There are so many great resources for teachers! We love to share some lessons and ideas for Social Studies(and Psychology) teachers!
The National Parks Service Web Rangers has some great activities for students. The activities are under the following categories:
Click on the following links to see how the activities can be used with middle school and high school students.
- 1753 – 1754: Adventures of a Young George Washington (Very Good): This is a good activity that looks at George Washington’s mission to ask the French to leave forts in the disputed Ohio River Valley.
- April 18, 1775: National Parks Service: A Patriot Spy (EXCELLENT) This is an an activity that takes the student through the streets of Boston on the evening of April 18, 1775. There is great use of primary sources and it is very engaging for the students. Lesson Time (35 – 50 minutes) (Additional WebRanger Activities)
- 1809 – 1865: National Parks Service: Help Lincoln Get to the White House – Very Good. The NPS does a great job presenting the important events of the timeline interactive. It takes the student on an interactive journey of Abraham Lincoln’s life from birth to his death
Chronological
People
Title/Description (Difficulty Leve)l
Ancestral Pueblo People (1100s – 1500s): Explore the world of Ancestral Pueblo people of New Mexico (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/bandelier/
Civil War Soldier (1861): Soldier Choose a side! Be a soldier in the Civil War. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/civilwar/
Finding Edison: How did Thomas Edison change YOUR life? (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/edison/
George Washington’s Secret Code: Decode Washington’s secret messages. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/georgewashcode/
Help Lincoln Get to the White House: Follow Abraham Lincoln’s path to the white house. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/lincoln2/
Presidents: Match childhood photos of past Presidents (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/presidents/
Sent Away: Acadians in Exile: What if you had to leave home forever? (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/acadians/
The Patriot Spy: Deliver a message to Paul Revere. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/patriot/
Who Are We? Find out what an American looks like. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/whoarewe/
Who Said That? Learn about 10 famous Americans. (Medium)
Young Abraham Lincoln: Find facts about our young Abraham Lincoln. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/abelincoln/
Young George Washington’s Adventures (1753): Follow 21 yr. old George Washington adventure’s in 1753. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/youngwashington/
History
Ancestral Pueblo People (1100s – 1500s): Explore the world of Ancestral Pueblo people of New Mexico (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/bandelier/
Arctic Artifacts:What were these artifacts used for? (Medium)
Lonk: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/artifact/
Civil War Soldier (1861): Soldier Choose a side! Be a soldier in the Civil War. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/civilwar/
Dendrochronology: Learn to tell time with tree rings. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/dendrochronology/
Finding Edison: How did Thomas Edison change YOUR life? (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/edison/
George Washington’s Secret Code: Decode Washington’s secret messages. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/georgewashcode/
Help Lincoln Get to the White House: Follow Abraham Lincoln’s path to the white house. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/lincoln2/
Homestead WebRanger Challenge: Abraham Lincoln opened up the west for settlement through the Homestead Act (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/homestead/
Independence Oddities: Spot the things that don’t belong. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/independence/
Photo Explore: Discover secrets hidden in old photographs. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/photo/
Powder Monkey: Set sail on a Navy war ship in 1812! (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/powdermonkey/
Presidents: Match childhood photos of past Presidents (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/presidents/
Protect the Harbor: Where would you build the fort? (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/protectharbor/
Sent Away: Acadians in Exile: What if you had to leave home forever? (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/acadians/
Stories from the Past: Tell a story with rock art. Hard
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/storiespast/
The National Park Service Uniform: Learn about the many National Park Service uniforms. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/uniforms/
The Patriot Spy: Deliver a message to Paul Revere. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/patriot/
The Puma Challenge: What is a puma? Be one. Find out. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/puma/
Whaling Adventure: Set sail on a whaling voyage around the world (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/newbedwhale/
Who Said That? Learn about 10 famous Americans. (Medium)
World Heritage Matters: Discover the different types of special heritage sites around the world (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/world_heritage/
Yesterday and Today: Compare modern tools with ancient ones. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/yesterdaytoday/
Young Abraham Lincoln: Find facts about our young Abraham Lincoln. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/abelincoln/
Young George Washington’s Adventures (1753): Follow 21 yr. old George Washington adventure’s in 1753. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/youngwashington/
Nature
Dendrochronology: Learn to tell time with tree rings. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/dendrochronology/
Dino Diets: Match the dinosaurs with their dinners. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/dinodiets/
Fire Story: There’s a fire in a National Park! (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/fire/
Hiking Safety: Hike a real trail and learn about safety (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/hiking-safety/
Investigating Global Connections: There’s something happening here. Discover what it is. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/global_connect/
Know Your Parks: Test your park smarts. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/parkjeopardy/
Name That Park: Add map layers for clues, then name the parks. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/namethatpark/
Ocean Life Matching Game: Test your memory and learn about ocean life… (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/oceans_matching/
Reading a Map: Find your way to adventure. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/oceans_matching/
Rip Currents: Learn about dangerous rip currents and how to stay safe (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/ripcurrents/
Rock Around the Park: What shapes your world? Find out. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/rockpark/
Swimming for Home: Be the fish – get home safely. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/swimhome/
The Bald Eagle: Protect America’s National Symbol. (Hard)
The Disappearing Dark Sky: Learn how to save the stars. Hard
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/darksky/
The Great Smoky Mountain Rebus: Solve puzzles to learn about the park. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/smokeymountian/
The Puma Challenge: What is a puma? Be one. Find out. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/puma/
The Secret Garden: the hidden world of seagrasses… (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/seagrasses/
The Ten Essentials: Have fun and be safe in your parks. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/essentials/
Trash Talking: Is it trash or can it be recycled? (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/trashtalk/
Turtle Hurdles: Help baby turtles find the ocean. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/turtlehurdles/
Water Exploration: Explore parks that manage and protect water areas (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/waterexploration/
Water Quality: You test the water. Is it clean? (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/waterquality/
What to Pack: Pick what to pack for a safe hike. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/whattopack/
Who Am I? Guess the animals in your parks. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/who/
Wildlife in Yellowstone’s Winter: Discover how animals spend the winter. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/yellowstonewinter/
World Heritage Matters: Discover the different types of special heritage sites around the world (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/world_heritage/
Puzzles
Alpha Codes: Parks have code names. Break the code. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/alphacodes/
George Washington’s Secret Code: Decode Washington’s secret messages. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/georgewashcode/
Independence Oddities: Spot the things that don’t belong. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/independence/
Ocean Life Matching Game: Test your memory and learn about ocean life… (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/oceans_matching/
Scavenger Hunt: Find and collect clues on the WebRanger site. (Special Activity)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/scavenger_preview.cfm
Semaphore: Wave a flag, send a message. (Hard)
Signal Flag: Decode messages on the high seas. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/signalflag/
The Great Smoky Mountain Rebus: Solve puzzles to learn about the park. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/smokeymountian/
The Ten Essentials: Have fun and be safe in your parks. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/essentials/
The Ten Essentials: Have fun and be safe in your parks. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/essentials/
Who Am I? Guess the animals in your parks. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/who/
Science
Dino Diets: Match the dinosaurs with their dinners. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/dinodiets/
Exploring the Science of Climate Change: What could be causing the change? (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/climate2/
Exploring Tidepools: Join rangers to search for ocean life. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/tidepool/
Finding Edison: How did Thomas Edison change YOUR life? (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/edison/
Investigating Global Connections: There’s something happening here. Discover what it is. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/global_connect/
Map Match: Rangers use many maps. Which will you use? (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/mapmatch/
Ocean Life Matching Game: Test your memory and learn about ocean life… (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/oceans_matching/
Rock Around the Park: What shapes your world? Find out. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/rockpark/
The Secret Garden: the hidden world of seagrasses… (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/seagrasses/
Water Quality: You test the water. Is it clean? (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/waterquality/
What Can You Do? You can make a difference. Discover how. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/climate3/
Parks
Ancestral Pueblo People (1100s – 1500s): Explore the world of Ancestral Pueblo people of New Mexico (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/bandelier/
Alpha Codes: Parks have code names. Break the code. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/alphacodes/
Fire Story: There’s a fire in a National Park! (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/fire/
Fire Tools: Learn about forest fire fighting tools. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/firetools/
Help a Ranger What do rangers do? Find out by helping. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/helpranger/
Know Your Parks: Test your park smarts. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/parkjeopardy/
Name That Park: Add map layers for clues, then name the parks. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/namethatpark/
Pack a Dog: Sled Get ready for a ranger patrol in Alaska. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/packdogsled/
Protect the Harbor: Where would you build the fort? (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/protectharbor/
Reading a Map: Find your way to adventure. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/oceans_matching/
Rip Currents: Learn about dangerous rip currents and how to stay safe (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/ripcurrents/
Scavenger Hunt: Find and collect clues on the WebRanger site. (Special Activity)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/scavenger_preview.cfm
The Great Smoky Mountain Rebus: Solve puzzles to learn about the park. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/smokeymountian/
The National Park Service Uniform: Learn about the many National Park Service uniforms. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/uniforms/
The Ten Essentials: Have fun and be safe in your parks. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/essentials/
Water Exploration: Explore parks that manage and protect water areas (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/waterexploration/
What to Pack: Pick what to pack for a safe hike. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/whattopack/
Wildlife in Yellowstone’s Winter: Discover how animals spend the winter. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/yellowstonewinter/
World Heritage Matters: Discover the different types of special heritage sites around the world (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/world_heritage/
You’re in Charge: Be the boss at a National Park. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/superintendent/
Animals
Dino Diets: Match the dinosaurs with their dinners. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/dinodiets/
Help a Ranger What do rangers do? Find out by helping. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/helpranger/
Ocean Life Matching Game: Test your memory and learn about ocean life… (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/oceans_matching/
Pack a Dog: Sled Get ready for a ranger patrol in Alaska. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/packdogsled/
Sled Dog: Patrol Pick the best team for the job. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/sleddog/
Swimming for Home: Be the fish – get home safely. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/swimhome/
The Bald Eagle: Protect America’s National Symbol. (Hard)
The Puma Challenge: What is a puma? Be one. Find out. (Hard)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/puma/
The Secret Garden: the hidden world of seagrasses… (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/seagrasses/
Tracking at White Sands: Read the stories in the sand. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/whitesands/
Turtle Hurdles: Help baby turtles find the ocean. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/turtlehurdles/
Whaling Adventure: Set sail on a whaling voyage around the world (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/newbedwhale/
Who Am I? Guess the animals in your parks. (Easy)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/who/
Wildlife in Yellowstone’s Winter: Discover how animals spend the winter. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/yellowstonewinter/
World Heritage Matters: Discover the different types of special heritage sites around the world (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/world_heritage/
You’re in Charge: Be the boss at a National Park. (Medium)
Link: https://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/superintendent/
- Alpha Codes Parks have code names. Break the code. Easy
- Ancestral Pueblo People Ancestral Pueblo People. Explore the world of Ancestral Pueblo people of New Mexico Hard
- Fire Story There’s a fire in a National Park! Medium
- Fire Tools Learn about forest fire fighting tools. Easy
- Help a Ranger What do rangers do? Find out by helping. Medium
- Know Your Parks: Test your park smarts. Medium This is simple 5 minute jeopardy style interactive.
- Name That Park Add map layers for clues, then name the parks. Hard
- Pack a Dog Sled Get ready for a ranger patrol in Alaska. Easy
- Protect the Harbor Where would you build the fort? Easy
- Reading a Map Find your way to adventure. Medium
- Rip Currents Learn about dangerous rip currents and how to stay safe Medium
- Scavenger Hunt Find and collect clues on the WebRanger site Special
- The Great Smoky Mountain Rebus Solve puzzles to learn about the park. Medium
- National Parks Service Uniform: Learn about the many National Park Service uniforms. Medium
- The Ten Essentials: Have fun and be safe in your parks. Medium
- Water Exploration Explore parks that manage and protect water areas Easy
- What to Pack What to pack for a safe hike. Easy
- Wildlife in Yellowstone’s Winter Discover how animals spend the winter. Medium
- World Heritage Matters Discover the different types of special heritage sites around the world Medium
- You’re in Charge You’re in Charge Be the boss at a National Park. Medium