The Badlands: Nature's Time Capsule Resources

Badlands National Park South Dakota
-The resources are provided by the Badlands National Park Service-

• Badlands General Information
• Visitors Guide Information about visiting Badlands National Park, rules and regulations, Badlands geology and more.
• Maps Badlands National Park Official Map, Cedar Pass Area/Trail Map and the Badlands Region Map.
• Pinnacles Post Activities, facts, animals of the Badlands and more.
• Curriculum Materials
• Printable
• Walking the Badlands Log book.
• Badlands Fossil Trading Cards View these trading cards to learn more about the fossils found in the Badlands formations.
• Geology Scavenger Hunt
• Activities Badlands mythology, puzzles, coloring and matching sheets, make an armored mud ball and more.
  
  
• Additional Information (Badlands for Teachers)
  • Views of the National Parks: Badlands This is a multimedia, educational program that will teach you about the past and present of Badlands National Park. (About Views)
    
    
  • Complete Set of Lessons and Activities Grade-specific lessons, try this at home activities, junior paleontologist activity, and distance learning lessons.
    
    
• Kindergarten Lessons
  • A Special Place Students identify a special place and learn that fossils, plants, and animals make the Badlands a special place that people like to visit.
• Plants, Animals, and Fossils - Oh My! Students are introduced to plants, animals, and fossils found at the Badlands.* Designed to be presented by park staff if available; please contact the park if you are within 100 miles.
• Color of the Prairie Students will name prairie animals and describe their characteristics.
  
  
• 1st and 2nd Lessons
  • Everyone Needs a Home Studying and restoring the mixed grass prairie ecosystem and humans’ relationship to it will help us understand the changing grassland ecology of the Midwest.
  • What color was I? The Badlands fossil and geological record reflects changing climates and the diversity of life; its study provides insight into the survival of species.
  • Animals in Their Habitat Students will learn about habitats and examine what characters prairie plants and animals have that allow them to live in the prairie.
  • Get it together! The Badlands fossil and geological record reflects changing climates and the diversity of life.* Designed to be presented by park staff if available; please contact the park if you are within 100 miles. 
  • Prairie Mural Students will learn that the prairie is a home for many special plants and animals.
  • Prehistoric Memory A basic memory game using some of the major fossil organisms found at Badlands National Park.
    
    
• 3rd and 4th Lessons
  • Food Chain Canopy Recognize the different feeding relationships within a food web.
  • Badlands Fossil News Students will list some prehistoric animals (besides dinosaurs), describe the differences between modern and prehistoric horses, and discuss when the animals lived that left fossils in Badlands National Park.
  • Time Travel Students will match fossils with the three different ancient ecosystems in which they might have lived in.*Designed to be presented by park staff if available; please contact the park if you are within 100 miles.
  • Animal adaptations I Students create an animal that is adapted to live in the Badlands environment.
  • How Big Was It? Students learn how to estimate and measure the dimensions of prehistoric animals.
    
    
• 7th and 8th Lessons
  • What They munch for Lunch Students examine the dietary habits of prairie animals.
  • Animals adaptations II This lesson will focus on feeding and diets.
  • Human Adaptations Reconstruct the human body to be adapted to prairie life.
    
    
• Swift Fox Curriculum Unit This life science curriculum unit for grades 7-12 uses research data from the swift fox restoration program at Badlands National Park to explore topics such as populations, ecological interdependence, and the job of wildlife biologists.

 

• Badlands National Park video-teleconferencing programs (Grades 3-12)

  To SIGN UP please contact Julie_Johndreau@nps.gov at 605-433-5242 with your school name, address, telephone number, DDN bridge site name, number of students, and grade.

  Time Travel with Fossils (Grades 3-5)

  In this videoconference program, students will learn about paleontology and see many example fossils. Students will make inferences about ancient animals based on the fossil evidence presented to them. Students will also learn about the ancient environments in which these animals lived. Background material and student worksheets are provided to the teacher.  (Program length: 30 minutes; Bridge scheduled for 45 minutes)

Layers of Sedimentary Rocks (Grades 6-8)

In this presentation, students will learn how ancient environments like rivers, flood plains, and an ocean deposited the rock layers that we see today. The ongoing effects of erosion on the landscape will also be considered. The ranger will point out geological features easily observed from the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. The ranger will also display and discuss fossil evidence found within the Badlands layers. Background material and student worksheets are provided to the teacher.  (Program length: 30 minutes; Bridge scheduled for 45 minutes)

Swift Fox Biology & Restoration (Grades 7-12)

This series of four lessons uses research data from the swift fox wildlife restoration program at Badlands National Park to explore life science topics such as populations, ecological interdependence, and the job of wildlife biologists. The first and third lessons will be taught by the classroom teacher. The second and fourth lessons are presented by Badlands National Park staff via videoconferencing. During the videoconferences, students will interact with park rangers and analyze real scientific data. All programs address South Dakota Life Science Content Standards. A teacher's guide with comprehensive background material, SD Content Standards addressed, lesson plans, and student worksheets is provided. (Program length: 45 minutes; Bridge scheduled for 1 hour)

• Additional Activities
  • Teachers Corner Additional Badlands related lessons.
    
    
  • Homemade Sandstone In this experiment you create your own example of a sedimentary rock.
    
    
  • Sedimentation Create your own sedimentation experiment in a bottle.
    
    
  • A Storm Front Examine the concept of saturation using water and a sponge to mimic a storm.
    
    
  • Layer Cake From studying each sedimentary rock layer, you can learn about different ancient environments ranging from 70 to 25 million years ago.