Travelin’ Trunks will transport your students to one of the world’s premier learning destinations, and they don’t even have to leave their classroom! Trunks may also be used pre- or post-visit. Most materials and lessons are geared toward fourth- through eighth-grade students; however, GCA also offers a Grand Canyon Primary Trunk for kindergarten through third-grade students and a Human History Trunk aimed at middle and high schoolers.
The trunks focus on the ecology, human history and geology of Grand Canyon. Trunks contain lesson plans, books, DVDs, posters, slides, maps and other interactive materials. Teachers can choose the lessons and activities best suited to their learning goals. GCA designed the lessons to align with Arizona Academic Standards and National Science Education Standards. Education specialists created the activities and lesson plans, and National Park Service staff and other outside experts have reviewed the materials for accuracy.
Loan Period: Two weeks
Cost: There is no trunk use charge; a small prepayment fee is applied toward the cost of shipping via UPS Ground ($20 for Arizona, $30 for surrounding states (CA, NV, UT, CO, NM), $45 for all other states). The remaining costs are covered by the Grand Canyon Association and our generous Adopt-a-Trunk sponsors. Thanks to these sponsors, there is also funding available to help educators with the prepayment fee; contact us for more information at outreach@grandcanyon.org or (800) 858-2808 ext 7142.
Reserve A Trunk using our online form
Travelin’ Trunks Themes:
Primary Trunk (K-3rd)
Contains materials designed to give young learners a variety of ways to explore and learn about Grand Canyon.
Download Lesson Plan
Grand Canyon Ecology Trunk (3rd-8th)
Includes multimedia materials and lessons about Grand Canyon communities and the factors that affect their existence and survival. Desert, desert survival and canyon-based Web of Life lessons are included too.
Download Lesson Plan
Grand Canyon Geology Trunk (3rd-8th)
Gives students interesting materials and activities for exploring the wonders of geology at Grand Canyon. Topics covered include geologic time, Grand Canyon layers, fossils and topographic map reading.
Download Lesson Plan
Grand Canyon Human History Trunk (3rd-8th)
Provides a general overview of cultural history at Grand Canyon. Profiles of Grand Canyon characters, books, photos, materials for hands-on activities and information on the area’s American Indian tribes are included in this trunk.
Download Lesson Plan
Grand Canyon Human History Trunk (High School)
By asking students to analyze documents, visual art, photographs and maps, this new secondary education trunk seeks to foster students’ analytical reasoning abilities and establish critical connections between primary sources and historical themes. We also invite you to [visit our Nature, Culture and History of the Grand Canyon website](http://grandcanyonhistory.clas.asu.edu target="_blank"), created in conjunction with Arizona State University, for additional lessons, supplementary information, interactive tools and curriculum materials.
Download Lesson Plan
John Wesley Powell Trunk (3rd-8th)
Allows students to investigate Powell’s 1869 journey through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. Includes a fun and challenging boat-building activity.
Download Lesson Plan
Colorado River Ecology Trunk (3rd-8th)
Introduces a hands-on activity that facilitates students’ exploration of the ecology of the Colorado River pre- and post-Glen Canyon Dam. A debate activity is included that looks at the various stakeholders and their points of view with respect to the changes, drawbacks and benefits resulting from the dam.
Download Lesson Plan
