Empathize
Empathize
Students will build wonder about National Parks, study how real visitor guides communicate with readers, begin understanding landforms and park protection, and gather early evidence about audience needs for their own zine writing.
Days 1 - 4
Define
Define
Students will define what makes their chosen National Park worth protecting by organizing early research, studying how landforms were shaped, and turning notes into a clear problem statement for a real audience. They will use evidence, peer feedback, and teacher conferencing to decide what readers most need to know in a visitor guide zine.
Days 5 - 8
Ideate
Ideate
Students will generate and compare possible ways to organize and communicate what makes their National Park worth protecting, using science evidence, audience needs, and peer feedback to choose a strong direction for their visitor guide work.
Days 9 - 12
Draft
Draft
Students will turn their park research into first drafts for their National Park visitor guide zine by organizing information, drafting sections with text features, explaining landforms with science vocabulary, and revising through structured peer and teacher feedback before moving into testing.
Days 13 - 18
Test
Test
Students will test their draft National Park visitor guide pages and poem choices with real readers, gather evidence about what is clear and engaging, and use feedback to plan meaningful revisions before the next critique phase.
Days 19 - 22
Critique
Critique
Students will use structured critique, peer feedback, and revision to strengthen their National Park visitor guide zine pages and park poem choices so their science explanations, research writing, and design decisions are clearer for a real audience.
Days 23 - 26
Notice & Reflect
Notice & Reflect
Students will synthesize what they learned about their National Park, share their polished zine and poem with an authentic audience, document how feedback shaped their final choices, and reflect on how science, research, writing, and performance helped them answer what makes a place worth protecting.
Days 27 - 30
Empathize
Days 1–4
Day 1
🎬 Parks Premiere & Wonder Wall
Launch
45m
Day 2
🏞️ Landforms Match Park Places
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 3
📚 Ranger Brochures Under the Magnifier
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 4
🗺️ My Park Choice Pitch
Deliverable
45m
Define
Days 5–8
Day 5
🪨 Park Landforms Evidence Sort
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 6
📝 Paraphrase Notes for Park Facts
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 7
🎯 Why Protect This Park Claim
Deliverable
45m
Day 8
📂 Research Organizer Checkpoint
Assessment
45m
Ideate
Days 9–12
Day 9
🗂️ Visitor Guide Feature Sort
Knowledge/Skill Building
40m
Day 10
🏞️ Landform Ideas Sketchboard
Project Work
45m
Day 11
💬 Two-Peer Zine Feedback
Deliverable
45m
Day 12
✅ Park Page Plan Checkpoint
Assessment
45m
Draft
Days 13–18
Day 13
🗂️ Visitor Guide Section Map
Knowledge/Skill Building
40m
Day 14
📝 Paraphrase Notes to Paragraphs
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 15
⛰️ Landform Science Diagram Draft
Knowledge/Skill Building
40m
Day 16
📚 Visitor Guide First Draft
Deliverable
50m
Day 17
💬 Two-Peer Zine Feedback Round
Project Work
45m
Day 18
✅ Draft Conference Checkpoint
Assessment
45m
Test
Days 19–22
Day 19
🧭 Visitor Guide User-Test Moves
Knowledge/Skill Building
30m
Day 20
👥 Park Zine Peer Test
Deliverable
45m
Day 21
🏞️ Ranger Question Rehearsal
Knowledge/Skill Building
30m
Day 22
📝 Research Organizer Test Checkpoint
Assessment
45m
Critique
Days 23–26
Day 23
🧭 Visitor Guide Critique Moves
Knowledge/Skill Building
35m
Day 24
📝 Zine Section Feedback Round
Deliverable
45m
Day 25
🔍 Park Pages Gallery Walk
Project Work
45m
Day 26
✏️ Revision Conference Checkpoint
Assessment
45m
Notice & Reflect
Days 27–30
Day 27
🗣️ Exhibition Talk Practice Cards
Knowledge/Skill Building
40m
Day 28
🖼️ Zine Display Feedback Round
Deliverable
45m
Day 29
🌲 National Park Night of Voices
Assessment
50m
Day 30
📝 Growth Letter and Rubric Check
Deliverable
45m
October 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
26
Day 1
Empathize
🎬 Parks Premiere & Wonder Wall
27
Day 2
🏞️ Landforms Match Park Places
28
Day 3
📚 Ranger Brochures Under the Magnifier
29
Day 4
🗺️ My Park Choice Pitch
30
Day 5
Define
🪨 Park Landforms Evidence Sort
November 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
2
Day 6
📝 Paraphrase Notes for Park Facts
3
Day 7
🎯 Why Protect This Park Claim
4
Day 8
📂 Research Organizer Checkpoint
5
Day 9
Ideate
🗂️ Visitor Guide Feature Sort
6
Day 10
🏞️ Landform Ideas Sketchboard
9
Day 11
💬 Two-Peer Zine Feedback
10
Day 12
✅ Park Page Plan Checkpoint
11
Day 13
Draft
🗂️ Visitor Guide Section Map
12
Day 14
📝 Paraphrase Notes to Paragraphs
13
Day 15
⛰️ Landform Science Diagram Draft
16
Day 16
📚 Visitor Guide First Draft
17
Day 17
💬 Two-Peer Zine Feedback Round
18
Day 18
✅ Draft Conference Checkpoint
19
Day 19
Test
🧭 Visitor Guide User-Test Moves
20
Day 20
👥 Park Zine Peer Test
23
Day 21
🏞️ Ranger Question Rehearsal
24
Day 22
📝 Research Organizer Test Checkpoint
25
Day 23
Critique
🧭 Visitor Guide Critique Moves
26
Day 24
📝 Zine Section Feedback Round
27
Day 25
🔍 Park Pages Gallery Walk
December 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
30
Day 26
✏️ Revision Conference Checkpoint
1
Day 27
Notice & Reflect
🗣️ Exhibition Talk Practice Cards
2
Day 28
🖼️ Zine Display Feedback Round
3
Day 29
🌲 National Park Night of Voices
4
Day 30
📝 Growth Letter and Rubric Check