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Niobrara National Scenic River

Food Webs of Niobrara
  • Type: Teacher Reference Materials
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade

This lesson overviews the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers. Students will create their own food webs using plants and animals found in the Niobrara River Valley.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Peoples of the Niobrara River Valley
  • Type: Distance Learning
  • Grade Levels: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade

60 minutes classroom time, or split into two 30 minute lessons https://youtu.be/5xPK4AJ4nQg Students will learn about the many different caretakers of the Niobrara River through-out history and examine the impact that the river had on their families and culture at those times. Each era of Niobrara Caretakers is followed by a discussion and writing prompt asking students to examine their own experiences of family and culture today.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Prehistoric Species of the Niobrara River
  • Type: Distance Learning
  • Grade Levels: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade

40 minutes classroom time https://youtu.be/N1baY1BbEYA Students will be able to compose a fictional first-person narrative from the perspective of a prehistoric species of the Niobrara National Scenic River following the guided prompts to examine and articulate its internal and external life experience of changing climate and landscape in a 9 minute essay.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Butterflies of Niobrara: An Introduction to Hybrids
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

What happens when two species combine? This lesson is a great introduction to the answer. The included activity combines science and art to introduce the concept of hybrids.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Ever-Changing Currents Mini-Lesson
  • Type: Distance Learning
  • Grade Levels: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade

10 minutes classroom time https://youtu.be/vHwgJKtEuxs Students will discover what makes the Niobrara National Scenic River unique and examine a river from their own life following the model of Langston Hughes, a 20th century poet, and create a river poem themselves.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Buffalo Soldiers & Dominant Narratives
  • Type: Distance Learning
  • Grade Levels: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade

35 minutes classroom time https://youtu.be/7U5ai5NQ5Yc Students will hear the untold story of the Black American Solders, Buffalo Soldiers, who lived and worked at Fort Niobrara on the Niobrara River and then examine the dominant and counter narratives of the soldiers along with dominant narratives in their own lives by writing for inquiry and critical analysis of current events.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Early Birding
  • Type: Field Trips
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade

This lesson is designed to introduce Middle School level students to basic bird identification to some of the common, and a few rare but easily identified,birds and waterfowl found along and around the Niobrara National Scenic River.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Ecology Unit
  • Type: Field Trips
  • Grade Levels: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade

Six terrestrial ecosystems combine with the riparian and aquatic ecosystems of the Niobrara to create a mix of plants and animals that exist together like nowhere else. This unit focuses on the ecology and biodiversity of the Niobrara River Valley. It contains a field experience component in addition to pre and post experience classroom work.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Create a Brochure
  • Type: Field Trips
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade

Students will take a field trip to an area of the Niobrara River Valley. During the trip they will use observation techniques and complete a Sensory Observation Sheet and use those ideas to prepare a brochure for a vacation would be taken in the Niobrara River valley.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Cows in the Campground
  • Type: Student Activities
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

By exploring the community of the Niobrara valley students will develop an understanding of the significance of development and its hand in hand existence with preservation of a natural resource students will: understand the interrelationships contained in the river system and write a descriptive essay, Two alternative essay assignments are also included.

Niobrara National Scenic River

Cows in the Campground - Pre-Visit Writing Activity
  • Type: Field Trips
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

Students will read about the community of the Niobrara Valley prior to their field trip to develop an understanding of the significance of development and its co-existence with preservation of a natural resource. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the interrelationships contained in the river system by writing a descriptive essay based on an essay prompt of their choice.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

Indoor and Outdoor Field Trips
  • Type: Field Trips
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

On site field trips are the best way for students to connect with where fossils were found and where James Cook ranched and became friends with Red Cloud. Agate Fossil Beds field trips include indoor programs about mammal fossils, historic excavations, American Indian culture and artifacts. Guided hikes on the park's two trails explore the historic dig sites, interesting trace fossils and the natural wonders of mixed grass prairie and Niobrara River.