Design a National Park Arrowhead Research Project Activity - National Parks Week

Looking for a fun, no prep national parks project that integrates science, social studies, art, and literacy AND keeps kids engaged? Your students will love designing a national park arrowhead emblem for a chosen or assigned NPS site, and it will quickly become one of *your* favorite activities too. Perfect as a National Park Week (April), an end of year, or after testing activity, students think critically and work independently as they apply their knowledge to design an arrowhead for one of the 63 official U.S. national parks or other 400+ designations ... all while you cross things off your never ending to do list!

How It Works:

• Learn about the long history of the National Park Service and its arrowhead logo using the 2-page article, by watching a short video, and/or using the included PowerPoint presentation
• Next, go over the directions for the assignment and learn about color psychology and the different design elements students will use for their arrowheads. Go over the included examples so students know exactly what's expected of them
• Students can brainstorm ideas and take notes using the two research graphic organizers and list of guiding questions
• Students will use the included national park arrowhead templates and colors, symbols, and text to design a custom logo for their assigned or chosen national park
• Finally, they'll justify and explain their choices in a short writing assignment and/or class presentation

Reasons You'll Love This National Parks Activity:

• Engaging and fun activity that also requires critical thinking
• Multiple and flexible options for use with a reading, PowerPoint, videos, and activity
• Integrates literacy, art, history, science, and more!
• Awesome for research units
• Students can work independently or in groups
• Perfect for end of semester review or as a creative assessment
• Makes an awesome classroom, hallway, or bulletin board display
• Perfect for substitutes and filling multi-day gaps in your planned lessons
• Make it even more fun with a design competition!

What's Included:

1. Arrowhead template for each national park (see list below)
2. 2-page article + 100% Editable PowerPoint about the history of the National Park Service and their logo
3. 4 short videos about U.S. national parks
4. Student directions + Design tips
5. Research graphic organizer + Guiding questions + Brainstorming graphic organizer
6. List of national parks to choose from + Links to official NPS websites
7. Teacher Tips + Grading Rubric
8. 2 Examples to share with students
9. Blank arrowhead template for additional flexibility

What's Included: In addition to the 63 official national parks, this resource also includes templates for the other designations including national monuments, national historic sites, etc. In total, there are templates for all 400+ sites managed by the U.S. National Park Service.

1. Acadia National Park
2. American Samoa National Park
3. Arches National Park
4. Badlands National Park
5. Big Bend National Park
6. Biscayne National Park
7. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
8. Bryce Canyon National Park
9. Canyonlands National Park
10. Capitol Reef National Park
11. Carlsbad Caverns National Park
12. Channel Islands National Park
13. Congaree National Park
14. Crater Lake National Park
15. Cuyahoga Valley National Park
16. Death Valley National Park
17. Denali National Park
18. Dry Tortugas National Park
19. Everglades National Park
20. Gates of the Arctic National Park
21. Gateway Arch National Park
22. Glacier National Park
23. Glacier Bay National Park
24. Grand Canyon National Park
25. Grand Teton National Park
26. Great Basin National Park
27. Great Sand Dunes National Park
28. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
29. Guadalupe Mountains National Park
30. Haleakala National Park
31. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
32. Hot Springs National Park
33. Indiana Dunes National Park
34. Isle Royale National Park
35. Joshua Tree National Park
36. Katmai National Park
37. Kenai Fjords National Park
38. Kings Canyon National Park
39. Kobuk Valley National Park
40. Lake Clark National Park
41. Lassen Volcanic National Park
42. Mammoth Cave National Park
43. Mesa Verde National Park
44. Mount Rainier National Park
45. New River Gorge National Park
46. North Cascades National Park
47. Olympic National Park
48. Petrified Forest National Park
49. Pinnacles National Park
50. Redwood National Park
51. Rocky Mountain National Park
52. Saguaro National Park
53. Sequoia National Park
54. Shenandoah National Park
55. Theodore Roosevelt National Park
56. Virgin Islands National Park
57. Voyageurs National Park
58. White Sands National Park
59. Wind Cave National Park
60. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
61. Yellowstone National Park
62. Yosemite National Park
63. Zion National Park

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Is there a digital version of this resource? I really tried to make it work digitally, but unfortunately I never found a solution that worked well. So I'm keeping it print for now!
2. Does this resource include information about each national park? Other than the videos, information about specific national parks is not included. Students can use any source (textbook, video, website, etc.) to learn about their assigned or chosen national park. I've included a list of links that go directly to the NPS websites for convenience.
3. Can this be adapted for younger grades? Absolutely! I recommend just using the PowerPoint as a class instead of relying on the 2-page article about the history of the National Park Service. Going over the included examples with students will be essential!

More Fun and Engaging Activities:

Scientists and Inventors Biography Graphic Organizers

National Parks Research Graphic Organizers

Who Was Biography Series Graphic Organizer Bundle

Ancient History Interactive Fan Bundle

U.S. Presidents Activity Bundle

Ugly Holiday Sweater Bundle

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Katie Loftin

Dr. Loftin's Learning Emporium

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