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Contact: Rudy Evenson, Park Information Officer, 678-538-1241
National Park Service Helps Teachers Make Learning Fun & Relevant
Today the National Park Service (NPS) launched a new online service for teachers that brings America’s national parks, including Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, into neighborhood classrooms. The revamped “Teachers” section of the NPS website at www.nps.gov/teachers provides a one-stop shop for curriculum-based lesson plans, field trips, guest speakers, online galleries, professional development, distance learning, traveling trunks, and many other resources. All of the materials draw from the spectacular natural landscapes and authentic places preserved in America’s national parks. “Ever since Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area was established in 1978, we have welcomed Atlanta area students and teachers,” said Acting Superintendent Scott Pfeninger. “And we've been doing guest speaker programs in schools and other education programs just as long. By joining other parks across the nation in the new education web portal, we can reach out to students across the country or even around the world who want to learn about cold water fisheries, clean water, or the Civil War. At the same time, students from Atlanta can learn about Grand Canyon National Park, or visit Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park.” All curriculum-based education programs offered by Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area are aligned with Georgia Performance Standards or Common Core Standards. The new lesson plans from Chattahoochee River posted to the new education web portal were all developed by Teacher-Ranger-Teachers during the summer of 2013. In 2012, Chattahoochee River offered 256 educational programs and served over 8,000 students in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The web site is searchable by location, keyword, and more than 125 subjects, from archeology, to biology, to Constitutional law. Teachers will, for the first time, be able to rate NPS-provided content. In addition to park-created content, the site also features educational materials created by NPS national programs like the National Register of Historic Places and its award-winning Teaching with Historic Places series of 147 lesson plans. To learn more about the National Park Service’s education programs, visit www.nps.gov/teachers. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA ™ |
Sandy Springs, Ga. - Teachers across the Atlanta metropolitan area have a new tool to help them engage their students in classroom and place-based learning.Last updated: April 14, 2015