Prisoners of Conscience

Thank you for your interest in participating in Parks as Classrooms. Unfortunately, we are not currently accepting applications.

Please check our website in mid-August for updated information on our application process for the 2025-2026 school year. For questions, please email GOGA_Education@nps.gov.

Overview

Grades 10-12th

How does activism shape our understanding of mass incarceration? Does activism support our democracy?

What is the cost of resistance? Engage your students with the unknown history of men who were incarcerated on the island for their beliefs against the government. Students will use primary resources to investigate how politics, race, activism and democracy played a role in the imprisonment of these men.

Prisoners of Conscience uses the Understanding by Design framework, incorporates Common Core Standards and Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies. The program is framed by the essential question - "How does activism shape our understanding of mass incarceration? Does activism support our democracy?"

Program Structure

The program is structured in the following three-touch model:

1. Classroom Preparation – Teachers complete 2 pre-lessons with an introduction to Alcatraz Political Prisoners. A pre-visit lesson by NPS staff is also offered before the field session – please share details about preferred NPS staff visit in the Education Reservation Request Form.

2. Field Session – students conduct a field investigation to understand the connections between early incarceration on Alcatraz and Mass Incarceration today. Please share details about preferred date in the Education Reservation Request Form.

3. Classroom Assessment – opportunities for students to demonstrate what they have learned through essays, digital media projects, or poems. Please email or mail back student work to NPS staff.

Click on the links below to assess the programs framework and curriculum.

Please click here for the Understanding by Design Grid.
Please click here for the curriculum for Prisoners of Conscience.

How to Apply

Please check our website in mid-August for updated information on our application process for the 2025-2026 school year. For questions, please email GOGA_Education@nps.gov.