Classroom Materials

Students on a biodiversity field trip with park horticulturist learning about endangered species
Students in the park nursery learning about endangered species with the park horticulturist.

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

3rd grade = Adaptations Unit

4 - 5th grade = Geology Unit

6 - 8th grade = Biodiversity Unit

9 - 12th grade = Birds, Not Mosquitoes Curriculum

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.

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  • Haleakalā National Park

    Nā Manu o Haleakalā

    • Type: Field Trips
    • Grade Level: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
    • Subjects: Science
    • Tags: field trip,Haleakalā,forest birds
    A bright red and black bird is surrounded by green vegetation.

    Nā Manu o Haleakalā

    • Type: Lesson Plan
    • Grade Level: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
    • Subjects: Science
    • Tags: Hawaiian forests,birds,endangered,adaptive radiation,evolve,endemic species
    Bird on a branch

    A green and yellow parrot-billed bird called the Kiwikiu rests on a branch in an unknown location on Maui.

  • 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
    Mosquito stinging bird eye

    Mosquitoes are vectors of avian malaria and avian pox that impact bird populations in Hawai'i. Native forest birds are susceptible to avian disease. These birds are found in Hawai'i and no where else in the world and face extinction.

  • 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
    Multi-colored bird on branch sipping nectar from a red flower

    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
    Cinder cones in Haleakalā crater

    Students are introduced to the study of geology. They will learn about what is hidden beneath the surface of the Earth and how the geology of the Earth gives shape to the landscape. They will learn about the theory of plate tectonics and how the movement of these plates affects the world around us.

  • 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
    Pāhoehoe lava on the trail in the crater with native shrubs growing on it

    Pāhoehoe lava rock is one of many rock formations made by volcanoes. Rocks can show us all kinds of information like types of volcanoes and kinds of lava flowed, where lava flowed and whether lava cooled down fast or slow. Geology rocks!

    • 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
    Nēnē family (Hawaiian goose)

    The survival of different species depends on two species helping each other. The complex relationships within one habitat can be hurt when one of the species is threatened or one of the species becomes extinct.

  • 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
    Students looking through binoculars for forest birds at Hosmer Grove.

    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
    Students learning about rare, endemic, and endangered specis grown in the greenhouse.

    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

    • Type: Lesson Plan
    • Grade Level: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
    • Subjects: Science
    • Tags: lesson plan,science,silversword
    A silvery green plant with thin pointy leaves stands out against a rocky dirt ground

    Eia ihola ke kiʻi o nā ʻĀhinahina ma Haleakalā. Akāka ke kiʻi o ka ʻĀhinahina mākua.

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Haleakalā National Park
PO Box 369

Makawao, HI 96768

Phone:

808 572-4400

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