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Database Provider

Author

PBS Kids

Grades

K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th

Subjects

Science, Social Studies

Resource Type

  • Games, CC

Regional Focus

North America, United States, USA - West, USA - South, USA - Midwest, USA - Northeast, Hawai'i, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah, Kansas

Nature Road Trip

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Synopsis
  • In this interactive game, students will play a digital board game in which they spin a spinner and take turns exploring different United States National Parks.
  • Stops throughout the game feature short educational videos and mini-games about national parks.
  • Students will explore Yellowstone, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, the Great Salt Lake, Tallgrass Prairie, and Kilauea Volcano.
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • This game is a great way to introduce students to some of the famous national parks in the United States.
  • Students will learn about the wildlife in the different parks.
  • This game can be played in multiplayer mode, which encourages social skills and student discussion. 

Additional Prerequisites

  • Before playing the game, it may be helpful to show students the location of each of the national parks on a map.
  • It is recommended that students play this game in pairs instead of individually.
  • The closed captions can be turned on by clicking the CC button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Differentiation

  • This game can be integrated into a geography lesson about the national parks in the United States.
  • Science classes could use it in a biology lesson about the diversity of life in different habitats.
  • Students could choose one of the parks (Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, Salt Lake, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and Hawaiian Volcanoes) to research and learn more about. 
  • Other related resources include the animated Drawing Connections videos about the U.S. National Parks, this National Park Service video on monitoring animal species, or this image gallery from the National Park Service of changing glaciers.
Scientist Notes
The game contains suitable features for students to explore recreational centers and green spaces. This will inspire their interest in ecosystem and biodiversity conservation. The activity is ideal for the classroom.
Standards
  • Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
    • LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
      • 2-LS4-1 Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
  • College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
    • Dimension 2: Geography
      • D2.Geo.3.K-2 Use maps, globes, and other simple geographic models to identify cultural and environmental characteristics of places.
      • D2.Geo.6.K-2 Identify some cultural and environmental characteristics of specific places.
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