Abstract
A review of literature demonstrated the national significance of John Muir’s accomplishments to the conservation movement in the United State as well as the significance of the home site and ranch. Student field trips to the John Muir National Historic Site were conducted by focusing on a Victorian Home tour where John Muir lived and worked. The National Park Service (NPS) believed home tours overlooked key opportunities to tell the larger story of John Muir’s values and accomplishments, use the natural and cultural resources of the ranch, and demonstrate the relevance of both John Muir and the historic site to the needs of contemporary students. Local area teachers advised the historic site interpretive staff of their interest in bringing classes on multiple field trips during the school year if the staff expanded the range of activities and experiences available at the site. This project examined John Muir’s life, his connection to the Strentzel-Muir Ranch and the natural and cultural resources of the site itself. A field trip curriculum guide is provided as the primary tool to expand existing thematic interpretation and education opportunities on the site. Information was gathered through a review of literature on the following topics: 1) significance of the site and its development as a national park; 2) how activities that occurred at the Strentzel-Muir Ranch helped to define and illustrate early California agricultural history and urbanization of the Alhambra Valley. A one-day teacher orientation workshop, numerous interviews with NPS site staff and literature reviews contributed to the creation of the total project. The Field Trip Curriculum Guide developed through this project presents a series of guided tours, lessons, projects and field studies for 1) NPS interpretive staff and volunteers to use as tools for orientation to John Muir and the historic site, 2) creating opportunities to increase the range of age groups that can be served at the site through the use of expanded interpretive programming and 3) teachers to apply before and after the site visit and within and outside of the classroom.