Student Activities

Glen Haven Pre-visit Activity

Grade Level:: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Subject:: Social Studies

Overview

The Glen Haven tour is designed to supplement classroom learning and bring history to life by providing students with new, first-hand experiences relating to Michigan’s maritime heritage through the mission of the National Park Service to “…preserve and protect…”

Practicing to step back in time will help the students transition to the idea of stepping back in time when they arrive in Glen Haven. Learning the historic significance of Glen Haven and/or the Life-Saving Service creates a context for students and helps them appreciate that park policies and regulations exist for the purposes of resource protection and preservation. Learning the historic significance of Glen Haven and/or the Life-Saving Service creates a context for students and helps them appreciate that park policies and regulations exist for the purposes of resource protection and preservation.

Duration

30 minutes

Procedure

Grades 1-2
Step back in time in your classroom about 100 years. Find one item that would not be in your classroom 100 years ago (computer, white board, markers, television, telephone, etc) find one item that would be in your classroom 100 years ago (desk, windows, door, teacher, etc).
Visit the “History and Culture” navigation link on our website, https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm, next find the Glen Haven link. In the Glen Haven page find 2 forms of transportation that would have been common 100 years ago.
Describe how you would have traveled to Glen Haven from your home/school 100 years ago.
Each student could share their answers with the rest of the class.

Grades 2-5
Find historic Glen Haven and/or the Sleeping Bear Point Life-saving Station/Maritime Museum information on our website, https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm, or http://uslife-savingservice.org/about-us/introduction-to-the-uslss/
Can you guess what kind of jobs would be necessary to live there 100 years ago? Describe which job you would like to do if you lived there 100 years ago or draw a picture of yourself at work or home 100 years ago.
Each student could share their answers/drawings with the rest of the class.

Extensions

Grades 2-5
During the process of hunting for the answers to their questions, many students will find other things about the Lakeshore that intrigue them. Have students choose a park-related topic to investigate in depth, then create a product such as a poem, the retelling of a story, a drawing, report, etc.

Have students explore statistics about the various types and numbers of parks within their county, state, or country.

Last updated: October 6, 2017