A Changing Land

Fourth Grade Program Series

Join the Santa Monica Mountains Education Team for a three-part sequenced learning program! The program consists of distance-learning, in-person, and teacher-led curriculum-based activities that are aligned with fourth-grade academic standards. A Changing Land is focused on Indigenous history, ecology, and biological diversity. During their field trip, the students will experience the Chumash cultural site Satwiwa and explore a Coastal Sage ecosystem while investigating these questions:

• How has the landscape of Satwiwa changed over time?
• What is the ecological consequence of human interaction with the landscape?

From Classroom to Canyon: A Changing Land Learning Experience

A Changing Land offers the following three-part, sequenced experiential learning activities:

1.) Pre-visit (Distance-learning) A Changing Land: Students are introduced to the Santa Monica Mountains, the field trip location Satwiwa, field trip preparation, vocabulary terms, concepts, and the cultural and natural resources of the national park site they will visit!

2.) Satwiwa: A Changing Land

• A short hike through Satwiwa, investigating animals, plants, and the landscape with an emphasis on Chumash history and how humans have changed the land over time.
• Students engage in hands-on learning activities focused on the connection between the ocean and humans over time, including the Chumash traditional use of marine animals.
• Nature journaling activity where students investigate the form and function of native plants and the relationships between plants, animals, and humans over time.

3.) Post-field trip Teacher-led Activity in the Classroom (Lesson plan provided by the National Park Service)

• Through writing, drawing, and discussion, the students will reveal what they learned and found inspiring about the cultural and natural resources they experienced in the Santa Monica Mountains!

Participate in the 2025-2026 A Changing Land program season!

• Program is available to classrooms from both Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
  • Fourth grade classes will have priority, but other grade levels may also participate.
• Programs are offered on the following: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (October 2025 – May 2026).
• To begin the booking process, please fill out the following form

*By submitting your application, you acknowledge that all participating classrooms from your group will complete each phase of the program.

For more information, please e-mail us

Travel Grants

Grant funding is available for bus reimbursement may for classes at schools with Title 1 status or schools that may be experiencing economic hardship. If you are eligible, please inquire with a park representative when you begin the booking process. This funding is limited and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.

Curriculum Standards

4-LS1-2- Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

4-ESS3-2. Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.

HSS- 4.1.3. Identify the state capital and describe the various regions of California, including how their characteristics and physical environments (e.g., water, landforms, vegetation, climate) affect human activity.

HSS-4.1.4 Identify the locations of the Pacific Ocean, rivers, valleys, and mountain passes and explain their effects on the growth of towns.

HSS-4.1.5 Use maps, charts, and pictures to describe how communities in California vary in land use, vegetation, wildlife, climate, population density, architecture, services, and transportation.

HSS-4.2 Students describe the social, political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among people of California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods.

HSS-4.2.1 Discuss the major nations of California Indians, including their geographic distribution, economic activities, legends, and religious beliefs; and describe how they depended on, adapted to, and modified the physical environment by cultivation of land and use of sea resources.

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: Public Law 114-289 National Park Service Centennial Act and 54 U.S.C. 100701 Protection, interpretation, and research in System.

Purpose: To administer education programs for education audiences including but not limited to school groups, scouting groups, extracurricular groups, and home school groups.

Routine Uses: To effectively manage requests for education received by the NPS, the Education Reservation Request Form is used to collect basic education reservation information to facilitate operational aspects of scheduling groups for park education programs, including in-park education programs, ranger in classroom programs, and/or online distance learning programs.

Disclosure: Voluntary, however, failure to provide the requested information may impede the ability to grant your education reservation request.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to provide park managers and educators the information needed to schedule and conduct education program activities. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned control number 1024-0288.

Estimated Burden Statement

Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send your completed form to this address.