Providing free education tools and materials for teachers, interpreters, students, and lifelong learners inside and outside the National Park Service is one important way we support the agency's mission. The value of America's cultures and diverse heritages may be lost if it's not passed on to the next generation or experienced by the present one. Want to inspire young people to grow into responsible citizens? Looking for more resources to craft interpretation or educational programming plans? See the related resources below or visit our Education & Training page for more.
The National Park Service offers free online lesson plans through its Teaching with Historic Places series and, of over 160 offered, some feature the historic places where Americans and foreign nationals, or the international community, made history together. These lessons align with national curriculum standards and each lesson contains primary and secondary sources, including readings, maps, and images, and recommended activities. Lessons about this topic include,
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Documenting the Uncharted Northwest
Learn how the 1804-1806 expedition effectively opened the Northwest to the influence of the United States, established relations with numerous American Indian nations, and gathered useful scientific documentation about the West.
- Thaw in the Cold War: Eisenhower and Khrushchev at Gettysburg
Delve into a superpower meeting and discover how President Eisenhower's brand of diplomacy at this Pennsylvania farm temporarily eased the tensions of the Cold War.
- Alaska's Site Summit: Cold War Defense and its Legacy in the North
Cross the security fences, pass the checkpoints, and discover this Cold War missile defense facility that defended a city and helped grow Alaska's economy.
- First Lady of the World: Eleanor Roosevelt at Val-Kill
Examine how Roosevelt's activities at home reflected her interest in humanitarianism, as epitomized by her leadership in the creation of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights.
- FEATURE: UNESCO World Heritage Sites lesson plans
This Teaching with Historic Places feature highlights lesson plans about heritage sites of international importance in the United States.
Last updated: February 15, 2017