Online Classroom Visits

Multiple standards-based topics related to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area are brought directly to your students during an interactive live video call. These engaging online programs, led by professional educators from the National Park Service, Mississippi Park Connection, and the Minnesota Historical Society, connect students to science, history, and the Mississippi River—all while aligning with Minnesota state academic standards.

Grades: 3-6

2024-2025 Dates: December 1, 2024 - April 28th, 2025

2025-2026 Dates: December 1, 2025 - April 30th, 2026

Cost: Free

Contact: Johnna Austin, Education Specialist, National Park Service, johnna_austin@nps.gov

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New! Mississippi River 101
New! Mississippi River 101

The Mississippi River, North America's largest, spans from Lake Itasca to New Orleans, draining water from 31 states and delivering over 5 million gallons per second to the Gulf of Mexico. Learn about the river's role in providing drinking water, hydropower, and flood control, as well as following the journey of a raindrop from Yellowstone to the Gulf. Explore the river's human and cultural history, including early navigation, types of boats, and the impact of locks and dams on commerce and the environment.

Grades: 4-6

Main Objective Question: Why is the Mississippi River the most important river in North America? Name 3 key reasons.

Main Standard(s):
2P.4.2.2.1 - How Minnesota American Indian Tribes and communities and other cultures apply knowledge of the natural world
3.3.1.1.1 - Create and use various kinds of maps
4.3.4.9.1 - Explain how humans adapt to and/or modify the physical environment
4E.4.2.1.1 - Describe how energy and fuels are derived from natural resources
5L.4.1.2.1 - Evaluate the merit of a solution to a problem caused by changes in plant and animal populations as a result of environmental changes.

An OTTER Day on the Mississippi
An OTTER Day on the Mississippi

River Otters are cute, playful, and fierce. Let's learn about the top predator in the river ecosystem and what adaptations give them that competitive edge in the water. Life is smooth swimming in the water, but what happens when they leave one ecosystem for another? What adaptations become a hindrance? And how have humans impacted the lives of river otters along the river?

Grades: 3-5

Main Objective Question: What adaptations does a river otter have that allow it to thrive in a river ecosystem better than any other ecosystem?

Main Standard(s):
3L.3.2.1.1 - Surviving using variations in characteristics.
3L.4.1.1.1 - Strategies animals use to survive.
3L.4.2.1.1 - Structures that support survival.

Geology Rocks! How a Waterfall Created Two Cities
Geology Rocks! How a Waterfall Created Two Cities

The plans for the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been laid out for millions of years, we just have to read the layers of rock. Students will hear a story of a massive, glacial waterfall that carved out the riverbed as it eroded millions of years worth of sedimentary rock and set the stage for the booming flour industry in Minneapolis and the bustling port of St. Paul. Additional time can be added to take an in depth look at the fossils of the Ordovician era at the request of teachers.

Grades: 4-6

Main Objective Question: How did the geological features of Minnesota, such as the waterfall of St. Anthony, impact the geographic locations of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul?

Main Standard(s):
4E.1.2.1.1 - Observations of the effects of erosion by the forces of water.
4.3.3.6.1 - Geographic features affect population distribution and growth of cities.
6.4.4.20.1 - Rise of big business and use of natural resources influenced MN economy.

Into the Floodplain Forest!
Into the Floodplain Forest!

Take a virtual stroll (or swim) through the fascinating world of the floodplain forest! This program offers an introduction to ecosystems by focusing on the floodplain forest of the Mississippi River. Learn about a few different plants and animals that live in this soggy ecosystem, the benefits of the floodplain, the impact that humans have on them, and how to protect the Mississippi River.

Grades: 4-6

Main Objective Question: What is the floodplain forest ecosystem and how have different plants and animals (including humans!) adapted to living in this unique ecosystem?

Main Standard(s):
4E.1.1.1.2 - Water cycle.
4E.3.2.2.1 - Impacts of Earth’s natural processes.
5L.4.1.2.1 - Changes in plant and animal populations as a result of environmental changes. 6E.1.1.1.3 - Climate change.
6E.2.1.1.3 - Natural hazards.

Mussels - Natural Superheroes
Mussels - Natural Superheroes

One of nature’s greatest superheroes lives right here in our Mississippi River! Meet the Mighty Mussel and learn about the critical role these reclusive creatures play in the river. Students will explore mussel adaptations, life cycle, their role in the ecosystem, and the difference between native and invasive mussels.

Grades: 3-5

Main Objective Question: Why are mussels important to the Mississippi River ecosystem?

Main Standard(s):
3L.4.1.1.1 - Strategies animals use to survive.
3L.4.2.1.1 - Animals have internal and external structures.
5L.4.1.2.1 - Changes in plant and animal populations as a result of environmental changes.

National Parks 101
National Parks 101

This program introduces students to the 400+ national parks across the nation and the mission of the National Park Service. Special attention will be paid to the national park right here in the Twin Cities as well as addressing questions students have about careers in the National Park Service. What does a ranger do? What kinds of parks are there? What is the free 4th grade National Park pass?

Grades: 3-5

Main Objective Question: What are National Parks and who can visit and work at them?

Main Standard(s):
3.2.1.1.1 - Short and long-term consequences of choices.
3.1.4.6.1 - Importance of services provided by the government.
3.3.3.8.1 - Why people have made or used boundaries.

You Can Be An Environmental Superhero!
You Can Be An Environmental Superhero!

In this program students will learn how our lands and waters are affected by how we use them and how we take care of them. They will learn ways they can help make our environment healthier and see how those actions could make a difference.

Grades: 3-5

Main Objective Questions: What is environmental stewardship? What are three actions you can take to preserve or save our lands and waters? How could your class or a group of students develop an environmental stewardship plan for your school?

Main Standard(s):
3.2.1.1.1 Short and long-term consequences of choices.
4E.4.2.1.1 Energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment
5L.4.1.2.1 Changes in plant and animal populations as a result of environmental changes

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