An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
Official websites use .gov A
.gov website belongs to an official government
organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A
lock (
) or https:// means you've safely connected to
the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official,
secure websites.
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
NPS Ranger Socorro, Volunteer Sarah, and students walk on the Point Bonita trail.
NPS Volunteer Kirke Wrench
Overview
Grades 6 - 8
How can I recognize geologic change in my environment?
Rocks on the Move brings young geologists to the scenic hills of the Marin Headlands, where the theory of plate tectonics unfolds in the landscape around them. Through both individual and small group work, students use historic photos, data from local scientific studies, and framed transparencies to find evidence of deep seafloor processes, including volcanism, deposition, fossilization, past climates, and tectonic plate movements. Using skills learned during the in-person pre-visit classroom session, students explore the physical characteristics of the Franciscan Complex rocks, and the tectonic environments in which they formed. Students pose questions in class for further investigation in the park. While at Point Bonita lighthouse students collaborate to predict how natural and human impacts may change these landscapes.
The Rocks on the Move program uses the Understanding by Design framework and aligns with K-12 Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Standards. The program is framed by the essential question - "How do I recognize geologic change in my environment?"
Rocks on the Move programs are structured in three parts:
1. Classroom Preparation - pre-trip lessons delivered by the teacher and NPS staff with resources provided by the park. During this session, teachers utilize framed transparencies to familiarize students with the geologic changes in landscapes. NPS staff hand out dichotomous keys and rock samples of the Franciscan Complex to investigate their rock features.
2. Field Session - During the park experience, students explore the remnants of ancient seafloor rocks at the Point Bonita lighthouse. NPS staff facilitate student investigations regarding geologic change along with its implications to climate change.
3. Classroom Assessment - the post-trip lesson is led by the teacher. Students demonstrate what they learned through evidence-based written reflections.
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.
To serve students from the broadest range of abilities and interests, we offer teachers three distinct Rocks on the Move education programs.
Click on the photos below to learn more about the three options:
