Imagine your students gathered at the McLean House in Appomattox, reading a firsthand account of the events of April 9, 1865 when Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered his men to Ulysses Grant. Or picture them exploring the archeological site of the first permanent English settlement in North America discussing Jamestown and its people -- English, Europeans, Native Americans and Africans. Watch history and science come to life as students collect, analyze, and compare data from water quality tests to assess the health of a stream community in the Shenandoah Valley ecosystem. Whether teaching history, science, language arts, art, or math, National Parks can help enliven your curriculum by providing opportunities for students to learn through structured resource-based experiences that teach about the natural world and the people and events that shaped the nation.

Since its establishment in 1916, the National Park Service has held education to be central to its mission to "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations" (16 USC 1). Throughout the first half of the century, education efforts focused on cultivating a national constituency supportive of agency goals. In the mid-1960s, the National Park Service responded to the country's growing interest in environmental issues by launching environmental education programs at national parks throughout the country. A decade later, public interest in the country's bicentennial resulted in the creation of history-based education programs at sites with thematic links to the nation's founding.

In 1992, responding to new national education goals and increased interest in authentic learning, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation launched Parks as ClassroomsŪ, an agency-wide educational initiative that strives to help teachers make history, science, art, and culture come to life through structured learning experiences that bring students to parks and park resources into classrooms. Last year, over one million students participated in Parks as ClassroomsŪ programs developed through partnerships between teachers and staff at national parks throughout the country.

Today, curriculum-based education programs are recognized and supported as an essential part of National Park programming. The Northeast Region of the National Park Service is committed to helping teachers respond to demands brought about by education reform, and has set a goal for every site in the region to offer at least one curriculum-based program with the intent of engaging every student in a curriculum-based park experience before high school graduation.

About Exploring the Real Thing

Exploring the Real Thing supports the Northeast Region's strategic plan by providing teachers with information on curriculum-based programs and materials offered by national parks in Virginia. The guide includes descriptions of park education programs, as well as a list of resources recommended by teachers who use National Parks as part of their curriculum.

The structure of Exploring the Real Thing is straightforward. National parks are listed alphabetically in the Table of Contents. Beneath each park is a listing of the site's education programs and the pages on which you can find detailed program information. The first page of each park entry includes a description of the site's principal themes and resources, location, and educational programming season. Subsequent pages include descriptions of each program offered, and follow a similar format intended to help you determine the learning experiences most appropriate for your students. Program descriptions include:

Overview: Summary of the program theme, sequence of activities, role of park staff, and program length.

Ties to the Curriculum: Links between the program and Virginia Standards of Learning.

Target Audience: Suitability of program for different grade levels.

Class Size: Maximum number of students accommodated by one program, including chaperon requirement.

Cost: Program fee, including all pre- and post-visit materials.

Availability: Time of year program is offered.

Accessibility: Information on accessibility of site resources to wheelchair users.

Food: Description of on-site eating facilities and availability of food service providers within walking distance of the park.

Restrooms: Availability and accessibility of restrooms.

Reserving a Program: Information on how and when to reserve a program.

Directions/Parking: Directions for getting to the park by car/bus and public transportation.

The guide closes with a comprehensive list of student and teacher resources recommended by educators who use and/or work at national parks in Virginia. In general, resources are classified by Standard of Learning and arranged alphabetically by author's last name.

Exploring the Real Thing was developed with the belief that national parks offer opportunities for students to learn content and skills through structured learning experiences that explore the extraordinary natural and cultural resources preserved and interpreted by the National Park Service. We hope you will use this guide to make national parks part of your school curriculum.