Learning in the Parks
Learning in the Parks
Learning in the Parks is the educational component of the Friends of Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain and is dedicated to supporting the preservation of the local history and natural resources of Rockland Lake, Hook Mountain, Nyack Beach, and Haverstraw Beach State Parks. The rich history and ecology of these parks provides an invaluable outdoor classroom setting connecting students' classroom learning to the natural environment.
Learning in the Parks offers a variety of programs aimed to enhance classroom learning, strengthen skills for understanding the natural world, inspire a life-long love of both science and nature, and provide tools and knowledge to address the environmental, economic, and social challenges of our time to develop the next generation of environmental stewards.
Our programs are developed to strengthen the relationship with the natural world, and to deepen understanding of nature's systems and the myriad species that make up life on Earth through providing hands-on, reality-driven learning programs to spark student's innate curiosity and bring the natural sciences alive for them.
Learning in the Parks programs infuse a sense of wonder to curriculum topics through experiential outdoor activities, ready-to-teach lesson plans, and professional development—all designed to align seamlessly within the New York State Learning Standards and beyond. Learning in the Parks provides a range of programs across grade levels, linked to the curriculum, and designed to provide different learning experiences for different age groups.
Educational Programs:
All programs are 4 hours in length unless otherwise stated. Program size is limited to 75-100 students, plus teachers and chaperones, per day. For more information about specific programs, registering, fees, etc., please email us at: info@learningintheparks.org
LITP: Ecology Lab:
Grade Level: 4-5
The Ecology Lab introduces Nyack Beach and Hook Mountain State Parks to students through three engaging stations. On the Trail Station, students learn about native and invasive species, how to identify various plant and tree species and consider their variety and uses, use their senses to make observations about signs of animal life, observe geologic features, and discuss stewardship of the parks and human impact on the habitat. At the River Station, students learn about the unique aspects of the Hudson River ecosystem and what an estuary is, consider the natural and human impact and history of the river, assist our educators in catching fish in a seining net, and examine, identify, and create a scientific drawing of a fish. At the Plateau Station students will learn about the geologic history of the park, the three rock types, the history of mining and the impact on the Palisades Sill and engage in hands-on activities to learn about the rocks of the parks. Students will have a field guide to collect data and make observations during each station.
LITP: Outdoor Rock Lab: The Rock Cycle:
Grade Level: 6-8
In the ORL: Rock Cycle program students explore the three different types of rock (Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary) and the Rock Cycle through four stations. Each station highlights a specific rock type, its characteristics, how it was formed and can be transformed, and where each type of rock can be found in the parks. Students will learn the parts of the rock cycle, find evidence of weathering and erosion, learn about different sedimentary depositional environments, understand how more recent impacts--both natural and human activity--have changed the area, and understand the role of water and other erosional forces on rocks. Through exploratory activities students will make connections between the rocks in the park and how they fit into the Rock Cycle. Students will have a field guide to collect data and make observations during each station.
LITP: Outdoor Rock Lab: Geologic History:
Grade Level: 6-8
In the ORL: Geologic History program students travel through geologic time in four unique stations. Each station is designed to highlight a point in geologic history and how the features of the park geology connect to that time period. Through the different stations, students will conduct hands-on activities to understand what geology can tell us about current and past environments. Students will explore the ancient large-scale processes that created the Palisades Sill, recent geologic changes to the landscapes that shaped the Hudson River Valley, modern changes to the landscape to understand weathering, erosion, and current depositional environments, and use fossils as clues to identify past environments on Earth. Students will have a field guide to collect data and make observations during each station.
LITP: High School Internship:
Grade Level: 9-12
Overview:
The High School Internship program is led by our education trainer and designed for students to explore opportunities in education, environmental education, and natural science careers. The interns enrolled in this program go through a variety of training sessions to teach best practices for providing education in an outdoor setting, proper safety practices, and background science content. Interns are trained to assist educators during the LITP: Ecology Lab program and are required to attend at least 2 program dates which are during school hours.
The program consists of 1 virtual information session, 3 virtual training sessions, 1 virtual panel of professionals session, 1 on-site training session, and LITP Ecology Lab program hours.
