Disclaimer: I received a free download of this unit study in exchange for my honest review. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.
This year we have been studying the 50 states for social studies and loving it! I’ve found myself learning right alongside my littles, gaining a whole new perspective on the abundance of national treasures we are privileged to have access to in the United States. Our national parks are a huge part of our national treasures and Traveling the Parks Unit Study by The Waldock Way has been a marvelous addition to our study of the 50 states.
Traveling the Parks is a downloadable unit study curriculum that provides everything you need to create a learning adventure! The curriculum comes with a list of book resources, many of which can be found at your local library. We found the National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide at our local library which was chocked full of information and was our spine.
The downloadable curriculum also comes with a teacher’s manual, the student notebook, a game pack, animal profiles, and a mini-unit study on Theodore Roosevelt (the President who championed the expansion of the National Park system).
Why You Need This Study In Your Homeschool
I have become a huge fan of unit studies in our homeschool because it allows in-depth, focused study on a specific topic. Unit Studies also provides my kids with variety in their learning experiences and enables them to make real-world connections. Traveling the Parks has been instrumental in promoting a sense of wonder and appreciation for each state we’ve studied. It has also inspired us to get out in nature, take the road less traveled, and see some of the parks we’ve learned about in the future.
The Student Notebook
The student notebook has over 200 pages and acts as a travel journal where kids can record practical information about each National Park. The student notebook is unique and engaging because it puts kids in the mindset of planning for a trip to the park, and who doesn’t like to travel. The travel journal and insights they record give a snapshot of what each park has to offer and what they can see and do, once there.
Another convenient feature of the student notebook is that I can print off copies as we study, and additional copies as needed.
The Game Pack
The Games Pack is personally one of my favorite features of Traveling the Parks unit study because my littles love games and hands-on learning. As a bonus, games help my kids retain what they learn, so the games pack was a win-win for us. The game pack features beautiful color pictures of features from various National Parks that can be printed and used to play Bingo, Memory, Pictionary, or Guess in Ten.
Animal Profiles
The animal profiles are another feature of this unit study we enjoyed. My littles love to learn about animals, especially my daughter. Colorful pictures and fun facts about the animals found at the various parks are excellent opportunities for multi-disciplinary learning.
The Takeaway
The Traveling Parks Unit Study by The Waldock Way is a versatile, engaging unit study that brings a sense of awe to a new generation of kids for the National Parks System. Interdisciplinary learning and, thus, critical thinking are hallmarks of this unit study. My kids learned math, science, social studies, history, and life skills while studying the National Parks. They understood what goes into planning a road trip, considering the cost of gas, food, hotel, and park admission. They also had to think through what activities they would plan to do at each park, what animals they’d want to look out for, and evaluate the best options to make the most of their trip. Traveling the Parks is a fantastic way to get kids excited about the treasures surrounding them and critically think through what it will take to travel to visit the National Parks.
