Grade School Educations Programs
Teacher's Corner

The Jeaga Indians inhabited this land for thousands of years. More recently, visitors have been coming to the park since the early 1940’s when servicemen from nearby Morrison Field would visit with their families. The state park was established in the early 1980’s, through the foresight and generosity of John D. MacArthur and the MacArthur Foundation. Park facilities were opened full time in 1989. Since the early 1990’s, volunteers and staff have been providing school tours for kindergarten through fourth grade students.

Our school tours focus on the natural communities of the park and the plants and animals that inhabit them.

All of the school programs follow similar scheduling, designed to maximize the student's exposure and learning opportiunities while at the Park. The programs are coordinated by our Park Specialists and are directed by one of our trained volunteers.

All programs begin at the park’s Nature Center at 10:00 a.m. and end at approximately 11:30 a.m. All classes receive a walking tour of the park focusing on the four natural communities within the park. Students walk across a quarter mile boardwalk through a hardwood hammock, over the dune and onto our beautiful beach. (No lifeguards) Upon returning to the Nature Center, student activites include a tour of the exhibits, featuring a live juvenile loggerhead sea turtle, snake exhibits, hermit crabs and various aquariums and historical displays.

Each grade then is led through age-appropriate activities.

Kindergarten through second grade students will participate in a fifteen minute “Who Am I” guessing game

Third graders are presented a fifteen minute introduction to a hardwood hammock. Following the introduction, students will be divided into groups and complete all the activities. There will be a three-quarter mile walk on the Satinleaf Trail, ident-a-leaf board game, crossword puzzle and a tree ring activity.

Fourth grade students will also complete a worksheet based on the information learned in the Nature Center.

For more information about bringing your school, church or camp group to the Park, please contact one of our Park Specialists at (561) 624-6970.