• The dunes in soft light

    White Sands

    National Monument New Mexico

  • Closures and Missile Tests

    Upcoming Missile Tests: Friday-Saturday, April 27-28 -- Missile test scheduled on both mornings. Highway 70 will be blocked at Red & Yellow checkpoints. No backcountry camping on Thursday and Friday, April 26 & 27. More »

  • High Winds

    We are in our windy season, so please be aware of possible high winds.

  • Backcountry Camping

    There will be no backcountry camping available the night of Saturday, April 7, 2012.

Other Teacher Resources

Although we love it when schools bring their students to the monument, we understand that it's not always possible for teachers to do so. With that in mind, we are continually trying to put together information to help teachers teach their students about White Sands National Monument. Below, you will find some of the additional resources we have compiled. And keep an eye out, as we'll be adding more in the future!

 
Centaury

Plant Adaptation Lesson Plan

CONCEPTS: The conditions at White Sands National Monument, the world's largest gypsum dunefield, create a unique environment for plant survival. The monument encompasses an ecosystem within an ecosystem, where of the 244 plants found in the desert environment, only 60 have developed strategies for survival in the dunefield itself.

Download the Plant Adaptation Lesson Plan.
 
 
Kit Fox

Kit Fox Lesson Plan

CONCEPTS: Animals mature differently than humans.

Download Kit Fox Lesson Plan One.

Download Kit Fox Lesson Plan Two. 
 
 
Camel Cricket

Animal Adaptation Lesson Plan

CONCEPTS: The conditions in the Chihuahuan Desert and White Sands dunefield provide ecological knowledge of wildlife populations and their ability to change and adapt within that environment. Variation and change occur in all ecological systems. All forms of life are affected by changes in the quality, quantity, and distribution of their habitats. All lifeforms exhibit adaptations to the environments in which they live.

Download the Animal Adaptation Lesson Plan.
 

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Unlike most other birds, which have three front toes and one back toe, the roadrunner has two front and two back toes, allowing it to run down its prey. Look for its distinct X-shaped tracks on the white sands.