News Release

Learn through Fun at Sleeping Bear Dunes

Woman wearing a uniform and ranger hat reads an open binder with large lake in background
A park ranger standing on the top of a dune holds a teacher-led kit binder that illustrates/describes the "Beach Bingo" scavenger hunt.

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News Release Date: May 20, 2021

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) announces new spring and summer education programs. Discover a new skill, conduct a science experiment, or create a work of art in a program with the National Lakeshore. Try one of the options below for students to learn about their park!

Activity Kits

Schools and youth groups visiting this year can reserve a teacher-led activity kit. These kits have single-use activities to extend learning opportunities. The Great Lakes Health Kit has six activities to explore water and ecosystem health. The Anishinaabek Skills and Lifeways Kit has three activities. This curriculum celebrates the Anishinaabek culture through skills and games. Activities are for grades kindergarten through eighth. Contact slbe_education@nps.gov to reserve a kit (https://www.nps.gov/slbe/learn/education/classrooms/self-guidedactivities.htm).

Classroom Lessons

The Lakeshore is launching a lesson menu which revolves around the Anishinaabek connection to the Lakeshore. Teachers can mix and match lessons together to create a diverse curriculum that meets the needs of a dynamic classroom. The lessons can support students in both at-home and classroom learning environments (https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/anishinaabek-curriculum-menu.htm).

Live Virtual Lessons

Watersheds, animal adaptations, glaciers, and local history; these are all topics of distance learning programs offered by Sleeping Bear Dunes. These free education programs meet state and national learning standards. Teachers, youth groups, or summer camps can schedule these lessons to support classroom curriculums. Many programs have overlapping content and can be scheduled as a series to explore topics on a deeper level.

All programs have a ranger-facilitated hands-on activity. The activity can be done at home or in the classroom. Many programs have a pre- and post-visit activity to be used as a learning extension. The programs are great for students but also for summer camps, youth groups, and homeschool learners as well. Programs will be offered throughout the summer (https://www.nps.gov/slbe/learn/education/distance-learning.htm).

Audio descriptions are included in the programs and live captioning is available to support students from all learning styles.

Sign up for a virtual program, request classroom lessons, or receive a teacher-led kit.



Last updated: May 24, 2021

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