Part of the Hoosier History & Indiana State Parks Elementary School Curriculum Series
Key objectives
In this unit, students will engage in career planning and trip planning related to State Parks. They will also understand their power as citizens of Indiana to advocate and make changes to help the environment and protect Indiana State Parks into the next century. Whether you want to work, play or volunteer at a park, Indiana State Parks welcomes you.
Featured state parks
Key resources
Activity 1: Working at a Park
People of all interests and backgrounds work for Indiana State Parks. Activity Length: 20 minutes.
- Background
Indiana State Parks is made up of a diverse group of people with a variety of abilities, interests and educational backgrounds. There are jobs for people who enjoy writing, math, science, history, art and physical education. There are jobs for people who want to be in the outdoors year-round and for those who prefer an office setting. Many full-time jobs require a college degree and related experience. You might enjoy working for Indiana State Parks if you enjoy working with and helping people, and caring for our natural resources.
- Vocabulary, materials required, focus questions
Vocabulary
Diverse: Having a lot of variety and differences.
Natural Resources: Occurring in environments that exist relatively undisturbed by people. Natural resources are characterized by amounts of biological diversity and geological diversity existent in various ecosystems.Materials required
Focus questions
- What do you want to do as a career? What subjects are important for that career? What activities that you currently enjoy would help you with that career?
- Step-by-step directions
1. Complete the career survey to determine a potentially suitable career for you.
Activity 2: Playing at a Park
There are many state park and reservoir properties offering a variety of locations, activities and places to stay. Students will select a park that best fits their interests and plan a 3-day trip. Activity Length: 90 minutes (can be broken into multiple sessions).
- Background
Every park is unique in what a visitor can see and do. There are parks with large forests, lakes, rivers or prairies. There are parks with historic mills, an Indian village, or a fort. There are parks that offer long hiking trails, boating, a water park, or horseback riding. Parks offer a variety of places to stay: camping, cabins or at an inn. There are many sources of information to help plan a park trip. Planning ahead will ensure that the visitor and the park are a perfect match.
- Vocabulary, materials required, focus questions
Vocabulary
Inn: hotel
Mill: a building with machinery to grind grain
Prairie: a large grasslandMaterials required
- Worksheet: Playing at a Park
- Pencil
- Indiana State Highway map (internet or paper)
- Recreation Guide
- State Parks Property/trail Maps
Focus questions
- What activities do you enjoy at a park or outdoors? Where would you like to travel to?
- Step-by-step directions
- Fill out the “What do you enjoy? Where would you like to stay?” survey.
- Using the Recreation Guide’s Facility Chart, find a park that offers your top three activities and your top type of accommodation (inn, cabin, camping).
- Find the park’s location on a state highway map. Plan the route you would take to get there from where you live. What roads would you take? How many miles do you have to travel? How long will it take to get there?
- Download the map for your selected park. After reading the park’s description, describe the landforms (hilly, flat, canyons), water features (lakes, rivers, streams), you might find.
- Looking at the park map’s Description of Trails and Activities and Facilities list, plan what activities you would like to do during your visit.
Activity 3: Being a Park Citizen
Students will understand and demonstrate civic responsibility by volunteering at a State Park, local community park or at their school. Civic Virtues discussion and worksheet: 20 minutes. Volunteering: variable depending on the task.
- Background
Parks need you! Indiana State Parks offer some of the best examples of historic and natural Indiana, but they need your help. Volunteering in your community or nearby State Park is part of being a good citizen and makes sure that future generations have even better opportunities. Volunteering at a park can include:
- Pulling up invasive plants
- Serving as a receptionist at an interpretive/nature center
- Caring for live animals
- Checking bluebird nest boxes
- Working in an educational garden
- Picking up litter
- Vocabulary, materials required, focus questions
Vocabulary
Citizen: a person who lives in a particular place or country
Community: a group of people living in the same place
Generation: a group of people all born at about the same time
Invasive plants: a plant that did not originally grow here and is invading the area
Volunteer: a person who offers to do a task without payMaterials Required
- Pencil
- Worksheet: Citizen
- Supplies for volunteer project. (ex: trash bags, garden gloves, cleaning products for graffiti removal)
Focus Questions
What is volunteering? What are some ways that you can help a state park, your school or your community? How can your personal actions (or inaction) help or hurt your community?
- Step-by-step directions
- Discuss and provide examples of civic virtues using the worksheet.
- Contact a nearby state park or other park and learn about volunteer opportunities (see resources)
- Volunteer at a state park, community park or at your school. Some possible projects:
a. Litter pick-up
b. Invasive plant removal
c. Graffiti removal
Resources
- Volunteer Web Site
- Volunteer Brochure
- Contact a park near you and learn what volunteer options are available.
