Video
What Does a National Park Ranger Do?
Transcript
Hi everyone! I’m Ranger Kelsey and I am a Park Ranger at Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. Usually when I tell people I am a Park Ranger, they will ask me, “What exactly do you do as a Park Ranger?” That’s a great question, because I do a lot of different, cool and exciting jobs. Join me, as I discuss my role and what it means to be a Park Ranger.
There are park rangers all over the United States of America. There are national parks in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Samosa. Each line of black righting on this map, marks a national park. There is at least one National Park in each state. Take a guess as to how many national parks there are just by looking the map. Pause the video now to think about your answer. There are 419 units in the National Park Service! Now that’s a lot of parks. Now that we now have many National Parks there are, let’s look at few parks you might recognize.
Did you recognize any of these National Parks? How about this one? This is my park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park! As a Ranger at Paterson Great Falls it is my responsibility to take care of the area and protects its story.
To better understand what I do as a ranger, let’s look at this symbol. First let’s talk about what a symbol is. Symbols are special signs that can represent a person, place, company or item. This is the symbol for the National Park Service. What do you see in this symbol? Pause the video now and take a few seconds to really look at the symbol.
I see mountains. A big sequoia trees. Sequoia trees are the tallest trees in the world. They can grow to be taller than the Statue of Liberty! This animal on the bottom is called a bison. A lake. And of course, there are words, so you know this symbol represents the National Park Service. There is one part of the symbol we forgot to name. It’s the shape of the symbol itself. Pause the video now and try to guess what the symbol is in the shape of.
If you said it looks like an arrow, you are right! We call this symbol the Arrowhead.
Now let’s go over the meaning behind this symbol.
The bison represents wildlife. As a park ranger it is my duty to protect the wildlife that live in the park. Here are some animals you can find at my park.
The lake, tree and mountains all represent land, plants, and water. It is a big part of my job to make sure the water stays clean, and the land and plants are cared for.
The arrowhead shape represents historical and cultural values. The way I protect my park is by sharing its story with people. When people visit National Parks and listen to a ranger talk, it keeps the park’s story alive. And this is how Park Rangers, like myself are able to protect a park’s nationally significant story.
Hello again! I hope you enjoyed that video and had a lot of fun learning. Now I have a special project for you. The arrowhead symbol is very important to me because it describes my role as a park ranger. I want you to create your very own symbol. Use this black arrowhead to display what is most important in your life and what describes you.. Maybe instead of drawing a bison you draw your favorite animal. When you have completed your symbol share its meaning with a friend or family member.
Description
Use this video to learn more about the different jobs a Park Ranger can do, and the story behind the National Park Service symbol. This Virtual Learning activity is recommended for kindergartners to third graders.
Directions: Watch this attached video with a friend or family member. Be sure to pause the video each time it is asked. Work with a friend or family member to figure out the answers to the Ranger’s questions.
Duration
4 minutes, 25 seconds
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