Classroom Programs
Are you unable to make it out to the park? Interested in having a ranger visit your classroom? Check out Oracle State Park's programs!
The park's classroom programs are designed to bring nature to you and your learners, acting as a guest presentation on a fun topic or offering lessons to help support your curriculum needs. These programs are interactive, with activities and games that help explain environmental topics.
Classroom Topics
Read with a Ranger
Suggested Grade Level: K - 3rd | Suggested Duration: 45-60 minutes
Invite a ranger into your classroom to read a children's book accompanied by a brief presentation or activity related to the book topic. The topic and book are flexible and can be adjusted for whatever your classroom needs and interests are.
Watching Wildlife
Suggested Grade Level: 3rd - 5th | Suggested Duration: 45-60 minutes
Explore the variety of wildlife in the area and how cameras can be used to learn more about them. Through activities and examining wildlife camera footage taken in the park, students will learn what kind of information can be gathered using cameras and even gather data themselves!
Bird is the Word!
Suggested Grade Level: 3rd - 5th | Suggested Duration: 45-60 minutes
Bird, bird, bird is the word! Learn about habitat needs and desert adaptations while getting an introduction to our flying neighbors. By the end, students will be more familiar with local birds and what they need to survive. Students will also learn if their local area meets those needs.
CSI: Critter Scene Investigators
Suggested Grade Level: 3rd - 5th | Suggested Duration: 45-60 minutes
Just because we don’t always see wildlife doesn't mean critters aren’t around. Explore different ways animals leave evidence of their presence and learn to decipher what might have happened based on the clues left behind.
Who’s Who of Pollination
Suggested Grade Level: 4th - 6th | Suggested Duration: 45-60 minutes
Explore different desert pollinators through a variety of hands-on activities that get learners up and moving around. Learn what kinds of pollinators live here and what their plant preferences are. Optional seed ball making activity is offered!
Know How to Navigate!
Suggested Grade Level: 4th - 6th | Suggested Duration: 60 minutes
Do you know how to read a map? Learn from a park ranger why, even in a world with GPS navigation, reading a map is a useful skill. We will go over the basic components of a map, then practice navigation abilities through a variety of activities.
Geology Rocks!
Suggested Grade Level: 6th - 8th | Suggested Duration: 60 minutes
Every rock has a story of how it came to be. Students will explore the rocks of the area and collectively build the geologic story of the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Tucson area over the last 2 billion years.
Investigating Invasives
Suggested Grade Level: 9th - 12th | Suggested Duration: 60 minutes
The Sonoran Desert is known for its unique biodiversity, but there are some invasive species that are affecting the region. Learn about some of these species, how they came to be here, and how they are impacting the area’s diversity.
Build Your Own Visit
Suggested Grade Level: K-12 | Suggested Duration: 45 - 60 minutes
Interested in having a ranger visit but don’t see what you’re looking for? We would be happy to work with you for a classroom visit that fits your interests and needs.
If you are interested in a classroom visit or would like more information, call the park at 520-896-2425 or email Malana Starr, Environmental Education Coordinator, at mstarr@azstateparks.gov.
Post Pigeon
Arizona State Parks and Trails is proud to partner with nonprofit Post Pigeon EDU to bring our unique landscapes, wildlife, and expert Rangers directly to your students - virtually. This free, asynchronous distance learning program allows your students to connect with Arizona state parks, without ever leaving the classroom. Through this program, your students will learn about our parks, come up with their best questions, and receive personalized video “postcards” filmed on-site by our rangers!
The program can be completed in as little as an hour, or expanded into a larger unit. See a sample of the curriculum here, and K-8 Arizona Early Career and Technical Education (eCTE) standards covered within the curriculum (preview standards alignment for Grades K-5 here and Grades 6-8 here).
