Invite a ranger to your classroom!Our classroom programs are 45-minute interactive sessions designed to enhance your in-class curriculum. Students will get to handle real objects, play games, and ask questions directly to park staff. These programs meet Arizona state standards and are free of charge. Available year round (best for September, April, and May!) Classroom Program DescriptionsThe Saguaro Hotel | K-1st GradeSome come to stay for a season, some for an evening, some just come for dinner, and some never leave! Explore the spiny world of the animals that live in, on, and around our world-famous desert symbol, the Giant Saguaro! Desert Creepers | 1st -2nd GradeThey slither, they scuttle, they stink, they sting and they are important to our desert ecosystem! Meet the slimy, scaly, and spidery residents of Saguaro National Park. Our interactive classroom discovery of these misunderstood creatures is a non-threatening presentation with specimens, models, and soft-sculptures, movement activities and games. Mammal Investigators | 3rd GradeInvestigate the furry critters of the desert and mountains of the Sonoran Desert right in your classroom! Students will use their observation skills to study an animal skull and learn which desert mammal it belongs to through an interactive presentation. Beautiful Bats | 3rd-4th GradeThat's right, beautiful! And a best friend to saguaros & people. Find out how bats can see with their ears and live on nectar. With games, crafts, and stories, we separate fact from fiction and share the bat's mysterious world. People of the Desert | 3rd-4th GradeArcheological records and oral history tell us that people having been thriving in the desert for thousands of years. Are you a person of the desert too? During this program, students will have the chance to explore their own relationship with the landscape's food, shelter, art, and more. New! Cactus Kryptonite | 3rd-5th GradeSaguaros are remarkably resilient and long-lived but they have one fatal weakness -- fire. If these mighty plants survive through heat and drought and storm but not flames, how does our changing climate and landscape affect their future? Students will use the engineering design process to explore fire adaptations and compete for the prize of "Best Bark." Every Kid Outdoors | 4th GradeLearn about why National Parks are important to preserve the natural and cultural resources of our country. Students explore a variety of National Parks, while learning about stewardship and what they can do to support the National Parks in their community! Students will receive a free public lands pass through the Every Kid Outdoors program. Lost Carnivores | 5th - 8th GradeThey may be tough to spot, but the desert is home to all kinds of large, furry creatures. Or at least it should be. Scientists use technology and mapping to keep track of where and when certain animals are found in the park. Explore the five special mammals that are getting harder and harder to find in the Tucson Mountains. Contact Us!For more information or to schedule a classroom program, email the Education team or use the Classroom Program Request form below. We look forward to working with you! Request a Classroom ProgramNPS Form 10-1750 (Rev. 04/2021) OMB Control No. 1024-0228 NoticesPrivacy Act StatementAuthority: Public Law 114-289 National Park Service Centennial Act and 54 U.S.C. 100701 Protection, interpretation, and research in System. Purpose: To administer education programs for education audiences including but not limited to school groups, scouting groups, extracurricular groups, and home school groups. Routine Uses: To effectively manage requests for education received by the NPS, the Education Reservation Request Form is used to collect basic education reservation information to facilitate operational aspects of scheduling groups for park education programs, including in-park education programs, ranger in classroom programs, and/or online distance learning programs. Disclosure: Voluntary, however, failure to provide the requested information may impede the ability to grant your education reservation request. Paperwork Reduction Act StatementWe are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to provide park managers and educators the information needed to schedule and conduct education program activities. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned control number 1024-0288. Estimated Burden StatementPublic reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send your completed form to this address. |
Last updated: November 8, 2024