Junior Ranger Activities: 9 or Older

If you are 9 or older, you must complete ALL of the activities on this page. Also do the Junior Ranger hat activities.

 

Glacier Games Activity

Where to visit: Indiana Dunes National Park Visitor Center

Although there are no glaciers in the Great Lakes today, these giant sheets of moving ice played a large part in the formation of the area. Watch the video, "Child Of The Northwest Wind" on the Dunes Learning Center's YouTube channel. Fill in the missing words to tell how these lakes were made, using each word only once. Ask a ranger for help if you get stumped.

Basin	Wisconsin	Mile
Ice	15,000	Moraine
Rocks	Glacier	Great Lakes

Imagine that you are standing on the _______________ Glacier nearly __________ years ago as it moved across northern Indiana. You walk to the edge of the glacier and notice that you are more than one _________ above the ground. As the giant sheet of _________ moves across the land, you see that it is picking up large __________ and other debris. Suddenly, the ___________ starts to melt! Large chunks of ice and rocks that were caught in the glacier fall off and form huge piles around the edges of the glacier. The rocks and soil pile higher and higher as the glacier melts, and soon form a large __________. The water begins to fill the large __________ that was carved out by the moving sheet of ice. You take a moment to look at this amazing sight before you, and then realize that you are standing on the glacier that helped to carve out the ____________________.

I watched the video at the visitor center on:

Ranger signature:

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Meet me at the Bailly’s Activity

Where to visit: Bailly Homestead
When Europeans came into the Great Lakes region, they set up trading posts along rivers and trails. These trading posts were areas for people of all backgrounds to come together and exchange goods.

Visit the Bailly Homestead. Use the self-guided trail brochure found at the Indiana Dunes National Park Visitor Center and the signs of the homestead to help the Potawatomi exchange their traditional tools for modern European tools. Draw connecting lines.

Potawatomi	European
Bow and Drill (Fire)	Metal Pin
Antler (Making Holes)	Glass Jar
Stone Axe (Chopping Wood)	Flint and Steel
Clay Pots (Cooking)	Hatchet
Gourd Containers (Storage)	Iron Kettles

I visited the Bailly Homestead on:

I saw this many buildings:

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Water Safety Activity

Where to visit: The Beach
Lake Michigan is a very large and powerful body of water. Conditions change often and can sometimes be very dangerous. Before going swimming at any of the park’s beaches, you should consider these facts and check conditions for safety.

1. Look at the waves. How high are they?
Rate them from 1-5 with 1 being no waves and 5 being very tall with whitecaps. _______

2. How hard is the wind blowing today? Rate it from 1-5 with 1 being no breeze and 5 being a strong wind. ________

3. Which direction is the wind blowing from?_________
Hint: if you are looking at the lake and the wind is blowing in your face, it is a north wind.

4. Do you see any change of color in the water? If you do, what color is it and where do you see it?___________

5. Do not swim without an adult who is comfortable swimming in the lake.
Circle your swimming partner.
MOM — DAD — RELATIVE — ADULT FRIEND — CHAPERONE

6. Did you bring a lifejacket? YES — NO

Since Lake Michigan is not a pool and does not have a flat botto m, it is safest to swim with a lifejacket. There are high and low spots throughout the shallow areas, and a lifejacket will help keep you floating if you step off the edge of a drop-off.

Should You Go Swimming Today?
If you gave the waves a rating of three or higher, if the wind is blowing from the north, if white caps are present, and if you see a change of color in the water, there might be rip currents. DO NOT GO SWIMMING.

Parent’s initials: _______

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Secrets of Succession Activity

Where to visit: West Beach Succession Trail
Indiana Dunes National Park is part of one of the largest expanses of freshwater dunes in the world. How were they made?
Walk along the West Beach Succession Trail using the self-guided trail brochure. Watch the transformation from the lake to the forest. As you explore, order each stage of the dunes by putting the numbers 1-4 on the line next to each description.

Stage #______ Jack pines and junipers take root in the sand behind the foredunes and help to create a more stable dune.		Stage #______ Cottonwood trees and more diverse plants begin to grow on the back, or lee side of the dune. When their leaves fall off, they decay and make soil that is better for trees and shrubs to grow in.
Stage #______ Black oak and hickory trees begin to grow in the richer soil and create a wooded dune.		Stage #______ Pioneer plants, such as marram grass, spread their roots out under the sand and catch the sand blowing off the beach.

If you have a thermometer, record the following information:
Air temperature ____ Water temperature ____ Soil Temperature ____
I walked the West Beach Succession Trail on _____________.

Parent’s Initials_______

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Barnyard Bingo Activity

Where to visit: Chellberg Farm
Welcome to the farm! More than 100 years ago, the Chellberg Farm was owned by Swedish immigrants named Anders and Johanna Chellberg.

Take a tour of the farm with a ranger, or use the self-guided brochure to tour the area with your family or friends. Look for the different tools people used to work the land.

While you are discovering the farm, check off the things you see.
(Brochures are available at the visitor center.)

Field Plow	Fence	Garden	Yoke
Clothes Line	Windmill	Wood Stove	Scarecrow
Water Trough	Sorghum Press	Fire Wood	Barn
Sugar Shack	Chicken Coop	Wagon	Corn Crib

Help out on the farm!

Check with a ranger at the farm or at the Indiana Dunes National Park Visitor Center to see when there will be a program at the farm. If time permits, go to the Chellberg Farm, and participate in the program.

Date visited the farm:

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