Everglades National Park EDUCATION PROGRAM SHARK VALLEY GUIDE

Since 1971 the National Park Service and local schools have cooperated in the use of Everglades National Park as an outdoor classroom. Park staff, teachers, and school administrators share responsibility for the Everglades Education Program. These partners have agreed upon the following goals:

• To acquaint the students of South Florida with the hammock, slough, sawgrass marsh, and pineland habitats of Everglades National Park;
• To develop an appreciation in students for their total environment, natural and human-made;
• To develop in students an understanding of Everglades National Park's value to the web of life in South Florida;
• To motivate students to participate actively in solving South Florida's environmental problems.

Although these goals cannot all be achieved during a single trip, classroom lessons can make even one park visit a significant step toward educating students as caretakers of South Florida's natural resources.

This booklet is arranged to help you prepare for a field trip to the Shark Valley area of the park. It serves as a reference for materials introduced during the teacher workshop. During their visit, students will see a variety of habitats and experience first hand the excitement of viewing animals living in the wild. The booklet includes park and teacher responsibilities, an overview of the habitats that may be seen at Shark Valley, an introduction to the Miccosukee culture, information on flora and fauna including a classroom activity, and a resource list.

This Shark Valley Guide, in conjunction with the teacher workshop, classroom activities and the field trip, this meet the following new 1997 Dade County curriculum based competencies (CBC's) for 4th grade.

1. The Nature of Science as Inquiry - Objective 1
2. Life Science - Objectives 1, 2, and 3 - Competency A
3. Interaction of Society and the Environment - Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Competency A

Thank you for your willingness to become a trip leader! We hope visiting your national parks will be a lifetime adventure.