Field Trips at the Acadian Cultural Center

At the Acadian Cultural Center in Lafayette, curriculum-based programs are available for 4th through 8th grade students. Just for fun, students can also see films about the deportation of the Acadians from Canada and their arrival in Louisiana or about Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin. Other activities include Jean Lafitte's Treasure Chest (a ranger-guided program about the park), the K.I.M.S. game (to sharpen observation skills), scavenger hunts in the center, and a Junior Ranger program. Call 337-232-0789 for more information and reservations.

• Cajun Life in Louisiana (4th - 6th grades) teaches students about life in the wetlands and on the prairies, human impacts on the environment, and how Louisiana's environment shaped its cultural diversity. Standards met: H-1C-E1, H-1C-E4, H-1D-M4, H-1D-M6. Pre-visit activities: Life on the Prairie (students create a collage of resources for prairie families), Wetlands Wonders (students assemble wetlands animals by classification). On-site activities: Let's Go Look! (students explore center exhibits with a scavenger hunt). Post-visit activities: Are They Alike? (students list ethnic groups that settled the state, discuss contributions, similarities, differences, and impacts), My Visit (students write and illustrate a personal account of their national park visit experience).
• It's a Cultural Collage (7th - 8th grades) educates students about ethnic groups that settled south Louisiana and how they influenced each other and life in the state. Standards met: B6, B7, D10, D11, F11, G12, G13. Pre-visit activities: Who Lives in South Louisiana? (students identify major ethnic groups in south Louisiana, their origins, and cultural contributions), Who Is Evangeline? (students discover French heritage). On-site activities: What Does Cajun Mean? (students find out how various ethnic groups influenced the Acadians in their evolution to Cajun). Post-visit activities: It's a Cultural Collage (students conduct a "heritage festival" at school), Preserving Our Heritage (students identify approaches to historical preservation and implement activites to heighten cultural awareness at their school).