Last weekend twenty-four educators became the students at Leesylvania State Park. Chief Ranger Sarah Phillips, organized the teacher training event and invited local teachers to participate.
Led by Park Interpreter, John Steinbach and Project Learning Tree Coordinator, Joy Green the classes last week-end were a huge success. Teachers are now looking forward to bringing their students back to the park for engaging field trips that will reinforce classroom lessons about Chesapeake nature and put hands on fun into learning.
Here is more information about the programs:
Leesylvania State Park offers training programs for teachers looking for continuing education opportunities. The programs are based on the Virginia State Parks “Back Yard Classroom” (YBC) curriculum, specifically developed for outdoor classroom use.
Introduction to the Virginia State Parks “Your Backyard Classroom” series is a 4-hour course that introduces teachers to several different types of lessons and activities that can be done at our park. It is a great way to plan a productive field trip that meets SOL requirements while emphasizing hands on, inquiry-based learning. Topics covered include exploring the natural environment, developing watershed activities, protecting the Chesapeake Bay, understanding populations and food webs, history of the land and more. Following the YBC class, “Project Learning Tree” is a 4-hour K-8 teacher education course emphasizing developing ‘hands on’ learning activities focused on our natural world and water resources.
These programs introduce K-8 teachers to dozens of exciting classroom lesson plans. In addition, we discuss and demonstrate the various tools, equipment and other resources available from the Discovery Center at a premier nature parkin Virginia.
Lesson plans are aligned to current Virginia State Standards of Learning, and are appropriate to teachers at all grade levels. If you are interested in participating, please contact Sarah Phillips at [email protected]