Banff National Park Lesson Plan for 8th Grade Example Students

Topic: Banff national park

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will understand the safety guidelines and wildlife in Banff national park.

Materials

• Pictures of Banff national park
• Safety guidelines for visiting a national park
• Handouts with information on the wildlife in Banff national park

Warm-up

• Write the following questions on the board:How do you stay safe when visiting a national park?What animals can you find in a national park?
• Ask the students to raise their hands to answer the questions.

Direct Instruction

• Explain that a national park is a protected area of land with natural features, such as mountains, forests, and wildlife.
• Discuss the importance of following safety guidelines when visiting a national park, such as staying on designated trails, not picking up wildlife or feeding them, and not leaving any valuables in your vehicle.
• Discuss the wildlife that can be found in a national park, including the wildlife unique to the area.

Guided Practice:

• Have students work in small groups to research a specific activity that can be done in a national park. For example, one group could research hiking and another could research wildlife viewing.
• Have each group present their activity to the class and discuss the safety guidelines and wildlife to expect.

Independent Practice:

• Have students choose one activity to do in a national park and create a project that demonstrates their understanding of the safety guidelines and wildlife to expect. For example, a student could create a safety checklist for hiking and a poster on the wildlife found in their chosen national park.

Closure:

• Review the objectives and have students share what they learned about safety guidelines and wildlife in national parks.

Assessment:

• Observe students during the independent practice and provide feedback on their understanding of the safety guidelines and wildlife found in the national park.
• Collect the presentations and use them to assess the students' understanding of the topic.