This is your guide to curriculum based programs and services in National Park Sites throughout Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Search for programs by curriculum subject, location, grade, or group size to find the best learning opportunities that support your teaching goals. Additional details can be found on individual park websites.
Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) uses properties listed in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places to enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects. TwHP has created a variety of products and activities that help teachers bring historic places into the classroom. Click here to explore lesson plans for grades 5-12.
The Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program provides an opportunity for teachers to become park rangers during the summer. Duties vary, and can include developing and presenting interpretive programs for the public, staffing the visitor center desk, developing interpretive and educational materials for the park, and working on special projects. Teacher-Rangers bring parks into the classroom by developing lesson plans that draw on their summer’s experience in the park. These lesson plans are used during the school year by Teacher-Rangers and are shared with other teachers. In April, either during National Park Week or at other times of the year, Teacher-Rangers wear their NPS uniforms to school, discuss their adventures as a park ranger, and give assignments relating to national parks.
Education Tool Box
Designing Education Spaces in National Parks and Museums (coming soon)
Parks and museums across the country have tried and tested many approaches to creating and using education spaces. Stories and lessons-learned from six parks and four museums that are successfully using education spaces for schools and other organized groups, families, or general audiences are shared on this website. The website includes a series of case studies, tips, resources, and contacts.
Developing Terrific Teacher Workshops Tip Guide
Teacher workshops can benefit a park or museum in many ways. Teacher workshops can do the following:
1) Efficiently market your program to targeted schools,
2) Get you free advice and evaluation data with which to improve your programs, 3) Convert a friendly relationship with teachers into sustained park-school collaborations that give the park access to funding and technical assistance, and 4) Sustain and/or expand your school visitation. This site provides steps to consider when developing teacher workshops and tips for creating the most effective teacher workshops.
