NPS Photo Healthy History Gets Kids Outside From hunting and gathering to building a Timucuan living structure, students frolicked, foraged and found a new appreciation for surviving in the Florida wilderness at Fort Caroline National Memorial. This spring, over 1,300 elementary school students visited the park with the help of a grant from the National Park Foundation. Upon their arrival, students were divided into Timucua families and chose a chief to lead them through their adventures. Equipped with pedometers to measure their physical activity, students participated in various activities including; experiencing the struggle to find enough simulated edible plant and animal life to feed their families, and the labor intensive work involved in constructing a place to live. They did all this while fighting off pesky mosquitos and gaining a deeper understanding of how the Timucua people survived and thrived for thousands of years in Northeast Florida. Don't take our word for it though; here are what some of the students had to say about their day as a Timucuan: "You all gave great information about Timucuan Indians how they survived and lived in the wilderness. I'm not usually a wilderness person but I am now." "Your pedometer made me want to walk state to state." "When we had to go eat I was mad, I wanted to see a little more of the place" "I like all of the activities that we did. My team won the first activity by working as a team. You guys made it all fun." "I learned a lot about the Timucuan Indians how they ate, what they ate, and where they live. If I had to pick my favorite part I couldn't because in the whole part I learned and had fun." Students walked over 323,848 steps at the park over the course of the healthy history program and enjoyed doing it! At Fort Caroline National Memorial, learning is interactive and lots of fun! |
Last updated: July 17, 2020