the process with each ranger job. At the conclusion, the students will vote to decide if a new auditorium should be built or not.
5.)The ranger will conclude Find Your Park lesson. This will include directions for every fourth grade student on how to get a free national park pass.
Objectives
• Students will be able to describe what each of the components of the national park arrowhead mean.
• Students will match written descriptions and pictures of national parks from different regions of the United States.
• Students will identify different probable human activities based on descriptions of national parks.
• Students will collaborate in a critical thinking activity to determine the pros and cons of building a new auditorium and make a recommendation about whether to build it.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
From the Fourth Grade National Geography Standards (National Geographic)
The student knows and understands:
The Concept of Place
1. Places are locations having distinctive characteristics that give them meaning and distinguish them from other locations
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Describe the distinguishing characteristics and meanings of several different places, as exemplified by being able to
• Identify and describe categories of characteristics that define a loca¬tion as a place (e.g., weather characteristics, population density, ar¬chitectural styles, landforms, vegetation, cultures, and types of industry).
• Describe how certain places may have meanings that distinguish them from other places (e.g., cemetery, historical park or battlefield, religious shrines or temples, state or national parks).
The Characteristics of Places
2. Places have physical and human characteristics
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Describe and compare the physical characteristics of places at a variety of scales, local to global, as exemplified by being able to
• Describe and compare the physical environments and landforms of different places in the world (e.g., mountains, islands, valleys or canyons, mesas).