An Activity Guide for Teachers: Everglades National Park"
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DOCUMENT RESUXE ZD 347 083 SE 052 866 AUTHOR De Jong, Neil, Comp. TITLE An Activity Guide fOr Teachers:Everglades National Park. Grades 4-6. INSTITUTION Everglades National Park, Homestead, FL.;Florida Advisory Council on EZvironmentalEducation, Tallahassee. PUB DATE 91 NOTE AVAILABLE FROMFlorida National Parks and MonumentsAssociation, P.O. Box 279, Homestead, FL 33030(014.95 plus tax and handling). PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use- Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052)-- Tests/Evaluation Instruments (160) EDRS FRICE m1jno9 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Conservation (Environment); *Ecology;Endangered Species; Environmental Education;Estuaries; *Interdisciplinary Approach; IntermediateGrades; *Learning Activities; Natural Resources;Outdoor Education; Plants (Botany); ScienceEducation; Water; Water Pollution; Water Quality;*Water Resources; Wildlife IDENTIFIERS Biological Diversity; EnvironmentalAction; Environmental Awareness; *EnvironmentalIssues; *Environmental Managemant; EnvironmentalProblems; Habitats; National Parks ABSTRACT Everglades National Park is recognizedas one of the most threatened National Parksin the country. Human and technological intervention has affectedthe park's water resources, fauna and flora through the introactionof foreign species. This curriculum-based activity guide is intendedfor intermediate grade students. It has been designed froma myriad of educational activities mutually created byclassroom teachers and park stafx,and used in the park's Environmental Education program. It is designedto meet the needs of teachers andstudents who may never visit thepark as well as for on-site lessons aboutthe everglades ecosystem. The document presents the following: (1)four activities to introduce students to the purpose of the NationalPark System, and basic concepts associated with the Evergladesecosystem; (2) six activities that introduce components ofthe ecosystem, the interrelationof these components, andrecommendations for futureuse of the environment that will impact thesecomponents; (3) seven activities that focus on the importance of plants and trees in theEverglades, and an evaluation schemeconcerning future hunan impactupon them; (4) 12 activities that focuson the wildlife of the Everglades food chains; (5) eight activitiesinvolving the issues of timing, quantity, quality, and distributionof water resources in the Everglades; and (6) a seriesof appendices that providebackground information for the activities,supplementary activities,songs, a vocabulary of common Everglade and ecological terms, and a.listof resource materials and bibliography.Each lesson plan begins witha section containing pertinentsubject areas, length of activity, location, and key vocabulary. Thissection is followed by instructional objectives and methods,background information, materials, procedures, andan evaluation section. (MCO) An Activity Guide forTeachers: ot, Everglades National Park Grades 4=6 ; 7/5-77,/ 1'71' I"PERMISSION TO REFRODLCE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF foment)* THIS olive ducal one) Resemich end Inevoleffiera MATERIAL HAS SEEN GRANTEDBY EDUCATIONAL RE sougc ES staTORMAT/ON CENTER tERIQ Neil De Jona X The document hasteen fetwoduced as feceAved Nom the person 01 ofstanuatton or /a Welt) r 44,^0, Changes have been made to Imotote reproduction quetaly ITO THE EDUCATIONAL Pfunta Q wee of awrifte stated In Ms docv RESOURCES man, Oa n0 necessarily represent &boat INFORMATION CENTER IERICI." OEM ooturton of mots Alra. ST Y tymm This material hasbeen preparedby Everglades National Environmental Education Park using funds fromthe Save Our State Trust Fund GrantProgram and is the joint and EvergladesNational Park. property of the State of Florida Information concerningthe use, display,or reproduction of this materialmay be obtained bycontacting: 7- p. Florida Advisory Council on Environmental Education Florida AdvisoryCouncilon Environmental Education Room 237, HollandBuilding Tallahassee, Florida32399-1400 or Everglades NationalPark P.O. Box 279 Homestead, Florida33030 Printed on recycledpaper. FOREWORD There is no other Everglades in the world! In 1947, this unique naturalarea became the first national park set aside specificallyto protect this unique diversity of plants and animals. More recently the United Nations has recognized thearea as an International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Its 1,500,000acres of wild land have been, and stillare, the subject of heated debate in numerous environmental decisions. Today, Everglades National Pari.. is recognizedas one of, if not the most threatened National Park in the country. Many of the threats facing the Eve;glades originate outsideme park's borders. Man has had a greater impacton the Everglades than any other species. The diversion of water through an intricate system of canals and floodgates has drastically altered the natural flow. Scientists believe that the quality ofwater entering the park is being affected by the increased nutrient load from the agricultural industry aroundLake Okeechobee. Exotic species, whichman has brought in from outside the area, are threatening to displace the park's native flora and fauna. While there are graveconcerns facing the park, there is also a great deal of hope. The greatest hope for the future of the Everglades is the children. Asresource-users and future decision-makers, the fate of Everglades NationalPark lies in their hands. As responsible owners of this valuableresource, they must protect the park for themselves, the park's other residents, and futuregenerations of visitors. This guide will help educators teach their students aboutthe Everglades and the responsible action they can take toensure its survival. Share the guide and the activities included in it with your students. Whenyou have concluded your study of the Everglades, I would encourageyou and your students to make a commitment toprotect the park by signing the Owner's Manualat the end of Appendix A. We must all take responsible action toensure the survival of this unique resource. This guide has been derived from themyriad of educational activities used inthe park's Environmental Educationprogram over the last twenty years. Manywere created by classroom teachers, whileothers were developed by park staff. When possible, credit has been given, withthe realization that this guide and, indeed,the entire Environmental Educationprogram at Everglades National Park, wouldnot exist without the help of all theteachers, students, parents, and park staffwho have participated over thepast twenty years. It is to them that this ActivityGuide is dedicated. Finally, the State of Florida isto be commended for recognizing the need fora publication of this type. Without thefinancial support provided, ythe Florida Advisory Council on EnvironmentalEducation, through the Save Our State Envi- ronmental Education Trust Fund Grant,this edition of "An Activity Guide for 1 Teachers: Everglades National Park" could never have been produced. Our hope, the Everglades' hope, and the earth's hope, lies in a concerned, educated, and mot;vated public. It begins with the education of our youth.Thus, I am pleased and proud to endorse this edition of "An Activity Guide for Teachers: Everglades National Park". If you have any comments or suggestions for the next edition, please complete and return the evaluation form included in the Resource Materials Section, or contact the park's Environmental Education office at: Environmental Education Office Everglades National Park P. O. Box 279 Homestead FL 33030 (305) 242-7753 A. Durand Jones Acting Superintendent Everglades National Park 5 " . - ?'.-St:;:' ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Coordinator Mil De Jong, Everglades NationalPark Sponsors Florida's Save Our State EnvironmentEducation Trust Fund Everglades National Park Development Tham Editor/Primary Author Sandy Dayhoff.Everglades National Park Editor/Primary Author Neil De Jong,Everglades National Park Editor/Primary Author David Kronk, EvergladesNational Park Editor/Primary Author She Hie Forcucci,Teacher Quest Program, Dade County Schools Designer, Nancy Balow, Mother WitWriting and Design, Charleston. West Virginia Illustrator, Connie Hillyer, Homestead.Florida Contributors Susan Ball, Everglades National Park Sonny Bass, Everglacles NationalPark Margie Bouchard, EvergladesNational Park Pat Brewer, Lee County PublicSchools Cherrie Brice, Everglades National Park Anne Carter, Everglades NationalPark Robert Chandler, Everglees NationalPark Eugene W. Cox, Great Smoky MountainsNational Park Leslie Frye Allen, Florida AdvisoryCouncil on Environmental Education The Honorable Robat Graham,United States Senator from Flprida A. Durand Jones, Everg WksNational Park Isobel Kalafarski, Everglades NationalPark Barbara Lape, Dade County PublicSchools Bill Loftus, Everglades NationalPark Given Nelson, Dack County PublicSchools John Ogden, Everglades NationalPark Elizabeth Perez, Everglades NationalPark Mike Robb lee, Everglades NationalPark Bill Robertson, EvergladesNational Park Devi Sharpe, Everglades NationalPark Pat Tolle, Everglades National Park Brenda Young, Dade County PublicSchools Pan Zelenak, Dade County PublicSchools The activities in this guide have beendeveloped and/or field testedby thousands of students, teachers, park rangers who have participated in and Everglades NationalPark's Environmental EducationProgram during the past twenty years. The guide could not have been produced without theircontribufions. When possible, individuals have been credited in the guide. Completion ofthis publicationwas made