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How Does an ADK School Outreach Program link in with the NYS Education Standards?

Meeting New York State standards can be achieved through a variety of creative curriculum ideas, and ADK can work with you to make that happen!

Sample Program: The Heart of the Adirondacks: Discover the Heart Lake Property (appropriate for 4th grade)

1. First, let us visit your classroom for a 1 ½-2 hour slide-show presentation of the history of the Heart Lake Property, site of key players in the transformation of the Adirondack High Peaks area into a premier outdoor recreation destination. Discover tales filled with love and heartache, tragedy and triumph, natural growth and destruction. Listen to selections of Henry Van Hoevenberg’s favorite campfire stories. Learn the origin of the “Blue Line” – the boundary line defining the Adirondack Park, an intricate patchwork of privately owned and state-owned Forest Preserve land. Hear what efforts are being made to conserve and preserve this Forest Preserve, uniquely protected under the NYS Constitution as “forever wild.” Walk away with a richer understanding of NewYork State’s “Finest Square Mile.”

  • Social Studies Standard #1: History of the United States and New York
  • Social Studies Standard #2: Geography
  • English Language Arts (ELA) Standard #1: Language for Information and Understanding
  • ELA Standard #4: Language for Social Interaction
  • Health, Physical Education, and Home Economics (H, PE and HE) Standard #3: Resource Management

2. Next, plan a full-day’s visit to the Heart Lake Property in the fall, where we can lead your students on a guided hike up Mt. Jo, learning about the natural history of the property, techniques for being appropriately prepared for responsible and safe recreation, and skills for life-long wellness in the outdoors. See remnants of the fires of 1903 that ravished the area, and examine the succession of regenerated tree growth. Be introduced to the practical skills of planning for a day-hike. Learn the principles of Leave No Trace wilderness ethics to ensure low-impact outdoor recreation. Spend time utilizing a variety of journaling techniques to reflect on your experiences.

  • Health, Phyical Education, and Home Economics (H, PE, and HE) Standard #1: Personal Health and Fitness
  • H, PE, and HE Standard #2: A Safe and Healthy Environment
  • Math, Science, and Technology (M, S, and T) Standard #1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
  • M, S, and T Standard #4: Physical Setting and the Living Environment
  • M, S, and T Standard #6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
  • M, S, and T Standard #7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
  • ELA Standard #1: Language for Information and Understanding
  • ELA Standard #2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
  • ELA Standard #3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
  • ELA Standard #4: Language for Social Interaction

3. Join us again at the Loj for a second full-day’s visit in the winter and examine the differences that occur with the change of seasons. Strap on snow-shoes and trek around the property discovering animal tracks. Engage the senses to experience the winter season as other non-human creatures do. Consider the adaptations that plants and animals have to help them through the winter.

  • H, PE, and HE Standard #1: Personal Health and Fitness
  • H, PE, and HE Standard #2: A Safe and Healthy Environment
  • H, PE, and HE Standard #3: Resource Management
  • M, S, and T Standard #1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
  • M, S, and T Standard #4: Physical Setting
  • M, S, and T Standard #6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
  • M, S, and T Standard #7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
  • ELA Standard #1: Language for Information and Understanding
  • ELA Standard #2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
  • ELA Standard #3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
  • ELA Standard #4: Language for Social Interaction

4. Finally, visit us once more in the spring and discover the new life emerging from the melting snow and ice. Explore the evidence of new life and engage all of the senses to experience the change in seasons.

  • M, S, and T Standard #1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
  • M, S, and T Standard #4: Physical Setting
  • M, S, and T Standard #6: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
  • M, S, and T Standard #7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
  • H, PE, and HE Standard #1: Personal Health and Fitness
  • H, PE, and HE Standard #2: A Safe and Healthy Environment
  • H, PE, and HE Standard #3: Resource Management
  • ELA Standard #1: Language for Information and Understanding
  • ELA Standard #2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
  • ELA Standard #3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
  • ELA Standard #4: Language for Social Interaction