Wyoming Science Curriculum Standards at the NBSC

If you are interested in learning about the Wyoming science curriculum standards that can be met using our lessons, activities or materials, click WY science curriculum standards at NBSC.

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Online Educational Resources Organized by Grade Level

Pre-school- Adult

Bighorn Sheep Adaptations – Videos from NBSC:

• Bighorn Sheep Eyes – Video from NBSC
• Bighorn Sheep Feet – Video from NBSC
• Bighorn Sheep Fur – Video from NBSC
• Bighorn Sheep Horns – Video from NBSC
• Bighorn Sheep Ram Skull – Video from NBSC

Other Videos:

• Bighorns 101 with Karen and Jess at the NBSC Part 1
• Bighorns 101 with Karen and Jess at the NBSC Part 2
• Grand Slam Display – Video from NBSC – Learn about the four types of wild sheep in North America
• Horns vs Antlers – Video from NBSC
• Predators of Bighorn Sheep – Video from NBSC
• Sheepeater Indian/Mountain Shoshone Display – Video from NBSC with Tory Taylor
• Trail Camera Video of Bighorn Sheep in Laramie Peak WHMA
• Wild Sheep vs Mountain Goats – Video from Parks Canada – Do peoplehave a problem telling the difference between mountain goats and wild sheep? Parks Canada thought it was a big enough issue to produce this witty and whimsical skit on the two creatures.
• Wyoming Outdoor Expo at Home – Game and Fish and partner organizations have consolidated online stories, videos and activities developed over several years to bring the outdoors inside while we are all practicing social distancing.
• Additional Online Learning Resources updated 4/20/20 – Numerous resources from about the web

Pre-school – Elementary

• Bighorn Sheep to Color
• Help the Lamb Find its Way Home Maze
• How to Draw a Bighorn Sheep
• Bighorn Sheep Mask to Color and Cut Out
• Camouflage Bighorns! How Many Can You Count?
• Wildlife Cartoons
  • Wild Kratts- Super Specialists video clip
  • Kratts Creatures- Animal Horns video clip
  • Wild Kratts- Incredible Creatures part 1 entire episode
  • Goats and Sheep,,, and Parka
  • Juny and Tony My Horns Are the Best Song and Video
  • Cartoon Drawing for Kids & Sheep Drawing with Color
  • Kratts Creatures- The How Show entire episode

Elementary –  Middle School

• Animal Migration Obstacle Course Activity – Be creative and get moving with this fun and educational do-it-yourself obstacle course!
• Color Crazy – Learn about the different types of camouflage in nature and create your own creature using one of the types of camouflage described in the lesson. Fun and educational for all ages! The staff at the NBSC had lots of fun with this one. Stay tuned on Facebook for pictures of our creatures and a contest you can enter for a chance to win a gift certificate to the NBSC gift shop.
• Disease Transmission Activity (Group Activity) – How does a disease spread within a herd of wild sheep?  Find out with this activity! Also included as an extension is a mini-lesson “How do germs get inside your body?”.
• How Many Bighorns Can Live in this Habitat? (Group Activty) – Students will learn about food needs of bighorn sheep, identify a limiting factor and define carrying capacity by becoming a “bighorn” and looking for food with this activity and lesson.
• Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt
• On the Mountain Booklet – This publication by our partner, the Wild Sheep Foundation, is both educational and fun. Packed with information about wild sheep as well as a crossword puzzle, word search and maze.

Elementary –  High School

• Curriculum from Wild Sheep Foundation
• Poetry of the Bighorn – Encourage students to express themselves through poetry in this cross-curricular and fun lesson.

Elementary – Adult

•  400 Miles to Cross: The Interstate 80 Wildlife Barrier – This film shows that I-80 is an almost impenetrable obstacle to movement of pronghorn, mule deer and elk. The highway has severed or truncated migration corridors from as much as 150 miles away.  But, Wyoming and other Western states have the science and the tools necessary to fix this problem.  
• “Who Am I?” Activity –  Test your knowledge of the animal world! Can you name the animals based on the clues?
• Wild and Wool – This film from the International Wildlife Film Festival, documents a year-long look at a dedicated research team racing to understand the complexities and challenges of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in bighorn sheep.

Middle School – High School

• Bighorns On the Edge Lesson Plan
• Wyoming Bighorns: On the Edge? PowerPoint Part I – Are the bighorn sheep in Wyoming on the Edge? Find out using this lesson plan which involves population graphing and discussion of factors that affect bighorn sheep survival.

High School – Adult

• Wild Sheep in the West – In this recorded Instagram Live Show, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation interviews Kevin Hurley, a 40-year career wildlife biologist and current Vice-President of Conservation & Operations at the Wild Sheep Foundation. Kevin has been involved in all aspects of Bighorn sheep conservation, from transplants back in the 80’s to helping fund pathogen research with Bighorns now. This is a great overview of where populations of wild sheep used to be, how conservation has helped bring populations back significantly, what factors threaten sheep now, and what the average person can do to help.

Other Educational Resources

Field Trip to the National Bighorn Sheep Center

• Our trained staff and volunteers welcome school groups of any age and any size. We are happy to provide guided tours of the exhibits, as well as activities, discussions or films customized for a group’s age or specific interests. Call (307-455-3429) or email in advance to schedule an engaging and memorable visit for your students. Admission for school groups is $2/student. If this cost is prohibitive, please contact us about potential sponsorships.
• Information for teachers and students when planning a visit can be found here: Tips for school visits to Dubois Museum and NBSC

Field Trip to Torrey Valley

• Our experienced staff and volunteers offer guided tours to the Whiskey Basin Wildlife Habitat Management Area, which is the winter range of the Whiskey Mountain Bighorn Sheep herd. This tour is a great addition to a Sheep Center visit. Students can learn about bighorn sheep habitat and biology in the field. This tour can be customized to explore specific content and topics.

Traveling Education Trunks

• Can’t bring your class to the National Bighorn Sheep Center for a tour? We’ve got you covered! No, we can’t send you a live bighorn, but our Traveling Education Trunk will help provide you and your class a hands-on, up-close look at the life and lifestyles of bighorn sheep. We can ship a trunk anywhere in the contiguous United States (you just cover the shipping costs).
• Call (307-455-3429) or email to reserve your trunk. The lesson plan and trunk contents can be found here: Education Trunk contents and lesson. The contents of the trunk can be modified based on your educational needs.
• If you are interested in having one of our staff members or volunteers bring an education trunk to your classroom and present the lesson for you, call (307-455-3429) or email to discuss.