Invite a Ranger to Your Classroom!
Our classroom programs are 45-minute interactive sessions designed to enhance your in-class curriculum. Students will get to handle real objects, play games, and ask questions directly to park staff. These programs meet Arizona state standards and are offered free of charge.
Available year round (best for September, April, and May!)
Group size: 1 class
Classroom Program Descriptions
The Saguaro Hotel | K-1st Grade
Some come to stay for a season, some for an evening, some just come for dinner, and some never leave! Explore the spiny world of the animals that live in, on, and around our world-famous desert symbol, the Giant Saguaro!
Desert Creepers | 1st -2nd Grade
They slither, they scuttle, they stink, they sting and they are important to our desert ecosystem! Meet the slimy, scaly, and spidery residents of Saguaro National Park. Our interactive classroom discovery of these misunderstood creatures is a non-threatening presentation with specimens, models, and soft-sculptures, movement activities and games.
Animal Investigators | 3rd Grade
Investigate the furry, scaly, and winged critters of the desert and mountains of the Sonoran Desert right in your classroom! Students will use their observation skills to study an animal skull and learn which desert animal it belongs to.
Beautiful Bats | 3rd-4th Grade
That’s right, beautiful! And a best friend to saguaros & people. Find out how bats can see with their ears and live on nectar. With games, crafts, and stories, we separate fact from fiction and share the bat’s mysterious world.
People of the Desert | 3rd-4th Grade
Archeological records and oral history tell us that people having been thriving in the desert for thousands of years. Are you a person of the desert too? During this program, students will have the chance to explore their own relationship with the landscape’s food, shelter, art, and more.
Every Kid Outdoors | 4th Grade
Learn about why National Parks are important to preserve the natural and cultural resources of our country. Students explore a variety of National Parks, while learning about stewardship and what they can do to support the National Parks in their community! Students will receive a free public lands pass through the Every Kid Outdoors program.
New! Cactus Kryptonite | 3rd-5th Grade
Saguaros are remarkably resilient and long-lived but they have one fatal weakness — fire. If these mighty plants survive through heat and drought and storm but not flames, how does our changing climate and landscape affect their future? Students will use the engineering design process to explore fire adaptations and compete for the prize of “Best Bark.”
- For questions regarding this resource, please contact Saguaro National Park.
- Contact Name: Melanie Rawlins
- Phone No: 520-400-5168
- Email Address: sagu_education@nps.gov