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Cuyahoga Valley Self-Guided Field Trip: Activity 2

This activity is one of four parts of a self-guided field trip developed by Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Tan Truong in 2020. Visit the field trip page for more information.

A yellow building beside railroad tracks with a railroad crossing sign to the right.
Brecksville Station on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

NPS / Kerry Muhl

Teachers and chaperones can use the discussion guide to facilitate conversations with students about Cuyahoga Valley National Park as a crucial transportation link and lived-in valley. Students will complete pages 8 and 9 from the Junior Ranger Handbook.

Location

Start at the Station Road Bridge Trailhead. Use caution in making your way to the Brecksville Station across the railroad tracks.

Materials

Junior Ranger Handbook

Discussion Guide

Goal

Students will have a better understanding of how Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves stories and cultural resources that explain its role as a crucial transportation link which also gave rise to a lived-in valley where people settled, building homes and communities.

Objective

Students will be able to explain the various ways they can explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park today, and how people before them moved through the valley.

Duration

15 minutes

Introduction

There are various ways to explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Questions to Ask

  • What are some examples of transportation that people use to move around? Look around.
  • Based on what you notice, give an example of a transportation method that people either use today or used in the past.

Explanation

The movement of people through the valley also led to people settling down in the area and building lives for themselves. Cuyahoga Valley National Park was a lived-in valley and protects a large and diverse collection of over 600 historic resources, cultural landscapes, and archeological sites that have been shaped by over 500 generations of people.

Activity: Protecting Natural Places Bingo

Have students turn to page 8 of the Junior Ranger Handbook to see examples of the natural places being protected in the park. Students can check off some of these examples during their trip today as part of the Cuyahoga Valley Bingo activity.

Question to Ask

What are examples of how people were and are using the land on page 8 of the Junior Ranger Handbook?

Explanation

There are several ways to explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

  • You can walk, run, or bike through the park using the Towpath trail (your group can explore the towpath during lunch). The Towpath Trail follows the historic Ohio & Erie Canal route through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

  • You can kayak or canoe on the Cuyahoga River.

  • You can travel in a car or ride your road bike on the Ohio and Erie Canal Scenic Byway.

  • You can also use the train to explore the park. The train has many different stops, and you can bring your bike or kayak on board as well.

Questions to Ask

  • What do you think are some benefits of using the towpath to explore the park by foot? By bike?

  • What do you think are some benefits of traveling through the park by canoe or kayak and using water to explore the park?

  • What do you think are the benefits of using the train the explore the park?

Activity: Recreation Challenge

Have students turn to page 9 of the Junior Ranger Handbook and read through the recreation challenge activities. Check off the ones that they can accomplish at this location.

Sources

  • A Guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park Brochure

  • Junior Ranger Handbook

Continue the Field Trip

Explore the rest of the activities that make up this self-guided field trip:

Tags

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Last updated: February 17, 2022