The National Park Service announced its launching of an online service for teachers that provides a one-stop shop for curriculum-based lesson plans, activities, distance learning and other resources.
The website offers opportunities for students and teachers across all of America’s national parks, the park service said in a news release.
“Gettysburg National Military Park has long welcomed area students to the park for field trips,” said Bob Kirby, park superintendent. “And now, through the new ‘Teachers’ National Park Service website, all 401 national parks are throwing open the doors and inviting teachers and students to learn about all the parks.”
The site, according to the release, is searchable by location, keyword and more than 125 subjects, including archaeology, biology and constitutional law. And teachers can now rate the park service’s content.
The site also features educational material created by park service programs like the National Register of Historic Places and its award-winning Teaching with Historic Places series.
Additionally, the Gettysburg National Military Park is offering eight ranger field programs for middle school students this fall, according to the news release.
The free programs include a walk across the fields of Pickett’s Charge, a visit to the John Slyder farm or the set-up of a Civil War-era field hospital, the release states. The programs are offered from Sept. 30 through Nov. 1. Each program includes a booklet of classroom preparation materials that fit into social studies, language arts and character education initiatives.
For more information, visit the park’s website and download the park service reservation forms or call the park’s educational specialist at 717-338-4422 to find out what dates are available this fall.
According to the release, the National Park Service offers more than 57,000 educational programs that serve nearly 3 million students every year in addition to 563,000 interpretive programs attended by 12.6 million visitors.