Available (and free!) for elementary school classes. A ranger will guide students through a 30-60 minute lesson (see below). As everyone's budgets have grown tighter, fewer schools are able to afford the busses required for a trip to one of the national park sites. We hope the Ranger in the Classroom programs will fill a need to connect students with the National Park Service, the natural history of southeast Arizona, and the Coronado Expedition. We strive to offer some of the experiences students would have during a park field trip.
Amazing Animals (K - 5th grade):
In this program, students will learn how to identify mammal characteristics through demonstrations and classroom activities. We discuss adaptations, predator and prey, camouflage vs warning colorations, and look at skull characteristics such as teeth and orbits to determine whether an animal is a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore.
K.L1U1.6, K.L1U1.7, 1.L2U1.8, 1.L4U1.10, 2.L2U1.10, 3.L1U1.5, 4.L4U1.11, 5.L4U3.11
Fill the Bill (K - 5th grade):
Students learn about bird beak adaptations by using a variety of tools to simulate eating different foods. We compare and contrast bird beaks and how they correlate with the environment the bird lives in. Our most hands-on program!
K.L1U1.6, 1.L4U3.11, 3.L1U1.5, 4.L4U1.11, 5.L4U3.11
Coronado Expedition (K - 5th grade):
This program explores how the Coronado Expedition helped shape the American Southwest as we know it through a cultural exchange between the Spanish and Native Americans. Students will have the opportunity to try on Spanish chainmail and participate in a reader's theater.
K.SP1.2, K.SP1.3, K.SP2.1, K.G1.2, K.H1.1, 1.SP.2, 1.SP2.1, 1.G2.1, 1.G3.1, 2.SP1.2, 2.SP2.2, 2.G3.1, 2.G4.1, 2.H1.3, 3.SP1.2, 3.SP2.1, 3.H1.1, 4.SP1.2, 4.SP1.3, 4.SP2.1, 4.G3.1, 4.H2.1, 5,SP.1.2, 5.H2.1
Ranger Reading (K - 2nd grade):
A park ranger from Coronado National Memorial will share their love of reading with students in local schools. Each 30-minute program focuses on a book about the local region and include hands-on activities.
Every Kid Outdoors (4th grade)
The interagency Every Kid Outdoors program offers free access to federal land and water recreation sites for fourth graders and their families. A ranger will hand out the passes in exchange for paper vouchers that you print out for each student ahead of time. We also spend time discussing our federal lands, their purpose, and how we can all help protect them. Please give us a few weeks notice to order passes.
For questions about programs and reservations please call us at (520) 366-5515 x2302 or email us.
