• Badlands formations against the blue sky; photo by Rikk Flohr

    Badlands

    National Park South Dakota

Video Conferences

Badlands National Park conducts interactive classroom presentations through distance learning video conferences. Schools can connect by IP contact or Skype.

Preparing for a Video Conference

Teachers who have scheduled a video conference ranger program should prepare their students accordingly. Students should have some understanding of Badlands National Park (location, mission, ecosystem) and some general background knowledge related to their program topic. Teachers may use materials provided from the links below, the specific pre-visit lesson plans, or their own lessons to best prepare their students.

Scheduling a Video Conference

Winter 2013 - Programs are available through April 30.

Program descriptions are available below. Appropriate grade levels are suggested, but programs can be adjusted for any grade level (K-12) upon request.

  • Archaeotherium jaw

    Featured Materials

    Time Travel with Fossils

    Travel back in time to discover ancient ecosystems and animals Explore »

  • Prairie dog eating

    Featured Materials

    Prairie Animals and Habitats

    Meet a cast of prairie animals and learn how they live together in the prairie ecosystem Explore »

  • View from the White River Valley Overlook

    Featured Materials

    Layers of Sedimentary Rocks

    Discover how the rocks of Badlands National Park reveal ancient environments Explore »

  • Bison close-up

    Featured Materials

    Bison Banquet

    Learn about the bison's natural and cultural history Explore »

Browse Our Workshops

Results

Showing results 1-4 of 4

  • Bison Banquet

    Bison Banquet

    Explore the variety of ways the American bison has been used by Native Americans.

    Grade level:
    Third Grade-Fifth Grade
    Subjects:
    Biology: Animals, History, Nutrition, Pioneer America, Textiles, Westward Expansion, Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Management

  • Layers of Sedimentary Rocks

    Layers of Sedimentary Rocks

    Explore the sedimentary rocks of Badlands National Park, learning how each layer formed and what information can be learned from the rocks.

    Grade level:
    Sixth Grade-Eighth Grade
    Subjects:
    Earth Science, geology, Paleontology

  • Prairie Animals and Habitats

    Prairie Animals and Habitats

    Grasses dominate the plant life of the mixed-grass prairie ecosystem found within Badlands National Park. Learn more about how animals living on the prairie have adapted so they can thrive here.

    Grade level:
    Kindergarten-Third Grade
    Subjects:
    Biodiversity, Biology: Animals, Biology: Plants, Botany, Ecology, Environment, Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Management
    National/State Standards:
    K-living vs. nonliving; 1-survival/habitats; 2-adaptations/endangered/extinct

  • Time Travel with Fossils

    Time Travel with Fossils

    Students discuss the fossils found at Badlands National Park and make inferences about ancient animals and environments based on the fossil evidence.

    Grade level:
    Third Grade-Fifth Grade
    Subjects:
    Ecology, Environment, Paleontology
    National/State Standards:
    3-adaptations/form/function/survival; 4-adaptations/survival/food webs

Did You Know?

Sandstone caprock balanced atop eroding sediments, an example of a toadstool or hoodoo

The badlands are some of the fastest eroding landscapes on earth with erosion rates averaging 1” per year in their fragile layers. However, in areas where sandstone is found, the erosion rate may be 1” in 500 years. Often, toadstools form when surrounding sediments erode beneath a sandstone caprock.