PARTNERING WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE

As participants in the Michigan Teaching Excellence Program (MiTEP), several teachers were able to partner with park rangers at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. While there the teachers collaborated with park staff on what could be beneficial to the park, people who visit the park and also for teachers who would like to teach lessons based on the geology of the National Lakeshore. Teachers developed podcasts for the park and lesson plans that could be used at the park with visiting students but also adapted for classrooms throughout the country.

It is the intent of MiTEP to improve earth science education, both in Michigan and beyond. Through place-based experiences, the teachers have been improving their educational techniques by integrating and applying what they have learned into the classroom. The sense of place was very evident at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Through hiking, exploring, and talking to people of interest, teachers were stimulated in their learning of geosciences as well as the history and culture of the people. The partnership with the National Park was an experience that will benefit not only students in the classroom but the park and the people who visit it.