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  • It’s a Jungle Gym Out There! An Introduction to Outdoor Recreation
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It’s a Jungle Gym Out There! An Introduction to Outdoor Recreation

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Recreation
  • Social Science
  • Demographics
  • Outdoor recreation
  • Survey
illustration of two hikers with backpacks pointing at bird in the distance
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Almost everyone in the United States enjoys outdoor recreation, which is an activity that is done outside for fun and enjoyment. Unless we understand what kinds of outdoor recreation activities people like, we cannot provide facilities and places for them to do the things they like to do. The scientists in this article studied what people across the United States like to do for outdoor recreation.

It’s a Jungle Gym Out There! An Introduction to Outdoor Recreation

Part Of

Fall 1998 - Vol. 1 No. 1

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  • After reading “It’s a Jungle Gym Out There!,” test your knowledge with this word search.

    Word Search – It’s a Jungle Gym Out There!

    • Activity
    • Middle School
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Social Science
    • Vocabulary
    • Word Game
    After reading “It’s a Jungle Gym Out There!,” test your knowledge with this word search.
    Explore Activity Download Activity (PDF) Download Answer Key (PDF)
    Explore Activity Download Activity (PDF) Download Answer Key (PDF)

    Part Of

    It's a Jungle Gym Out There! An Introduction to Outdoor Recreation

Glossary

View All Glossary
  • outdoor recreation

    (au̇t dȯr re krē ā shǝn): Activities done outside for fun, such as hiking, boating, or playing baseball.

  • questionnaire

    (kwes chǝ ner): A set of questions for obtaining statistically useful or personal information from individuals.

  • random

    (ran dəm): Being or relating to a set or to an element of a set each of whose elements has equal probability of occurrence; having a definite and especially an equal probability of occurring.

  • sample

    (sam pəl): A small subset group, representative of the entire group.

  • trend

    (trend): The general movement over time of a statistically detectable change.

  • Dr. Cordell stands on a beach holding a lease with another dog in a backpack on his back.

    Ken Cordell

    Social Scientist

    “I like my work and working for the Forest Service very much. My work as a scientist involves studying how people relate to the natural world and what they like...
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Jump To

  • Education Standards
  • Educator Guide

Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • Civic Ideals and Practices
  • Culture
  • People, Places, and Environments

Note To Educators

The Forest Service's Mission

The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.

USDA and Forest Service Logos

What Is the Natural Inquirer?

Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

Natural Inquirer bee sitting at a desk with paper and pencil

  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

  • What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?

    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

  • Method

    Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.

  • Findings & Discussion

    Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.

  • Reflection Section

    Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.

  • Number Crunches

    Presents an easy math problem related to the research.

  • Glossary

    Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.

  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

  • FACTivity

    Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.


Science Education Standards

You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.


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    Director, Natural Inquirer program

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The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, and other cooperators and partners.

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