
Eric Iwasaki
Haleakalā offers four units for teachers to use in their classrooms. Each unit has a variety of "pre-visit" and "post-visit" lesson plans which are consecutive, but feel free to pick and choose from them. Using the lessons before and after the Haleakalā field trip will help students develop a greater understanding of the topic and gain a deeper appreciation for Haleakalā National Park. Each unit was designed to meet Hawai'i Department of Education Subject Matter Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.
K - 2nd grade = Habitat Unit
- How Did You Get To Hawai'i?
- Invasive Species
- Helping Each Other
- Create a Habitat
- Is This My Home?
- A Habitat is a Home
- Mālama Maui
- Food Water Shelter Space
- What is a National Park?
3rd grade = Adaptations Unit
- ‘Ōhiʻa Lehua: An Amazing Adaptor
- What Is My Adaptation?
- Where is the Native Forest?
- Haleakalā Adaptations
- Protect our Parks
- Create a Creature
- What is a National Park?
4 - 5th grade = Geology Unit
- Pele's Journey
- Hawaiian Islands: Born of Fire
- Ages And Stages: The Life of a Hawaiian Volcano
- Hard Core Rock
- Moʻolelo O Maui
- Protecting a Volcano
- Rolling Stones: Haleakalā National Park Rocks!
- What is a National Park?
6 - 8th grade = Biodiversity Unit
9 - 12th grade = Birds, Not Mosquitoes Curriculum
- Maui Forest Birds Introduction
- Maui's Hawaiian Honeycreepers and Adaptive Radiation
- Mosquito Population Control
9 - 12th grade = Hō'ike o Haleakalā Curriculum
This comprehensive curriculum was designed by Maui teachers and field biologists for use in high school classrooms. It is a wonderful curriculum resource for everything from geology to native ecosystems. Visit the Hō'ike o Haleakalā Curriculum website to begin your exploration.
A collaboration with teachers from public and private schools, biologists with the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy, and other interested parties volunteered their time and expertise to create a curriculum that linked Hawaiʻi State science standards with locally relevant examples.
Browse Our Curriculum Materials
- Haleakalā National Park
Nā Manu o Haleakalā
- Haleakalā National Park
Maui's Hawaiian Honeycreepers and Adaptive Radiation
- Haleakalā National Park
Mosquito Population Control
- Type: Lesson Plan
- Grade Level: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
- Subjects: Science
- Tags: birds,Native Species,endemic species,Mosquitoes
- Haleakalā National Park
Maui Forest Birds
- Type: Lesson Plan
- Grade Level: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
- Subjects: Science
- Tags: forest birds,forest,birds,Mosquitoes,honeycreepers,Hawaiian forests,avian disease,culture,extinction
In Hawaiian mythology, the demigod Māui loved the forest birds and painted them bright colors for all to see and enjoy. The native Hawaiians loved to use the feathers of these forest birds to create lei kāmoe (feathered lei), mahiole (feathered helmets), kāhili (feathered standards), and ʻahu ʻula (feathered cloaks). These birds’ populations have been steadily declining since European settlers came in the 19th century bringing non-native plants and animals.
- Type: Lesson Plan
- Grade Level: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subjects: Science
- Tags: geology,rocks,hotspot,plate tectonics,weathering,erosion,Earth,lava,Pele,volcanoes,islands
- Haleakalā National Park
Geology Unit Field Trip
- Type: Field Trips
- Grade Level: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subjects: Science
- Tags: geology,rock,lava,ʻaʻā,pāhoehoe
- Type: Lesson Plan
- Grade Level: Lower Elementary: Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade
- Subjects: Science
- Tags: Species,symbiotic,Threatened,Extinct,depends,plants,animals,dependent,habitat,food,Shelter,native,endemic,non-native
- Haleakalā National Park
Adaptations Unit Field Trip
- Type: Field Trips
- Grade Level: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subjects: Science
- Tags: adaptation,Threatened,Species,survive,birds,forest birds,endemic
Many of Haleakalā’s forest birds have evolved and adapted over time with specific niches in their habitat. Explore how these adaptations are important to the health and stability of native habitats. Learn about the threats to these rare and endemic forest birds and what Haleakalā National Park is doing to protect them from extinction.
- Haleakalā National Park
Biodiversity Unit Field Trip
- Type: Field Trips
- Grade Level: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
- Subjects: Science
- Tags: biodiversity,seabirds,Haleakala,nesting,season,endangered,endemic,native,Species
Biodiversity is critical to the health of native habitats and species in Haleakalā National Park. Many plants on the slopes of Haleakalā are endemic and evolved to live in these unique habitats. Explore these habitats and learn why biodiversity is important and how Haleakalā National Park protects these rare, endemic, and endangered species.
- Haleakalā National Park
ʻĀhinahina Haleakalā