Terri Connard

Located in rural Arkansas, McGehee is a small community without any recreational parks due to a lack of public funding. Connard recognized an opportunity for her students to use lessons from their geography class to make it happen. Through the "Snappy Parks: Plotting and Preserving Our Parks" project, students will select a state or national park to research and work with a park ranger to gather pictures and additional materials. Then, they will analyze and plot the park on a global positioning system (GPS) unit and create a presentation on why it is a good park. Finally, students will collaborate and plot a park for the city of McGehee using a GPS unit and present their ideas to the school administration and City Council to propose the creation of a city park. The project will initially begin with 25 students, but will impact over 200 7th and 8th grade students over time. Using writing, math, presentation and critical thinking skills, the project will help students use the gift of learning to give a gift back to their own community. Connard lives in Monticello.