Okarche Elementary School’s Halli Flord and Megan Henderson have turned to the great outdoors to teach their students the wonders of national treasures and history.
The two fourth-grade educators three years ago began a program that brings national parks and historic sites to life for their students, an innovative approach to teaching Oklahoma social studies curriculum, administrators said.
Flord and Henderson each year choose a site and then extensively research it, including reaching out to park rangers and others involved with a particular national park or historic site.
In return, national parks and historic site personnel send the two teachers and their students myriad items – including things like letters, patches, maps, brochures, post cards, pencils, bookmarks, stickers and junior ranger workbooks.
With information in hand, Flord and Henderson turn it all over to their students, who develop a presentation, write a report and create a brochure and poster.
That’s not the end of the experience, however – students then create an “information booth” that visitors – their fellow students, parents, teachers, staff and others – can come by to learn more about their particular subject, as fourth graders serve as “rangers,” Flord and Henderson said. It’s a great way for the children to learn about something they might never otherwise experience, while also having the opportunity to share their knew knowledge with others.
“Our students always have embraced the challenge and made it a great experience,” Henderson said.
Students also have ways to expand on the lessons learned in their fourth grade classes, thanks to a National Park Foundation program, “Every Kid Outdoors.”
That program is a federal public lands initiative aimed at not only promoting interest in national parks but also getting fourth graders and their families out into the wild to see those resources up close. “Every Kid Outdoors” provides a free national park pass to fourth graders – passes that can be obtained and printed online. The free pass is good for an entire year.
Passes are available Sept. 1 of each year to incoming fourth graders and are available to home-schooled children, as well.
According to the National Parks Service, there are a few guidelines concerning the passes:
- Show your pass to a ranger when you enter. If there is no ranger, leave it on the dashboard of your car.
- If you visit a site that charges entrance fees per person— The pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults for free.
- If your group visits a site that charges vehicle entrance fees – The pass admits all children under 16 and all adults in up to one passenger vehicle. Commercial vehicles can’t use a pass to get in.
- If you arrive at a site on bicycle— The pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults on bicycles.
- The pass doesn’t cover things like parking fees, camping, boats, and special tours. Also, private operators manage some sites. They may not honor the pass. Check with the site ahead of time to find out.
- The pass doesn’t cover fees for local, city or state parks and recreation areas unless they say that they accept this pass.
- Paper passes can be exchanged for plastic passes at certain sites.
Passes are available online at https://www.everykidoutdoors.gov.
