10 ways to celebrate National Park Week in your middle school classroom

It’s National Park Week! Celebrate the United States National Parks every day, but especially from April 17-25 during National Park Week. Here are 10 great ways you can celebrate National Park Week in your middle school classroom:

1. If your school is near a National Park, volunteer. There are opportunities for middle school children (with written consent from their parents, of course), to help make the National Parks a better place for everyone! Students younger than 13 can become Junior Rangers and take a more personal ownership of their local National Park.
2. Visit a park, either in person or virtually. If you don’t live near a National Park, there are many ways your middle school students can explore what the parks have to offer virtually. Show a video, read a book, or take a virtual tour. Even if you live near a National Park, take a virtual tour of one very far away that your students likely wouldn’t know about – some of my favorites are Yellowstone,  Glacier Bay National Park,  Death Valley, and the Everglades.
3. Have each student or group of students create a slideshow about one National Park and share with their class. Let them include famous attractions, things to see, and how to get there.
4. Share your National Park experiences on social media. Use the hashtags #NationalParkWeek and #FindYourPark. Let your students explore  what other people have shared about their favorite parks.
5. Learn about health and how National Parks help keep everyone healthier, mentally and physically.  Have students create an infographic on why we need parks.
6. Have your students write a poem, draw a picture or poster about National Parks.
7. Locate the National Parks on a map. Have students map out a road trip to see as many of them as possible.
8. Hold a fundraiser for The National Park Foundation. Sell cookies, themed masks, or homework passes – whatever you can!
9. Celebrate Earth Day by learning about the integral part National Parks play in environmental protection. Research the history of the National Parks to learn about their creation.
10. Celebrate our Country’s heritage by exploring how many cultures have joined together to become one nation.

How will you celebrate National Park week in your middle school classroom?

Image credit: Photo by Sandra Seitamaa on Unsplash.  Photo by Christian Lucas on Unsplash