VOALearningEnglish2012.3.26---Using National Parks as Classrooms

VOALearningEnglish2012.3.26---Using National Parks as Classrooms

Using National Parks as Classrooms
This is the VOA Special English Education Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish
The National Park Service in the United States will mark its one hundredth anniversary in twenty-sixteen. As it nears its second century, the Park Service plans to increase its educational programs for students and teachers. The plans include transportation support for one hundred thousand students each year to visit national parks to learn about nature and history. For example, Yellowstone is believed to have been the world's first national park when it was established in eighteen seventy-two. Other students will get a chance to see parks in faraway places through Skype and other online programs. The National Park Service also works with partners to provide education. One of its partners is a nonprofit organization called NatureBridge. NatureBridge is celebrating its fortieth anniversary and says one million young people have taken part in its programs. The organization works with students from kindergarten through twelfth grade and uses national parks as its classrooms. It provides field science programs at Yosemite National Park and four other locations in California and the northwestern state of Washington. Now, NatureBridge is launching an East Coast center with a four-million-dollar grant from Google. The program will begin in April at the Prince William Forest Park in Virginia. Students stay for three to five days in NatureBridge programs. The activities are aimed at developing their science skills. For example, they learn about different soils and study water quality under a microscope. Jason Morris is executive vice president of NatureBridge. He says when they are not sleeping, eating or in a laboratory, the students spend their time outdoors. Julia Washburn is associate director of education and interpretation for the National Park Service. She says in a time of budget cuts, the agency has to find ways to still meet its goals. "We are not likely to get a lot of money in this current economy. This is about doing different work with the money that we have and redirecting resources into it." Ms. Washburn says one of the most important services that the Park Service provides every day is nature interpretation. She says, "Interpretation is a form of informal education. So park rangers are interpreters. They orient you to the place you are in and help you make connections, emotional and intellectual connections, with the place." For VOA Special English, I'm Mario Ritter.

(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 01Mar2012)

作為教室使用國家公園
這是VOA特別英語教育報導，從http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish
在美國國家公園服務將慶祝其25-16的一百週年。由於它接近它的第二個世紀，公園服務計劃，以增加其為學生和教師的教育方案。該計劃包括運輸十萬學生的支持，每年參觀國家公園，自然和歷史的了解。例如，黃石被認為已是世界上第一個國家公園，當它被建立在十八個七十二個。其他學生將有機會看到在遙遠的地方通過Skype和其他網上課程公園。國家公園管理處還與合作夥伴提供教育。其合作夥伴之一，是一個非盈利性組織，稱為NatureBridge。 NatureBridge正在慶祝其成立四十週年，並說一百萬的年輕人已經在其計劃中的一部分。該組織從幼兒園到十二年級的學生和工作，作為教室使用的國家公園。它提供了在約塞米蒂國家公園和其他四個地點在加利福尼亞州和華盛頓州西北部國家野外科學計劃。現在，NatureBridge將推出東海岸的中心，從谷歌400萬美元的贈款。該計劃將在4月開始在弗吉尼亞州威廉王子森林公園。學生住宿為三至五年NatureBridge方案。該活動的目的是發展自己的科學技能。例如，他們了解在顯微鏡下研究不同的土壤和水質。賈森莫里斯的NatureBridge的執行副總裁。他說，當他們不睡覺，吃東西，或在實驗室中，學生花費的時間在戶外。朱莉婭Washburn是國家公園管理處副主任，教育和解釋。她說，在削減預算時，該機構要想方設法仍然滿足其目標。 “我們不可能在當前的經濟得到了很多錢，這是做不同的工作，我們已經和重定向到它的資源與金錢。”沃什伯恩女士說，公園管理處提供每天最重要的服務之一是自然的解釋。她說，“解釋是一種非正規教育形式，所以公​​園巡遊者是口譯員，他們的地方，你是在幫助你的地方連接，情緒和智力的連接，定位你。”美國之音特別英語，我是Mario Ritter。

（改編自一個電台節目中播出01Mar2012）