Work House- A Glacier National Park Science Education Program
Welcome to Work House, an education program developed in the 1980's and revised in the 1990's for use in the classroom and Glacier National Park. This program was written in cooperation with tribal members on the Blackfeet and Confederated Salish/Kootenai Reservations.
Work House consists of five interrelated tracks that focus on geological and biological succession while utilizing local Indian tribal heritage as a background. The five tracks in the program are:
- Mountains and Mountain Building
- Glaciers and Glaciation
- Native Plant Use
- Animals and Habitat
- Humans and Glacier National Park
Each track has a similar format. Work House includes cultural and scientific background information, traditional stories, classroom/park visit activities, and back in the classroom activities for use by program participants. (The classroom activities are generally written for upper elementary level students.)
When using this program, teachers should read the tribal information and the section titled The Way in the introduction section and then select a track to follow. Be sure to review the background and activities provided. It is not necessary to be familiar with the entire program to use individual tracks; however, an activity from another track may supplement the unit you are studying.
The Work House was originally designed with an activity kit that was available on the Blackfeet and Confederated Salish/Kootenai Reservations. However, the kits have not been updated and are generally not available. Fortunately, many of the activities can still be completed with materials obtained from other sources or with preparation on your own. Contact the Education Specialist for assistance if you are looking for specific materials.
