Mount Rainier National Park - Professional Development (U.S. National Park Service)

These interdisciplinary workshops combine instruction, activities, field sessions, curriculum development workshops, and curriculum review focus groups. Washington State clock hours are usually available. Unless otherwise noted, register for all workshops using the (Word Doc, 107KB). Fax the completed form to (360) 569-2187 or "cut and paste" the text from the completed form into this email. For more information contact the Education Program Manager, Anne Doherty, at (360) 569-6039 or by email.

Unless otherwise noted, workshops will occur at the park’s new Education Center. We must have at least 15 registered teachers to hold a workshop; curriculum review workshops will be held with a minimum of 10 registered teachers. Registration deadline for summer workshops is June 1st,, unless otherwise noted. All workshops are free and include free Washington State Clock Hours. An academic credit option is also available for some workshops at an additional cost of $40/credit through The Heritage Institute; all credits are based on quarter system.

2009 Workshop Schedule and Descriptions
June 27 - 30	Curriculum Review Workshop (#2) : Mount Rainier-Mount Fuji Sister MountainCurriculum Project 22 CHs/2 credits Workshop will start on Saturday morning and run through Monday afternoon. Come pilot test and give us your feedback on the draft interdisciplinary middle school and high school level curriculum materials developed to date by the Teacher-Ranger-Teachers and Park Education Staff. Free tent camping is available in the meadow behind the Education Center.
July 13 - 17	Living with a Volcano in Your Backyard -- Mount Rainier 38 CHs/ 4 credits Come spend a lovely few summer days at the Park with US Geological Survey scientists and Park educators. The workshop will be a mix of content, curriculum activities, and field experiences. This workshop is designed for middle school teachers who teach about volcanoes, volcanic processes, products, and hazards. The interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on the science of Cascade Volcanoes in general and the specifics of Mount Rainier volcano and the hazards associated with living in its shadow. Participating teachers will receive curriculum materials and additional resources to use with their students. Free tent camping is available in the meadow behind the Education Center.
August 1 - 7	Mount Rainier-Mt. Fuji Sister Mountain International Workshop CHs & credit available* Mount Rainier in Washington State and Mt. Fuji in Japan have had a Sister Mountain relationship for several decades, but we are now developing international curriculum materials to facilitate cross-cultural education and communication among middle to high school level teachers and their students through these iconic mountains. Come spend an exciting week immersed in place-based learning at Mount Rainier National Park about these mountains' similarities and differences. This workshop will involve traveling around the Mountain, exploring its diversity and building an international learning community. Topics may include American and Japanese National Park Systems, geology, life zones and ecology, history and culture, and others. We will also be pilot testing some of the draft lesson plans for this curriculum, so come give us your feedback and input. Space is limited to 10 US and 10 Japanese teachers; preference will be given to teachers in Washington State. Teachers from both countries must commit to forming a classroom partnership with a teacher from the other country and, through this partnership, commit to connecting their students and providing the park with feedback from pilot testing the draft lesson plans. In addition to the regular Workshop Application Form, there is a special application form and agreement for this workshop. *Workshop cost, number of clock hours and credits available will be determined by the finalized agenda in spring 2009.
July 26-31	Summer 2009 Workshop for Middle School Teachers of Earth Science (5-9th grade) Teachers on the Leading Edge (TOTLE) is a professional development program for K-12 teachers of Earth Science in the Pacific Northwest. Through a grant from EarthScope, TOTLE will offer a five-day workshop for middle school teachers of Earth Science during summer 2009 at the Pacific Lutheran University. More information
October 1, 2009, 530-8 pm	Education Night at the Museum (formerly Back to School Night) at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma www.museumofglass.org/education/educator-night

Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Positions and
The Mount Rainier-Mount Fuji Sister Mountain Curriculum Project
& Teacher Exchange Workshop Program

The park Education Program and partner The Mountain Institute are excited to announce that they have received a grant from the US-Japan Foundation to initiate the first year of a three-year project, The Mount Rainier-Mount Fuji Sister Mountain Curriculum Project & Teacher Exchange Program.

What is the project? The overall project objectives are:

To develop interdisciplinary curriculum using these two iconic mountains as the focus or lenses through which to facilitate cross-cultural studies between American and Japanese students; the curriculum will focus on such topics as mountain cultures, geology, ecology, geography, art, literature, science, environmental issues, and more
To build on the Sister Mountain relationship between Mount Rainier and

Mount Fuji

To build on a joint pilot Mountain Geography and Cultures teacher workshop offered in 2005, funded by a National Parks As Classrooms grant
To develop and host two initial Teacher Exchange Workshops for American and Japanese teachers, one at Mount Rainier National Park and one in the Mount Fuji region
To develop partnerships that will enable the Teacher Exchange Workshop Program to become sustainable prior to exhausting the initial grant funding

Target grade levels? Based on Washington State standards (EALRs and GLEs), this curriculum will target middle to high school grade levels.

What opportunities are there for teachers to be involved in this exciting project? There will be a variety of ways teachers can be involved in the project:

Apply to become a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (keep reading to learn what that is)
Attend and participate in future Curriculum Review Workshops
Apply for the International Teacher Exchange Workshop
Sign your school or class up to become a pilot school for implementing the new curriculum (draft materials as they become available as well as finalized curriculum in 2010)

What is the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program? It is a partnership relationship between you, your school district, and the park that is managed through a formal agreement. Through this partnership program, you:

· Become an Education Park Ranger for the summer

· Work on this project researching and developing curriculum

· Learn first-hand about the National Park Service

· Wear the National Park Service uniform, and

· During the school year, share your experiences and pilot test draft curriculum materials with your students (this may be done throughout the school year, but it is preferred that some activities occur during the following spring’s National Park/Earth Week).

· Based on time and your interests, there may also be an opportunity to shadow other park jobs.

Benefits of being a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher:

$300/week (full-time, Monday-Friday)
Free Washington State Clock Hours for workshop meetings, and summer employment period
You get to wear a National Park Ranger uniform, including the flat hat
Opportunity to attend and help present at “Living With A Volcano In Your Backyard – Mount Rainier” Teacher Workshop, July 13-17, 2009
Shared park housing, if needed, for summer (we will try to house teachers together, but there is no guarantee that you won’t be housed with seasonal park staff from other operations during the summer). There is no family housing available.

Project Timeline: highlights and key dates only

October 26, 2007 – US-Japan Foundation Board of Trustees selected project for Year One funding
October 30, 2007 – grant award notification
November 13-29, 2007 – Education Program Manager, Anne Doherty, in Japan to make presentations about project at Cities on Volcanoes 5 Conference, Mt. Fuji Workshop, and informational meetings for current and potential Japanese partners and interested teachers
Immediately upon posting to this website – Teacher-Ranger-Teacher application process open.
December, 2007 or January, 2008 – Information about Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program positions and application process posted through park’s Educator Database plus other listserves and venues
January 26, 2008 – Informational meetings for current and potential US partners and interested teachers at Mount Rainier National Park Education Center; applications for Teacher-Ranger-Teachers are accepted in person
February 20, 2008 – Application deadline for Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program
February 21, – mid-March, 2008 – Teacher-Ranger-Teacher applications are reviewed, interviews conducted, and selections made; Agreements with selected teachers’ school districts drafted and signed
March 28-29, 2008 – Project Scoping Workshop and planning meetings for project held at Park Education Center; participants will include selected Teacher-Ranger-Teachers and project partners
June-August, 2008 (exact dates TBD by Park Education Program Manager and selected Teacher-Ranger-Teachers) – Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program
- Draft Year Two funding proposal to US-Japan Foundation
August, 2008 (tentatively August 7^th or 8^th) – First Curriculum Review Workshop to pilot test draft curriculum materials developed to date, followed by any necessary revisions
September, 2008 – Submit Year Two funding proposal to US-Japan Foundation

Year Two Schedule – highlights

Advertise and recruit for Summer, 2009 Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program
Continue curriculum development
Curriculum Review Workshop(s)
Summer, 2009 – Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program
First Teacher Exchange Program Workshop for American and Japanese teachers at Mount Rainier National Park
Draft and submit Year Three funding proposal to US-Japan Foundation

Year Three Schedule – highlights

Advertise and recruit for Summer, 2010 Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program
Continue curriculum development
Curriculum Review Workshop(s)
Summer, 2010 – Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Program
Second Teacher Exchange Program Workshop for American and Japanese teachers in Mount Fuji region

Teacher-Ranger-Teacher Interp Application

Teacher-Ranger-Teacher-Sister Mountain Application

Submit via email to: e-mail us Feel free to contact Anne with questions either by email or phone at (360) 569-6039.

On a grassy field, teachers work in pairs at the 2005 teacher workshop held at Mount Rainier NP.

NPS Photo

Teachers at the 2005 Volcano Workshop at Mount Rainier National Park.