Living History: Reading, Writing, and Learning in a National Park

By National Writing Project

Summary:
What happens when an NWP site teams up with a nearby National Park to create a learning experience for young people? Guests on this first of two NWP Radio episodes exploring the partnership between the National Writing Project and National Parks talk about the design and impact of summer youth writing programs for elementary and secondary students inspired by the rich treasures available inside a National Park.

Listen to the Show

Duration: 1 hour

Excerpt

Rhonda Schier, Chief of Interpretation and Education at Valley Forge National Historical Park , on the goal of the program at her park:

The idea was not only did we immerse them in the resources and the stories and significance of Valley Forge National Park, but then we started to inspire them with those kinds of historical characters and those kinds of exciting stories, so that they could then implement the writing skills they learned as they got more and more familiar with the park. It was a sort of a three-state process of immersion, inspiration, and implementation as these children became literateurs.

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Topics/tags:

Professional Learning

A Park in Your Backyard: Summer Youth Programs & More at the National Park

By National Writing Project

This NWP radio show is the second of two shows that explore the design and impact of summer youth programs developed through a partnership between the National Writing Project and the National Park Service. It features teachers from four NWP sites and their National Park ranger colleagues who describe several rich opportunities for young people to explore their relationship to place through writing in historic sites.

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