These videos, models and software may be checked out free of charge by any teacher in Shannon or Carter Counties or in the communities of Mountain View, Summersville, Salem, Bunker, and Ellington. We encourage you to use these to prepare your class for a Park Service activity or to present material and activities on your own. Please return them when you are finished so that other teachers may use them. (Within 2 weeks at the latest.)
Video selections do not necessarily represent National Park Service opinions or views, but are offered to demonstrate the wide range of opinion on many subjects. Some are from an environmentalist perspective and some are from an industry perspective. This is noted where appropriate. Videos from MDC, National Geographic and similar sources tend to be more balanced, showing all sides of an issue. We recommend you preview videos for appropriateness before use. How you use these to advance your educational objectives is up to you.
Please contact us at least two weeks before your intended use, and be aware that the item you want my already be on loan elsewhere.
Mysteries Underground (National Geographic) 57 minutes. Explore the depths of the earth. Features cave life, bats, and cave formations. Grades 4 to adult. Closed captioned.
The Amazing World Below (Ozark Interpretive Association) 20 minutes. Produced at Blanchard Springs Caverns, this video explores how caves develop and their role in the Ozarks. Closed captioned.
Groundwater (RMI) 30 minutes. A look at the water cycle and groundwater, including springs and karst features.
Fresh Water: Resource At Risk (National Geographic) 25 minutes. A look at water resources and what is being done to protect them. Grades 4 9.
Water: A Precious Resource (National Geographic) 23 minutes. Students will learn where water comes from, and how it is endlessly recycled. This film has won several awards. Grades 6 to adult.
Downstream (Missouri Department of Conservation) 30 minutes. Through a canoe trip we learn the value of rivers and the risks they face.
Pond & River (BBC) 35 minutes, closed captioned. Martin Sheen narrates a look at the ecosystems of ponds and rivers as well as their role in human civilization.
Pond Life Food Web (National Geographic) 10 minutes. A look at the life of a pond and the interrelationships between the many plants and animals living there. Grades 7 to adult.
Secret Life of a Trout River (National Geographic) 10 minutes. Explore the delicately balanced ecosystem of a trout stream similar to the Current River. Grades 7 to adult.
Headwaters (Missouri Department of Conservation) 32 minutes. A look at the ecosystems of the upper reaches of streams. Features the life cycle of the small mouth bass.
Streams the Force of Life (Missouri Department of Conservation) 19 minutes. Learn the dynamics of Missouri's streams and rivers and see the unusual animals and plants they support. (Good for use with the stream table)
Beginning Fly Tying (Missouri Department of Conservation) 11 minutes, closed captioned.
Fishing Missouri (Missouri Department of Conservation) 20 minutes, closed captioned.
Beyond the Backyard 30 minutes, a teen's eye view of backpacking, covering equipment selection, packing, setting up camp and “leave no trace” camping techniques. Young adult.
Where Animals Live (National Geographic) 15 minutes. Students will see how familiar and exotic animals are adapted to their environments. Grades K 3.
More Than Trees (Missouri Department of Conservation) 30 minutes. Looks at the cycles of nature, from the awakening and new growth of spring to the way a rotten log nourishes life once again.
Summer Wildflowers of the Eastern Forests (Laurel Hill Press) 45 minutes. A guide through the more common wildflowers of the forests, mostly an identification guide.
Dealing With Urban Wildlife (Missouri Department of Conservation) 14 minutes, closed captioned.
Landscaping for Wildlife (Missouri Department of Conservation) 13 minutes, closed captioned.
The Snake's Tale (Missouri Department of Conservation) 20 minutes. The fascinating natural history of snakes.
Voices of Missouri's Toads & Frogs (Missouri Department of Conservation) 15 minutes. A look at the frogs and toads of Missouri and the songs they use to communicate.
Birding For Beginners (Missouri Department of Conservation) 12 minutes. Learn to find, watch and appreciate Missouri's birds with biologist Jim Wilson and his son.
Time Shadow, Encounters With the Whitetail (Missouri Department of Conservation) 24 minutes. Deer are amazing in their ability to adapt and thrive in man's world.
Spirit of the Eagle (Miramar Films) 30 Minutes. Join a group of young people as they explore the world of the bald eagle. Set in the Pacific Northwest.
Where Eagles Soar (Missouri Department of Conservation)14 minutes. The bald eagle was once an endangered species but has made a comeback in Missouri and nationwide. This video tells the story of an endangered species success story. Closed captioned.
Blooming Secrets, Missouri's Spring Wildflowers (Missouri Department of Conservation) 16 minutes, closed captioned.
A Way of Life (Missouri Department of Conservation) 27 minutes. A look at the role predation plays in natural ecosystems and food chains.
The Family Life of Birds (Missouri Department of Conservation) 20 minutes. Focuses on the family life of birds, their nesting, courtship and adaptations to their environments.
Farming (National Geographic) 16 minutes. A look at farms and ranches where foods are produced and the process by which they get to the supermarket. Follows the farming process through a year on the farm. Grades 2 6.
Return of the Wild Turkey (Missouri Department of Conservation) 30 minutes. A look at the life of the wild turkey, the restocking efforts that led to its recovery, and threats they face today.
Our Wild Inheritance (Missouri Department of Conservation) 22 minutes. A look at habitats and natural cycles, we are all dependent on the land.
The Living Landscape (Missouri Department of Conservation) 28 minutes. Discusses how farmlands can be good wildlife habitats with wise management.
Challenge of Yellowstone (National Park Service) 22 minutes. A look at the development of the National Parks from Yellowstone's establishment in the 1800s to the environmental and political challenges of today.
Guarding Our Living Environment (Missouri Department of Conservation) 26 minutes. The story of the Missouri Department of Conservation, from timber management to fish hatcheries.
Legacy of Life, the Work of MDC (Missouri Department of Conservation) 13 minutes, closed captioned.
Agents In The Making (Missouri Department of Conservation) 18 minutes. What state Conservation agents do and how to become one.
Element of Doom (Ecology Center Productions) 32 minutes. A look at the negative impacts or potential impacts of lead mining in the Missouri Ozarks. This video is from a very anti-mining environmentalist perspective. (We have asked for a video from the mining industry perspective as well, but have yet to obtain one. If someone can recommend a source for one, please let us know!)
Southbound (Ecology Center Productions) 48 minutes. A look at chip mills in the southern states and their impact on the local economy and environment. From an environmentalist perspective.
America's Forests (Temperate Forest Foundation) 23 minutes. A look at forestry management techniques and how they have changed and improved over the past century. From a forest industry perspective.
It Takes a Tree (Pacific Logging Congress) 18 minutes. The many uses and values of trees, from building material to recreational resource. From a forest industry perspective.
Forests for the Future (Missouri Department of Conservation) 20 minutes. Learn how forests can be managed in different ways to produce different types of trees, forest products and recreational opportunities. Closed captioned.
Two Sides of Fire (Temperate Forest Foundation) 16 minutes. A look at both the destructive role of wildfire and the ways controlled fire can be used in forest management.
Shannon County Home, A Portrait of the Ozarks (Center for Ozarks Studies) 67 minutes. A look at the traditional life of an Ozarks town (Eminence) in the 1960s.
Grandin: The Big Mill & Tall Timber (Missouri Department of Conservation) 24 minutes, closed captioned. A look at the timber boom times of the late 1800s. Black & white historical footage.
Stamp of Character (Missouri Department of Conservation) 23 minutes. A look at the 1920s when logs were cut into railroad ties and shipped on the rivers. Black & White historical footage.
How To Make A Terrarium (Missouri Department of Conservation) 10 minutes. A step by step guide to making a terrarium.
Using An Outdoor Classroom (Missouri Department of Conservation) 10 minutes. How to build and use an outdoor classroom to teach about important conservation principles.
Enviroscape II Instructional Video. Instructions and ideas on using the Enviroscape Watershed model.
Using the Stream Table. (Missouri Department of Conservation)12 minutes. Instructions and ideas for using the stream table.
Habitactics (Missouri Department of Conservation) Similar to the "SimmCity" computer game. Students pick a habitat and manage it to increase biodiversity and ecological quality. For younger students, the disk includes a simple game of matching animals to their habitats. Includes brief informational sketches of common species, including short video and sound clips. DOS & MAC.
Discovering Endangered Wildlife (National Wildlife Federation) Students solve crosswords and other puzzles using clues gained from video clips, animation and text about any of fifty endangered species worldwide. Students can learn about a specific species such as wolves, grizzly bears or alligators, or look at the wildlife of whole continents. Each animal's food needs, habitat, history and current threats are explored in a fun and exciting fast paced manner. Requires Windows 3.1 or Windows 95.
Jewel Cave - a Web of Understanding (Jewel Cave National Monument) A fascinating animated look at Jewel Cave and its wildlife. Among the high points is "Bat Cam" where the student is taken on a virtual flight through the cave using only a bat's sonar to navigate. Subjects covered include cave biology, cave formation, and preservation and protection of caves. MAC or Windows 3.1 or Windows 95.
Louisiana Wetlands - Functions & Values (Louisiana Dept of Natural Resources) An interactive program about wetlands, including quizzes and puzzles as well as video and slide shows about wetlands. Some material is specific to Louisiana, but overall a good resource for wetland information. Aimed at 6th through 12th grades, but younger kids would get a bit out of it too. Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and sound card.
Enviroscape: A three dimensional watershed model that demonstrates run off and groundwater concepts. Somewhat involved set up and use, please also request the instructional video.
Groundwater Model: A see through view of the groundwater system. Not as realistic as above, but better illustrates the concepts. Requires water.
Cave Model: Three dimensional model of cave showing formations.
Water Cycle Model: Demonstrates water cycle: water evaporates, condenses and falls as rain inside the model. Requires ice.
Stream Table: Available in desk top and large sizes. Demonstrates erosional effect of water as it flows through its bed. Can be used to show geomorphology principles and methods of preventing or abating erosion. Requires water and can be messy. Use the desktop version if you can! Instructional video available.
Please follow up with a phone call if you need the item within two weeks.
Call 573-323-4236, ext 236
Attn: Bill O’Donnell
School: _______________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________
Teacher: ______________________ Phone: _(_____) ___________ Grade Taught: _______
Number of students who will see / use the item: __________ email:_______________________
Item needed by: ______________________ (date)
Will return by: _______________________ Please call 573-323-4236, ext 236 to arrange pick up
Items Requested: ____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
I agree to take reasonable care of the items loaned to me by the National Park Service, Ozark National Scenic Riverways and will be responsible for repair or replacement due to damage while in my possession. I will return the item within two weeks.
__________________________________ __________ _____________________________
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A few useful links for teachers:
A free Teacher's Guide to Caves & Groundwater, called More Than Skin Deep is now available online in an abridged version. For the unabridged printed version please send an e-mail request via the "contacts" link on our home page.