Wind Cave National Park - Traveling Trunks (U.S. National Park Service)

Environmental Education - Water in the Environment

Have you ever pondered the power of water? Learning about water is exciting at Wind Cave National Park. The park is one of the few places on the planet where students can observe the travels of water through the soil, through the cave, and into our groundwater. The park's traveling trunk Water in the Environment explores the ways we use water and how important water is to plants, animals and the cave. For more information about receiving the traveling trunk, please call the park at 605-745-4600. The trunk is free locally and only postage costs are charged for teachers out of the area.

Students participating in this program will be involved in activities that will provide them with an understanding of the water cycle. These hands on activities will lead teachers and students on a journey through the water cycle, from the air to watersheds to groundwater and through the cave and karst areas. This program will help develop a broad understanding of the importance of our world's water.

The teacher's guide is broken into sections to help organize planning. The activities of each section build upon each other to develop the entire hydrology program or can stand alone to support a study of that individual unit. Teachers can choose all of the activities in a section, or just the ones to meet their needs.

Most of the materials needed have been provided in the trunk. The materials teachers need to supply are easily obtained - such as water.

The entire program can be completed in four weeks by using an approximately one-hour classroom period each day.