Full Description

Now you can foster an appreciation of the world's diverse cultures and environments at the same time that you teach science and social studies. With The World's Best Places, Mike Graf offers an intriguing alternative to traditional upper elementary and middle school lesson plans, using thirty-two of the world's most popular natural national parks as a springboard for activities.

The activities in this book are divided into chapters that deal with particular topics of study: wildlife, plantlife, geography, and geology. The book can be easily organized around your own curriculum and is as flexible as you want to make it. You can explore the volcanic activity of a particular park to support a science unit on geology; or examine the effect of human activity on the environment to complement a social studies inquiry. Step-by-step instructions illustrate how the activities can be implemented to teach a range of other topics including:

• glaciers
• endangered species
• indigenous cultures
• forest preservation and destruction
• ecosystems
• biological diversity
• and much more.

In short, The World's Best Places will help you lead your students from curiosity to experience, from questions to knowledge, and from information to grand classroom displays.

Additional Resource Information

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Contents

Contents:
1. Teaching in Context and Making Connections
2. Getting Started
3. Wildlife Projects
4. Plant Life Projects
5. Geography and Geology Projects
Appendix A: Park Descriptions
Appendix B: The National Park Fair