Curriculum Materials

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a diverse blend of history, environment, and recreation. Its thousands of years of human history began with travelers who pre-dated the mound builders, and continues on through 20th century public works projects. The Trace contains diverse environmental features ranging from mixed hardwood forests on foothills, to prairie and swamps. The 444-mile corridor provides opportunities for a vast variety of outdoor recreational experiences. Our educational program reflects the diversity of the Trace and provides educational experiences that engage students and inspire learning.

We are currently updating our pages, so please be patient with our progress and check back as our lessons become searchable. Links to lesson plans are below and also at the bottom of the For Teachers page.

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Showing results 31-40 of 51

Something Old and Something New

On seven maps from 1816 to the present, small groups of students will compare and contrast the areas surrounding the Natchez Trace Parkway and answer questions about the maps. The students will compare and contrast maps of varying age, detail and accuracy. They will draw on the maps to locate features. They will compare and contrast the growth of an area, using different maps. Review how to locate features on a map prior to the lesson.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Fifth Grade-Twelfth Grade

Subjects:
History, Social Studies

National/State Standards:
MS Objectives: 5th grade: 1c, 1d, 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g 3h, 3i, 3k 6th grade: 2, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2f, 2g, 2h 8th grade: 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e Secondary MS Studies: 3, 3a, 3b, 3f, 4, 4a, 4b
What’s Happenin’ on the Trace?

The students will investigate current events associated with the Natchez Trace Parkway. They will write a journalism type report and/or develop a visual presentation. Subject areas may include: community events or issues, plants, animals, invasive species, boundary issues, social issues and environmental issues. The students should pretend they are reporters. They will develop a written or visual project, depending on the teacher assignment.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Sixth Grade-Twelfth Grade

Subjects:
Language Arts, Science and Technology, Social Studies

National/State Standards:
Variable depending on assignment Social Studies: 6th: 2,3 8th 4,5,6,7,8 MS Studies: 1,2,3,4,5 US Hist 1877 to Present: 2,4,5,6 US Government: 2,4,5,6 Economics: 3,4,5,6 Geography: 5 Local Resource Studies: 1,2,3,4,5
Safety First!

This is a pre-visit safety lesson. It is highly recommended that this lesson be reviewed before students visit the Natchez Trace Parkway. Students will learn about safety concerns and how to prepare for a visit to the Natchez Trace Parkway through class discussion and checklist. Discuss the safety sheet and hazards students may encounter in the park.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
General

Subjects:
Social Studies

National/State Standards:
None
GPS the NATT

Students will use GPS coordinates to plot a National Scenic Trail on a topography map. This lesson assumes that students already know how to plot GPS coordinates. However, if they have never plotted GPS, if they can plot points on a graph, they can plot GPS coordinates with a short explanation. GPS units are available in a traveling kit.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Eighth Grade-Twelfth Grade

Subjects:
Geography, Social Studies

National/State Standards:
Secondary: 4, 4b, 4c
Symbols

The students will learn the symbols of the Natchez Trace Parkway and the National Scenic Trail and then color the symbols correctly while looking at an example. The students will learn about the Natchez Trace Parkway and the National Scenic Trail symbols. They will learn what each symbol represents. After the students have heard the background, they will color the two coloring sheets. The sheets must be colored using the correct colors in the correct places.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Kindergarten

Subjects:
Social Studies

National/State Standards:
MS Objectives Social Studies: 2, 2c, 5, 5a
Spotted Salamanders: Love those Spots!

Spotted Salamanders have yellow spots which warn predators that they are poisonous. While not lethally toxic, their poison makes them taste very bitter to an animal that would like to eat them. Salamanders lay eggs in water and juveniles metamorphose and lizards lay eggs on land and juveniles resemble adults.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Pre-Kindergarten-First Grade

Subjects:
Biology: Animals, Ecology

National/State Standards:
Life Science: 3a, 3e
Traveling the Natchez Trace

The students will engage in several physical exercises while using map skills. The students will engage in a number of different basic physical exercises such as jumping jacks, push-ups, jogging, skipping, crunches, etc.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Sixth Grade-Eighth Grade

Subjects:
Physical Education

National/State Standards:
AL Objectives: 6th Grade: 1, 7, 13 7th Grade: 1, 2, 9, 15 8th Grade: 1
Your Target Heart Rate

Students will be put through a jog on a nature trail of the parkway and learn the importance of stretching and exercising in their target heart rate zone. The students will determine their pulse and maximum heart rate (MHR). The students will then determine their target heart rate (THR) zone by using their MHR and record their data. The students will then be put through a mild stretching exercise. Finally, the students will then participate in a jog along the trail to the end of the trail.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Ninth Grade-Twelfth Grade

Subjects:
Physical Education

National/State Standards:
MS Objectives: 1, 1b, 2, 2c, 3, 3a, 3b, 4, 6, 6c
What’s Its Name?

Students will read a short narrative about the history of the Natchez Trace and then complete a matching worksheet. The teacher will help the students locate the Natchez Trace Parkway on a map. The teacher will help the students locate the periods addressed in a narrative on a timeline. The teacher will read, or assist in reading a narrative about the history of the Natchez Trace. The teacher will explain that the narrative is a mix of fact and historical fiction.

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Fourth Grade

Subjects:
Language Arts, Social Studies

National/State Standards:
MS Objectives: 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3f, 3g, 3h, 5, 5a Language Arts: 1, 2, 3
Spotted Salamander Population Estimation: Capture, Mark, and Recapture Method

Students will learn how to estimate an animal population and evaluate the results when an unnatural event affects that population. Discuss the necessity for researchers to know how many animals are in a population, and various events that might affect an animal population. They will start with a “spotted salamander population” represented by white beans. They will then “mark” salamanders by replacing spotted beans with white beans. They will estimate the number of individuals in their population

Type:

Lesson Plans

Grade level:
Ninth Grade-Twelfth Grade

Subjects:
Biology: Animals, Community, Ecology, Environment, Mathematics

National/State Standards:
MS Objectives: Intro to Biology: 3d Biology 1: 3c Environmental Science: 3a, 3b, 3c