Classroom Programs

 

Rangers bring interactive lessons to classrooms.

NPS Photo

Let us bring the park to you! Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area offer ranger-led classroom programs on a first-come, first-served basis. All programs are curriculum-based and free. We recommend that you contact us at least one month in advance of your desired date for a classroom program.

How Do I Sign Up?

To request a program, please e-mail us or call [phone] ext. 203 with the following information:

• The program you would like for your class (see options below)

• Three or more preferred dates and times

• The number of students per class

 

Deer fawns find food and security in park habitats.

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Kindergarten

Sensational Wildlife of Black Canyon and Curecanti

Students explore the ways the wildlife of Black Canyon and Curecanti use their senses to survive in their habitat. (45 minutes)

Colorado Academic Standards: SC.K.2.1 & SC.K.3.2. Next Generation Science Standards: K-LS1-1 & K-ESS3-1.

 

Students touch a cougar pelt.

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First Grade

Cougar Tales
Students explore mountain lions through an investigation of their life cycle from photos, tracks, a pelt, and skull. They learn to stalk like a lion and how to stay safe in lion country. (45 minutes)

Colorado Academic Standards: SC.1.2.1., SC.1.2.2. Next Generation Science Standards: 1-LS3-1.

 

Hands-on modeling in sand

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Second Grade

Modeling Slow and Fast Changes

Students explore the ways the surface of the earth changes quickly and slow through hands-on modeling in sand. (1 hour)

Colorado Academic Standards: SC.2.3.1 & SC.2.3.2. Next Generation Science Standards: 2-ESS1-1 & 2-ESS2-2.

 

Fossils teach students about the area's ancient past.

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Third Grade

Fascinating Fossils of Curecanti National Recreation Area

Students explore the processes by which evidence of past life is preserved through fossilization, and how that evidence helps decipher Colorado’s past. (1 hour)

Colorado Academic Standards: SC.3.2.4. Next Generation Science Standards: 3-LS4-1.

 

The erosive power of the Gunnison River exposes ancient bedrock in Black Canyon.

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Fourth Grade

Geology Rocks!

Students explore the geologic events that form the landscapes of Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Curecanti National Recreation Area. Students review rock-forming processes, identify rock samples, and learn to read the stories behind the scenery. (1 hour)

Colorado Academic Standards: SC.4.3.1. Next Generation Science Standards: 4-ESS1-1.

 

Water cascades over Crystal Dam's spillway during spring runoff.

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Fourth Grade

Curecanti’s Hydroelectric Dams

Students explore the different types of dams, and then design, build, and test a model dam. Students consider the environmental impacts of dams and suggest conservation actions. (1 hour)

Colorado Academic Standards: SC.4.3.4., SC.4.3.5. Next Generation Science Standards: 4-ESS3-2.

 

A quiet morning at Curecanti's Blue Mesa Reservoir.

NPS Photo

Fifth Grade

Water We Share

Interactive demonstrations and activities illustrate the water cycle, watershed journeys, and the many uses of this precious resource, with an emphasis on human responsibility. (1 hour)

Colorado Academic Standards: SC.5.3.4., SC.5.3.5. Next Generation Science Standards: 5-ESS2-1., 5-ESS2-2., 5-ESS3-1.