In class, we read about the importance of protecting National Parks. The Reading Wonders curriculum has a story about how John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt collaborated in creating the National Park System. I had my kids research a park that they, themselves, would like to both visit and manage if they had the chance. Their answers were inserted into a Google Slide deck, which I then printed and had the kids glue onto their poster boards, in addition to photos of the park that they selected.
The kids were tasked with answering open-ended questions such as:
-How does my park promote the common good?
-What resources will need to be purchased with tax funds in order to keep my park operating?
I wanted to spiral in social studies standards with the reading content on this activity. It was a fun, inquiry-based activity that greatly benefited my kids by having them connect the reading content to social studies-based materials. We had a lot of fun!
Adam Mullins
Nancy Elementary School
Pulaski County Schools
5th Grade
