Into the Redwood Forest
An Inquiry Science and Cultural History Investigation at Muir Woods National Monument
Overview
How can nature teach us about community?
This Essential Question frames Into the Redwood Forest (IRF) and is meant to allow students to engage in place-based inquiry science and cultural history at Muir Woods National Monument. The Essential Question: 

1.	Reflects the essence of what they will study without directing them to one correct answer.
2.	Provokes “how” or “why” questions rather than “what” questions.
3.	Applies to places beyond Muir Woods.
4.	Invites discussion from everyone based on both experience and understanding.
Students conduct their own science and history investigation in which they learn about cultural history and forest ecology through inquiry. Students pose questions, search for evidence, write narratives, and suggest explanations. The program provides a tangible model for students to explore a redwood forest through learning activities in the classroom and in a National Park (Muir Woods). 
Program Goals 
•	Enrich their understanding of place through inquiry. 
•	Experience National Parks as places for learning and recreation, and develop a personal connection to their local national park. 
•	Learn about the interdependency of the communities at Muir Woods.
Program Objectives
•	Students will be able to describe the life cycle of a Coast Redwood tree.
•	Students will be able to identify the Indigenous uses of plants found in Muir Woods.
•	Students will be able to recognize natural, human, and cultural parts of Muir Woods. 
•	Students will be able to explain how plants and animals interconnect for survival in Muir Woods.

Ties to the Curriculum – Standards for 3rd and 4th grades.

Next Generation Science Standards:

3-LS2-1: Some animals form groups that help members survive.
3-LS4-3: In a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
3-LS4-4: Determine whether environmental changes can affect the type of animals and plants in a place. 
4-LS1-1: Plants have internal and external structures that function to support survival.

California’s Common Core State Standards:

Writing 
3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

4.2d: Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Speaking and Listening
1.3 & 1.4: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led.)

California History-Social Science Content Standards:
 
3.22: Discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the local Indian nations adapted to their natural environment.

3.42: Discuss the importance of public virtue, including how to participate in a classroom, in the community, and in life.

Program Logistics

Please take careful note of the following:
•	The teacher and chaperones are ultimately responsible for the conduct and safety of the students. Chaperone support is a must.
•	We strongly advise appropriate clothing for the nature of the activities and weather conditions at the park. Advise students to dress in layers to adjust to the variable temperatures of the woods. We conduct the program regardless of weather conditions. We can provide raincoats for the entire class, if needed.
•	The class should be split in half. Students from each group should have a partner in their group to confer with during the exploration.
•	Arrangements can be made to accommodate students with special needs. Please discuss any special needs with National Park Service staff ahead of time.
•	Please distribute the parental approval forms and photo/video release forms to students at least a week before the woods visit (only if asked by NPS Staff).

Safety tips:
 
Please make your students aware of the park safety tips before your visit:

•	The class will stay on the main trail at all times, unless directed by park representative to do otherwise. 
•	No plants or other natural features can be removed from the park.
•	Feeding or disturbing animals is not allowed. 
•	Electronic devices, musical instruments, and electronic games will not be allowed on the field session. 
•	No food or drinks (other than water) are allowed inside the monument but food is allowed by the visitor center where we will eat lunch.
Cancellation Policy 
Please let us know of any changes in rescheduling your program dates. Because of the volume of schools participating, there is little room to reschedule your original date. Please plan accordingly.
Directions
Most classes will be taking buses to Muir Woods. Bus companies are familiar with the route. 
For those classes that will be carpooling: 
Muir Woods National Monument is located on the South Side of Mount Tamalpais, 12 miles North of San Francisco. Take Highway 101 to Mill Valley in Marin County. Take the Stinson Beach / Highway 1 exit. Follow the signs to Muir Woods. 
Note: The narrow, winding road leading to the park is not accessible by vehicles larger than 35 feet, according to the regulation of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). There is no public transportation to the park. 

Program Description
The program has 4 elements: 
•	Pre-visit classroom lessons provided by the teacher
•	Pre-visit classroom lessons provided by NPS staff
•	A field session at Muir Woods facilitated by NPS and assisted by teacher and  chaperones
•	Post-visit lessons guided by the teacher – teachers lead one lesson and send copies of activities to NPS
Perspectives: 
Teacher Facilitated Lessons
Students are introduced to the program by exploring the Essential Question “How can nature teach us about community?” Students begin by understanding community in nature and in their life. Using vocabulary cards, they learn about the different communities in the Redwood forest and how they support each other. They then discuss what their communities look like before learning about the communities of the first people of Muir Woods. Students use an array of materials to learn about Coast Miwok people and how they are connected to the redwood environment of Muir Woods.
*Throughout the program, students will be asked to think about “their community”. Their community does not have to be limited to where they currently live, but could be where they recently moved from, if they feel more comfortable thinking about that.
Time 
Determined by class

Materials
Description of resources in each lesson plan

Lesson One: Essential Question

Topic: Essential question – defining the Essential Question

Inquiry Question: How can nature teach us about community?

Objective:
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
•	Define nature and community
•	Identify different living and non-living components of a natural community
•	Understand how natural components help the community

Time: 40 minutes

Resources:
•	White board or large paper
•	Markers
•	Pencils
•	Pictures illustrating nature (in Teacher Box)

Activity 1: How can nature teach us about community?

Step 1: Essential Question

•	Introduce the lesson by posing the Essential Question on the board or on large paper:

How can nature teach us about community?

(Students will investigate this question throughout the education program)

•	Ask students to define nature and community and write on board or paper
•	Discussion points:
o	What is nature?
o	What is a part of nature?
o	Which things are living vs non-living? How do we know? 
o	What is community?
o	What is part of a community?

Sample Definitions: 
o	Nature - the plants, animals, and landscape of the earth
o	Community - a group living in the same place or having something in common

Step 2: Nature and community

•	Have students think about their communities (around their school, home, neighborhood, city). In small groups, then as a class, have students discuss:
o	Can you find nature in your community? 
o	What does that nature look like in your community? Draw it.
o	How can nature help your community?
•	Show students the pictures of a natural setting (found in Teacher Box). In small groups, then as a class, have students discuss:
o	Can you find community in nature? 
o	How can being in a community help nature? 
•	Explain to the students that scientists call all of these different living and non-living parts components
o	Component - scientific word for a part or piece of a larger whole

Lesson Two: Becoming Community Naturalists

Topic: How to make observations, predications, and questions

Inquiry Question: How can nature teach us about community?

Objective:
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
•	Make observations, predictions, and pose questions like a scientist.

Time: 30 minutes

Resources:
•	Field Journal [printed or digital]
o	Lesson Two (1 page)
•	How to Investigate an Object video [digital]

Activity 1: Becoming Community Naturalists

•	(all) Students watch the 5-minute pre-recorded video titled How to Investigate an Object without using their journals 
•	(all) Students watch the 5-minute pre-recorded video for a second time and answer the following questions that are asked and then discussed in the video (in their journals):
o	What is a community naturalist?
o	What is an observation?
o	What is a prediction?
o	Write your prediction.
o	What questions do you have about the object?

Lesson Three: Vocabulary

Topic: Vocabulary – students are introduced to IRF vocabulary by using the IRF Vocabulary Cards

Inquiry Question: How can nature teach us about community?

Objective:
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
•	Understand and define the IRF vocabulary words

Time: 1 hour

Resources:
•	IRF Vocabulary Cards (Teacher Box – Lesson 3 folder)
•	Props needed for activity – from class or natural things near their school
•	Vocabulary List (Teacher Box – Lesson 3 folder for photocopy)

Activity 1: Tableau – this means a still picture

Step 1: Prompt

•	Tell students they will present the meaning of IRF vocabulary words by creating a tableau – a still picture or a “snapshot” of a scene. In this activity, students will use their bodies and props (paper, colors, other objects) to communicate the meaning of the word.

Step 2: Brainstorm

•	Have students work in pairs or small groups
•	Assign each pair or group one or more IRF Vocabulary Cards
•	Ask students to read each card and look at the photograph
•	Give students time to brainstorm ideas of their tableau and rehearse their still picture (they will act out the word as a freeze-frame tableau) 

Step 3: Ask students to present!

•	Distribute the Vocabulary List
•	Ask each group of students to perform their final freeze-frame product to the entire class
•	Ask students to try to guess the word by using their Vocabulary List
•	Ask each group to reveal the vocabulary word by reading the definition on the back of the Vocabulary Card
•	Discuss each tableau with the entire class: What did we see? What did you learn?

Optional addition to the lesson for 4th grade students:
•	Group related words into pairs or groups of three 
o	coho salmon + riparian habitat, fungus + decomposer, burl + tannic acid + firescar, etc.
•	Reassign student groups these new collections of vocabulary cards
•	Each group will make a new tableau combining their new group cards 
•	Ask students to brainstorm, present, and guess the vocabulary words
•	Be sure to discuss the interconnectedness of their words
o	How are these natural things related?

Lesson Four: My Community

Topic: My Community – students take a closer look at their own communities

Inquiry Question: How can nature teach us about community?

Objective:
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
•	Identify the people, places, and things that make up their community

Time: 1 hour

Resources:
•	White board or large paper
•	Markers
•	My Community poem (found in Teacher Box)
•	Copies of blank My Community poem for each student

Activity 1: Parts of a community
*May have to start small by looking just at their school to start understanding.

Step 1: Physical parts

•	Write: Physical – What is in a place that was not added by people?
•	Provide examples: land, climate, natural resources
•	Ask students to identify physical parts of their community (or school)

Step 2: Human parts

•	Write: Human – How have people changed the land?
•	Provide examples: homes, buildings, roads, farms, some parks
•	Ask students to identify human parts of their community (or school)

Step 3: Cultural parts

•	Write: Cultural – How do people make a place unique or special?
•	Provide examples: holidays, clothing, food, languages
•	Ask students to identify cultural parts of their community (or school)

Activity 2: My Community poem

•	Read, or have volunteers read, the 4 stanzas of the My Community poem found in the link provided by the Ranger.
•	In small groups, ask students to brainstorm the different parts of their own communities
•	For homework, assign students to complete the blank My Community poem worksheet, or have them create their own poem. It’s important to note that there are no right or wrong answers, as communities are all different. Students should examine their own communities.

Lesson Five: Introduction to the Coast Miwok

Topic: An introduction to the Coast Miwok People

Inquiry Question: How can nature teach us about community?

Objective:
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
•	Explain the parts of their community to their classmates
•	Identify aspects of Coast Miwok culture and community

Time: 2 hours

Resources:
•	Coast Miwok PowerPoint (found on Teacher Links given by the Ranger)
•	IRF Student Journals

Activity 1: Coast Miwok PowerPoint

Step 1:

•	Introduce students to the Coast Miwok culture by showing them the Coast Miwok PowerPoint. The PowerPoint is an interactive PowerPoint with pictures, explanations, and questions for students.

Step 2: Ask students:

•	Now that you have learned more about the first people of the land near Muir Woods, do you have any questions about the Coast Miwok people?
•	They can skip writing them on page 3 of their journal.

Muir Woods and You - NPS Facilitated Classroom Lesson
NPS staff conducts classroom lesson, introducing the inquiry process (or reinforces if the class has been using inquiry methods) through small group work and an interactive investigation of objects found at Muir Woods. This process mirrors what students will do in the field session at Muir Woods. 
Time: 1.5 hours
Resources: 
•	IRF Student Journals

Activity One:  
The NPS representatives continue the discuss about community. We help students become a special type of scientist: a community naturalist.

Activity Two: 
The class investigates objects that come from Muir Woods National Monument. For example: Plants, bird feathers, redwood bark/slice, cone and seeds, fungus, tannic acid, etc. (objects may vary).

As a group, students investigate each object. They answer the following questions about their objects on page 5-6 of the student journal:
•	Draw the natural object from the Redwood Forest.
•	Three things I observe:
•	Does it remind you of anything?
•	What do you think this object is? 
•	How might it help the redwood forest community?
•	I wonder…

Students present their objects to the class and share the observations they have recorded in their journals. Students also share how their objects thrive in Muir Woods. 
Activity Three: 
The NPS representative facilitates a brief discussion about the basic logistics and safety tips for the field session. The staff closes by answering questions students might still have.

Muir Woods Field Session
Students are invited to use their senses while investigating the Essential Question in the woods through applied inquiry methods. Students record what they experience through their senses, observations, questions, and identify plants used by native cultures. NPS staff facilitates discussions at each stop and encourages students to write their reflections on their woods experience at the end of the visit. 
Time: 3 hours on-site (10am - 1pm)
Resources: 
•	IRF Student Journals
•	Clipboards (provided)
•	Pencils (provided)
•	Nametags (can be provided)

Investigation in Muir Woods 
NPS staff welcomes the students and reviews the safety rules. Staff then leads the small groups of students along the main Muir Woods trail. Chosen stops provide opportunities for the students to gather evidence about the use of native plants in the forest, the role and impact of fire, the relationship between different living and non-living things, and the larger context of the redwood forest being a prime example of a community. 
Students use their journals to record what they experience through their senses, and describe the use of native plants found in Muir Woods. They also will recognize and apply methods of identification that they practiced and discussed in the classroom lessons.
Students share their questions and explanations with each other and the ranger. Using an inquiry approach, NPS staff guide students to reflect on their observations at Muir Woods National Monument.

Post-Visit Classroom Lessons
These follow-up activities are designed to build upon the students’ inquiry experience at Muir Woods. Students can demonstrate what they have learned during their national park experience. Please have students complete post-site Lesson 1 in their IRF student journal and at least one of the following lessons (either 2 or 3).  Please share the post-site lessons with NPS staff by mailing in provided pre-stamped envelope.
Lesson 1: What I know I can do in a Redwood Forest
Topic: Ideas about the Redwood Forest - students rethink about what they can do in a redwood forest

Inquiry Question: How can nature teach us about community?

Objective:
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
•	Describe what they will be able to do in a redwood forest

Time: 30 minutes

Resources:
•	IRF student journal – last page, and any completed page to reference

Activity 1: What I know I can do in a Redwood Forest
•	Have students answer questions on page 10 of student journals.
After our field trip I know that I can________________. Because________________.
•	Discuss answers with classroom. Compare and contrast how their answers have changed from pre-lesson 2 after visiting Muir Woods National Monument. 

Lesson 2: Redwood Community & My Community
Topic: My community – how is it interconnected? 

Inquiry Question: How can nature teach us about community?

Objective:
Upon the completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
•	Describe some of the individual components that make up a redwood forest
•	Understand how different individuals help their community
•	Understand how they connect to their community

Time: 1.5 hours

Resources:
•	IRF student journal – last page, and any completed page to reference
•	White board or large paper
•	Markers
•	Life cycle of a redwood tree (found in post-site envelope)
•	Drawing paper
•	Colors

Activity 1:
Step 1: What did we observe?
•	Ask students to use their IRF journals as reference to review (as a class) the different natural components they observed in the redwood forest
•	Discuss: 
o	What does each component do to survive? 
o	Does their survival help the redwood community?
o	i.e. Salmon migration brings nutrients from the sea to the forest, banana slug decomposition cleans forest floor, etc.
Step 2: About Me
•	Review the lifecycle of a redwood tree with students 
o	What different parts does the life cycle have? How does each part help a redwood tree grow? 
o	i.e. Roots connect to other trees, the tree grows burls when it’s stressed, cones to make new trees for the future, needles collect water, etc.
•	As a class, make a list of each part and what each part does to help the tree grow. 
•	Pass out drawing paper. Ask students to make a rough sketch of themselves in the center of the paper (~5 min). Leave room around the border of the paper to add to the sketch.
•	Ask students to work in pairs or in small groups. Ask students discuss the different parts of their lives that help them.
o	How do you get water? Where does your food come from? What do you do when you are stressed? How do you get ready?
•	Ask students to draw the different parts on the sketch of themselves (see example)
Optional addition to the lesson for 4th grade students:
•	Ask students to choose between 2 - 5 natural components from the redwood forest
•	Ask students to think about how those components are linked to create a poem and drawing that illustrate the connection:  
o	Example haiku: Coho salmon eat; banana slugs make new soil; redwoods make it rain