Quick Summary
This month’s resource pack takes students on a journey through America’s state and national parks, with engaging tools for every grade level to explore history, conservation, and the stories behind these treasured landscapes.
This month, we’re taking students on a virtual trip through America’s parks! With resources designed for every grade level, students can explore maps, dive into history, and engage with critical issues facing these treasured lands through this month's Resource Pack. The October pack includes a variety of engaging resources about state and national parks from eLibraryMN, Ebooks Minnesota, and the Minnesota Digital Library.
Young learners can start with Britannica’s Interactive National Park Map, clicking through parks across the country and zooming in on favorites like Acadia, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, and Yosemite. Or help students discover how the National Parks were created by sharing PebbleGO’s article on Teddy Roosevelt. Kids will see how his passion for the outdoors shaped the future of conservation. Middle schoolers can take their learning further with Gale’s overview of the National Parks to find news, research articles, and primary sources about the parks themselves as well as the challenges they face.
For high school students, EBSCO Explora offers Natural Language Searching, making it easier than ever for students to research big questions. They might type in: 'How did the national parks in the United States get established?' and quickly find relevant results. National Parks can also be the subject of complex debates. Students can explore multiple perspectives on issues in Points of View Reference Center, such as 'Should wolves in National Parks be allowed?' Each entry provides point, counterpoint, and critical analysis to support deeper thinking. Finally - Looking closer to home? Students can research Minnesota’s state parks through current news articles in ProQuest US Newstream. Search 'Jay Cooke' or 'Tettegouche' to see what we mean!
Ebooks Minnesota is another resource that you can use to find information about parks. Start with Parks for All: U.S. National Parks for a big-picture look at conservation and human-nature connections, then dive into richly photographed spotlights on Death Valley, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Badlands, and Zion. Each book blends history, geology, wildlife, and practical know-how - perfect for trip-planning, classroom use, or armchair exploring.
To visit parks a little bit closer to home, check out the maps, photographs, and interviews from the Minnesota Digital Library. Minnesota’s state park system is the second oldest in the nation, starting with the establishment of Itasca State Park in 1891. These parks preserve natural and historic areas across the state, and many of them are documented in MDL collections. Minnesota is also home to Voyageurs National Park and several other national monuments, sites, and scenic rivers and trails, as well as the Superior National Forest. These significant sites are managed for the benefit of all Minnesotans and visitors to our state.
Explore the State and National Parks Resource Pack today!
Image Credit: Picnic at Jay Cooke State Park, Thomson, Minnesota, 1929. University of Minnesota Duluth, Kathryn A. Martin Library, University Archives, collection.mndigital.org/catalog/nemhc:5584.
