For Teachers

Parts of the country opposed the US-Mexican War and viewed it as an unjust war fought to extend slavery. Students divide into groups to review one of three documents from Massachusetts written about the War. One document is Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience. Next, they present the document to the class. At the end, students discuss what actions they would take to stand up for their beliefs.

Future Civil War Major General and President Ulysses S. Grant, started developing his leadership skills as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. Grant’s Memoirs, written 39 years after the battle, mentioned his experience in the battle. Students review a primary and secondary document about the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. The primary document is part of Grant’s Memoirs. The secondary document is a lithograph of the Battle. Afterwards, they answer questions about the documents.

How did Grant’s observations on Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor prepare him for future leadership roles as a Civil War General and President?

During the Battle of Palo Alto, U.S. and Mexican soldiers experienced the thunder of cannon and the sight of cannonballs in the air. You can also discover the sights, sounds, and sensations soldiers experienced during the battle. Students will read primary and secondary quotes about the battle and use them to fill out a graphic organizer. They will convert the weight of cannonballs from pounds to ounces and discuss how the quotes and cannonball weights affected the outcome of the battle.

In wartime, women traditionally served either on the home front or as nurses and laundresses. During the U.S.-Mexican War, most women played these traditional roles while others aided the military in non-traditional ways. Read primary documents about female soldiers, war correspondents, and spies.

What would you do if you found a Texas tortoise in the middle of the road? Or if your friend broke the law? In this lesson, students discuss their own values and ethics as well as the importance of respecting the values of others. Next, students learn about laws protecting the state-threatened Texas tortoise. Afterwards, they discuss how their values influence their behavior in various situations.

In this lesson, students will explore 'fossils' by using chocolate chip cookies in an interactive fossil dig! Through creative problem-based learning that incorporates teamwork, students will work in collaborative groups to create an informational presentation about paleontology. After completing this group project, the students will be able to relate to paleontologists while understanding the significance of paleontology.

Students will recreate the Florissant Formation stratigraphic column (or any rock formation you would like to use) using food materials. Each food item will represent a specific layer of the Florissant Formation (or rock formation).

What was it like to live in the Texas frontier in the 1860s? Learn about the settlement history of the Texas Hill Country and how it impacted different communities and the local natural environment.

Learn about the environmental issues of the 1960s and how President Lyndon B. Johnson took action.

Thinking about having a career as a park ranger? There are as many kinds of rangers as there are parks, each with their own expertise. Come ask your questions and find out how rangers get their start and develop their careers.  

From their traits to their fates, learn about the black bears that call Big Bend home. Join a ranger in discovering the adaptations that help them survive the many ecosystems that exist within the park, discussing the ecological niche that the bears fill, and finding out how the bears, once extirpated from our side of the river, made their return. (30-45 minutes)

Big Bend has an amazing range of fossil history that stretches over 130 million years! From sharks to mammoths learn about what lived here, what their world looked like, and how they were adapted to it. (30-45 minutes)

Dive deeper into this remote desert wonderland with an interactive question-and-answer program for groups of all ages. Meet with a ranger to discuss various Big Bend topics. Let us know your interests, and we will tailor a program for you! (30-45 minutes)

From the Rio Grande to the Chisos Mountains to the Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend National Park offers a unique opportunity to learn about diverse ecosystems. Join us and discover what makes Big Bend special! (30-45 minutes)

Introduce adaptations with a ranger! Students will be introduced to adaptations, structures, and their functions. Rangers will use tactile examples of Utah wildlife to illustrate how adaptations support survival in ecosystems throughout Utah.

How do National Parks reflect the history of Utah? Students will discuss the roles of National Parks both in the United States of America and Utah. They will then explore various parks in Utah to discover how they tell our state’s history.

In our modern world, many of us have come to rely on transportation systems and the operation of stores and warehouses in order to provide us with food, clothing, and other essentials for survival. During the Civil War, Fort Scott played a similar role as a supply depot that was critical to the survival and success of Union soldiers in the area.

During Bleeding Kansas, conflicts at the ballot box, in the courts, and in the halls of government divided a town, a territory, and an entire nation as people from all sides of the spectrum joined in a struggle for freedom in Kansas Territory.

Many of us today would not want to go the hospital if we could help it because we associate hospitals with sickness and injury. However, when we are sick or injured, hospitals help us recover. During the Civil War, soldiers and civilians attached similar meanings to hospitals. They were simultaneously seen as a place of suffering and a place of healing and recovery.