PARK Teachers Geology is a collaborative effort undertaken by teachers, university faculty, nonprofit education partners, and Golden Gate to introduce pre-service and classroom teachers to place-based and inquiry learning that supports education standards and engages students in authentic hands-on science.

Click the icons at the right side of this page to go to the four main areas of the web site.

For Teachers

The PARK Teachers website helps teachers understand plate tectonics and the Franciscan Complex found in the San Francisco Bay Area. While the site concentrates on the geology of the Golden Gate Headlands, the tools and techniques are applicable to place-based science learning in every school community. The content includes classroom strategies, specific lesson plans and materials, an interactive game of geology, and downloadable teaching tools, guidebooks and posters.

For Faculty

Prepare your credential candidates to take advantage of innovative teaching strategies that link classroom studies with outdoor learning. Find out how your university colleagues are successfully integrating place-based inquiry experiences into their science methods courses. This site offers practical advice – from lesson planning to action to assessment – on how place-based learning brings value to pre-service programs.

For NPS educators and informal education partners

PARK Teachers offers educators in the field a comprehensive approach to the design, implementation, and evaluation of a place-based NPS education program conducted with a university partner. While geology is the specific subject addressed, this web site also can provide guidance to staff ready to explore ideas in inquiry learning, drawing new teachers to the park, extending resources through partnerships, and conducting thorough evaluations of education programs.

Click here to review three extensive essays that document and explain the formation of the partnership and the process of program evaluation for PARK Teachers.

PARK Teachers was made possible by a generous grant from the Toyota USA Foundation through the National Park Foundation.