national parks research project 5th grade

National Parks Lesson Plan: Research a National Park

This lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-12, invites students to explore BrainPOP resources to learn about America’s National Parks, from the history of why they were established to how they provide shelter for endangered species, showcase natural wonders , and more.  Then students will select one National Park and and conduct further research to present to the group.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:.

• Brainstorm what they know about National Parks.
• Research one National Park featured in the movie or not.
• Use Make-a-Map to identify National Parks and their features.
• Share research with small group, through a visual presentation, such as Make-a-Movie
• Internet access for BrainPOP
• Interactive whiteboard
• Class set of Web Graphic Organizer (alternative to Make-a-Map)

Preparation:

If students will be working offline, make copies of the Web Graphic Organizer .  

Lesson Procedure:

• Ask students to share what they know about the National Parks. This could be anything from the role the Parks play protecting wildlife to the natural wonders they showcase. Jot their responses on the board.
• After students brainstorm, explain that today they will watch a movie about the National Parks that describes what they are, the role they play, and more.
• Show the movie National Parks on the whiteboard or other large display to the whole class.
• Next, have students open Make-a-Map from the National Parks topic page. Instruct them to choose the Structure Map template or make their own. If students are not using individual computers, distribute the Web Graphic Organizer to complete offline.
• Now invite students to watch the movie again on their own devices. As they do, have them make note on their concept maps of National Parks mentioned in the movie and features that make them special or unique. For example, Bryce Canyon’s rock formations and Carlsbad Canyons’ mineral formations. Suggest they pause the movie as they take notes. Remind them that they can include images and movie clips in their organizer (if they’re using Make-a-Map).
• Divide the class into small groups of four or five. Within each group, have students each select a different National Park to research. Students may use approved web sites as well as offline resources to conduct their research. Encourage them to research facts such as when and why the park was established, where it’s located, its natural features, etc.
• Then, have students use their research to create a BrainPOP-style movie about their National Park using Make-a-Movie .
• Finally, have students present to their groups.

Extension Activities:

• Have students test their knowledge of natural resources by playing Sortify: Natural Resources .
• Divide the class into groups of six. Assign each person in the group a different National Parks Related Reading to read. Then have them share what they learned with the rest of the group

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National Parks Research Project

Students will learn about the history of the National Parks Service and the different biomes and environments within the United States. Then, they will choose a National Park to research and present a project on.

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National Parks Project Based Learning Activities

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Students LOVE real-life learning, and this packet of Visit a National Parks Project Based Learning activities will have them asking for more units just like it! Students will have the opportunity to plan a trip to a National Park, create a road map, write a research article, and so much more! What better way to have students use real-life math, reading, and writing skills than with this fun U.S. National Parks Activity?

Click HERE to SAVE 35% with the PBL Activities Bundle for the Year!

Please see the PREVIEW above for an idea of everything included in this loaded resource!

All of the hard work is done for you. Simply print the NO PREP pages, and let your students make the decisions in this fun U.S. National Parks Project Based Learning Unit!

You can use the entire packet for a longer project time-frame, or pick and choose the components that work best for your classroom and schedule. I’ve even provided some bonus banners for you to use on a bulletin board display.

This engaging Visit a National Park PBL includes: • Unit Guide for Teachers • List of U.S. National Parks • Exploring National Parks Questions • The Name Game • Research the Park • Planning the Trip • Campfire Food • Pack Your Gear • National Park Math Mania (word problems) • Park Selfies • Park Snapshots • Postcards from the Park • Park Text Messages • Instagram Time • Campfire Songs Playlist • Must-See Park Spots • Things to Do List • National Parks Word Search • Mapping Your Route to the Park (map skills, map key, spatial awareness) • Park Brochure (Create a brochure using printable template) • An Incredible National Park (Informational Article Writing) • 10 Popular Parks Posters (B/W for Student Coloring) • 10 Popular Parks Posters (Color for Bulletin Board Display) • “Our National Parks” Bulletin Board Banner (in both B/W and Color) • Scoring Rubrics • More!

You might also be interested in these other reading and PBL resources:

• Design a Haunted House PBL
• Plan a Thanksgiving Parade PBL
• Plan a Road Trip PBL
• How Chocolate is Made Close Reading Packet
• The History of Chocolate Close Reading Packet

As always, please contact me with any questions!

Thank you, Shelly Rees

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Rate the lesson plan, student activities, national park fair: kids teaching kids about our national parks.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

Inspire students and their families to discover America's best idea: our national parks. Students research a national park and create a visitor center display with souvenir items to share with their classmates. This booklet is written for third grade teachers and their students but can be adapted for all grades. Classroom teacher and park ranger Kristen Bergren developed the activities as part of the Teacher to Ranger to Teacher Program.

Students will:

• Learn what national parks are and how they preserve significant natural and historical places.
• Research and gather materials about a national park.
• Make an written, oral, and visual presentation about a national park.

National Park Fair Teacher Guide

The activities in this guide are based on third graders being the student rangers and family members and second graders as the visitors, but the National Park Fair can be adapted for all grade levels. 

After your National Park Fair, you may be surprised how many parents tell you that they plan on visiting their child's park for their next vacation or how much they enjoyed learning and working with their son or daughter on this project. The National Park Fair can be small or big, but no matter the size of your event, it will be a time of learning, discovering and having fun while sharing one of our country's great gifts... our national parks. Enjoy!

Introduce National Parks & National Park Rangers

National parks.

• Why do people like to go to parks?
• Have you been to a national park?
• Why are parks important?
• Who owns national parks?
• What did you learn from the video that you didn’t know before about the national parks?
• Which national park from the video would like to visit? 

National Park Rangers

• What is a national park ranger’s job?
• How do you know who is a national park ranger?
• What is a Junior Ranger?
• Have you been a Junior Ranger before and for what park?
• Do national park rangers have just one job?
• What job would like to have as a national park ranger?
• Visit WebRangers (http://www.nps.gov/webrangers) for interactive Junior Park Ranger activities.

Selecting & Writing To The National Parks

Expose students to national parks through different media. Suggested resources for learning about national parks are listed below. They include:

• Books  (fiction and nonfiction)

First Letter To The Parents

The letter explains the project. Student and parents are asked to choose 5 parks. Teacher selects one of the 5 choices so that each student has a different park. For example:

Dear Parents, We are learning about national parks and national park rangers in preparation for our National Park Fair. Third graders will become student rangers and create a mini visitor center for the park they have chosen. We will write to the parks to receive information to help with this project. I’ve sent home a list of many of our national parks, national monuments and national historic sites. Each student will have a different park. Please look at this list with your child and choose 5 parks. Your child will be assigned one to write a report on and make a poster or trifold for our National Park Fair. The National Park Fair will be held on {DAY & DATE}.  I will send home more information later. I will try to make sure your child gets one of the parks you chose. If there is a national park not listed that you are interested in, please include it in your selection. We are writing letters on {DAY & DATE} to the parks so this note needs to be returned by {DAY & DATE}. Thanks for your help!

Student Letter To The Park Ranger

Students write letters to their national parks asking for information. For example:

{DATE} Dear National Park Ranger, I am a {GRADE LEVEL} student at {SCHOOL NAME} in {CITY & STATE}. We are learning about our national parks. We are going to have a national park fair. I would like to be a student ranger for {PARK NAME}! I picked your park because {STATE WHY YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING}. We have to make a visitor center, so I need information, brochures and maps. I think it would be {POSITIVE EXCLAMATION}! if you could send those things to me! I promise {DESCRIBE WHAT KIND OF EFFORT YOU WILL PUT INTO THIS PROJECT}. Also, could you tell me the favorite part of your job? Thanks for all your help. Your friend, {STUDENT NAME}

• For the initial draft, have the students fill in the blanks.
• Teacher corrects spelling and content when needed.
• Draw lines if necessary
• Cut and copy addresses off of park’s website
• Use school stamp address or labels for return address
• Include a label with school address in the envelope for the park’s materials that will be sent
• Students draw a picture of their park or school on back of envelope (to distinguish it from all the other mail the park receives!) 
• Students should wait to open it at home.
• Tape a note on the envelope that asks parents to look at the materials sent
• And to store in a safe place until it is time to work on the project.

Student Ranger Responsibilities & Family Homework

Second letter to the parents.

A letter to the parents that has all the information they need to complete this project should be sent home 4 to 6 weeks before the National Park Fair date. A third letter reminding parents 2 to 3 weeks before the fair may be necessary. For example:

Dear Parents, The {GRADE LEVEL} grade National Park Fair will be held on {DAY & DATE}. Your child’s report, display and souvenirs are due the day of the fair. Please keep them at home until that time so that they don’t get lost or damaged. Your child will need your help with: Report: Fill in the information on the national park report form. Information may be obtained through the materials your child may have received in the mail, library books and magazines from the library and printing material from the internet (nps.gov). If you do not have access to the internet, I can have your child use the computer at school. Reports need to be in the child’s handwriting; not copied by a parent or typed on a computer. Display: Make a display about his/her park using a tri-fold (free standing) poster. Tri-folds can be purchased at {SUGGEST A LOCATION}. Tri-folds may have pictures, maps from the park, and postcards. Drawing and coloring pictures are also acceptable! Please make sure that the name of the park is evident. Souvenirs: Your child will need at least 30 souvenirs to hand out. They can be bookmarks with the parks name on it, picture of an animal from the park, a nature item that could be found at the park…or anything else that you and your child think of that pertains to their park. Our “tourists” will be {WHO IS ATTENDING; PARENTS, OTHER GRADES, ETC.}. When working with your child, extra help will be needed for: Rewording information for the report so they can understand and read it, Proofreading the report for errors, Practice reading out loud, Making a poster (make sure the name is prominent) and souvenirs. The day of the fair, student rangers will need to wear a white or almost white t-shirt or a t-shirt with the park’s name on it (sometimes parents and kids have designed their own shirt), or a white blouse and tan shorts, tan capri pants or tan pants and a bandana. Any questions, please call me! Thanks for your support!

National Park Report

• Using information student rangers received in the park, they fill in the blanks on the national park report form. There is a different form for national historic sites. 
• Student rangers should practice reading their report with a parent.

National Park Visitor Center

• Using a tri-fold, student rangers will create an informative and attractive display of pictures, maps and brochures that they received from their national park. 
• Park name should be prominent on the display.

National Park Souvenirs

• Souvenirs to give to visitors should be park related. 
• Yellowstone: paint rocks yellow
• Biscayne: shells
• Lincoln Home: pennies  

Passports & Souvenir Sacks

• Visitors need to write one fact that they learned from the ranger.
• Have student rangers be ready to give a simple fact for their visitors to write.
• Have visitors bring a pencil. 
• Student rangers will then give a label with their parks’ name on it to the visitor to put in their passport.
• Visitors will receive a souvenir
• Before the fair, the visitors can decorate a lunch sack to collect their souvenirs. 
• Punch a small hole to make a handle with a piece of yarn. 

Student Ranger Uniform Suggestions

• Student rangers wear a white shirt, white blouse, or t-shirt with their park’s name on it. 
• Student rangers wear tan or khaki pants, shorts or capri pants. 
• Student rangers wear a bandana (any color) around their neck. 

National Park Fair Day

• Student rangers should set up their visitor centers before school begins.
• Parent volunteers can help students set up.
• Parents should be encouraged to travel to all visitor centers because bored student rangers are not happy campers! 
• Sixth graders can be a great help for helping visitors.
• Set a time limit for the visitors.
• Divide student rangers in 2 groups.
• Give each group 15 to 20 minutes to visit.

Suggested Materials For Teachers & Student

Teacher's list.

• Small notebooks or student-made passports (stapled booklets)
• Lunch sacks for souvenir bags. 
• National Park puzzles (Cut up pictures of national parks or nature pictures from calendars. Put name of park on the front of envelope, along with the small sample picture that are usually shown on the back of calendars.)  
• National Park books (My school librarian donated many to my classroom, because they weren't being circulated enough!)  
• National Park/nature magazines (Public libraries usually have used magazines for sale which may include National Park magazines and other nature publications.)
• Bookmarks (I cut up card stock into bookmark-size strips. These are for students whose parents request them to use for souvenirs. The students and parents are responsible for putting their parks' name on them.)

Student's List

• Trifold display board (They can be found at office supply stores and other retailers that carry school supplies.)
• Souvenirs created by student and parent... remember this is family homework! 
• Labels with the park’s name

Other Hints & Suggestions

• Repeat the same information as the second letter.
• Ask if they need help with any part of the project.
• Some students will not receive information from their national park.
• Some students do not have internet access at home so will need it printed at school.
• Even if the closest park is an hour away, someone still may be able to come.
• If a national park ranger isn’t available, a ranger from another federal or state public land may be.
• Add a little ambiance with a campfire using a real log and tissue paper flames.
• Serve “s’more” trail mix using teddy grahams, M&Ms, small marshmallows put in snack size bags. 
• The pictures can be used to give to students for their visitor centers.
• Cut a picture up in several large pieces to make a puzzle.
• coloring pages of national parks
• puzzles made from national park calendars
• looking at national park books
• Keep a class library on national park books for kids to be checked out for this project.
• Have a pocket folder for each state and some of the larger parks.
• Collect brochures, maps, magazine articles and pictures.
• Spread the word to parents and friends about your file.

The National Park Service official website, nps.gov, connects you to national parks. A web page linking you to teacher resources is at http://www.nps.gov/learn.  

Lesson Plans & Activities For Children

• WebRangers, nps.gov/webrangers is the National Park Service's on-line Junior Ranger program for kids of all ages.
• National Park Legacy Program, http://www.nps.gov/samo/forteachers/legacy.htm combines a supplied worksheet with official park brochures which require the students to discover the unique geographic and cultural features protected in our national parks.
• The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/for-educators/ includes lesson plans and activities from the PBS documentary. 

Books, Video, & Games

Books and videos come and go, so check your libraries. Many National Parks sell educational materials through bookstores run by cooperating associations. Below are links to a few of the many national park cooperating associations. Many books, videos, and games are also available from commercial retailers.

• Eastern National, http://www.eparks.com  
• Western National Parks Association, http://www.wnpa.org 
• Yellowstone Association, http://www.yellowstoneassociation.org 
• Great Smoky Mountains Association, http://smokiesstore.org 

The Association of Partners for Public Lands has a complete list of national park cooperating associations at http://www.appl.org/.

Activity books for children:

• National Parks Coloring Book, by Peter Copeland. Dover Publications, 1993.
• Rangers Activity and Sticker Book, by Greer Chesher and Guy Porfirio. Eastern National, 2005.

Some videos include:

• “Walkin’ Jim Stoltz: Come Walk With Me”, Wild Wind Records, 1993.
• “Kids Explore America’s National Parks”, Children’s International Network, Inc., 1991. 
• “Lost! But Found, Safe and Sound”, Association of Park Rangers, 1999. http://anpr.org/lost.htm
• “Yellowstone National Park for Kids”, Finley-Holiday Film Corp., 2006.
• “National Parks for Kids”, Finley-Holiday Film Corp., 2004.

National Park-themed games:

• Discover America’s National Parks 1,000-piece Puzzle, by White Mountain Puzzles.
• National Parks Yahtzee, by Hasbro.
• America’s National Parks Monopoly, by USAopoly.
• View Master National Park reels, by View Master. 

“National Park Fair: Kids Teaching Kids about our National Parks” written by Kristen Bergren, Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, 2009.

Lesson Plans

Last updated: October 26, 2017

National Parks Research - 5th Grade

• National Parks Research Project Resources
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National Parks Books in the LMC

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Olympic National Park

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Yellowstone National Park

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