Lending Materials
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West has educational lending materials that schools can borrow. Please read through the guidelines and then browse below for information on available trunks and learning kits.
Guidelines for Lending Materials
- Requests must be made at least three weeks prior to the requested date.
- Lending materials may be borrowed for two weeks. Longer periods are considered if requested in advance.
- All shipping costs are the responsibility of the borrower. An invoice for shipping to your school is included when materials are shipped.
- Once you’ve submitted your request, you will receive an e-mail response that your request is being processed.
- Your visit is not confirmed until you receive a second e-mail within 1 week with details regarding your request.
Click here for more Teacher and Student Resources
Online registration
- Teachers can request materials using our online registration (see link below) or emailing megans@centerofthewest.org.
- Please let us know if you have any problems with our online registration system. If you have difficulty, or do not see a screen noting that you have submitted the form, please e-mail Megan Smith or call her at 307-578-4028.
Click here to register for lending materials
Materials available for loan are listed below and on the registration form. Questions? Please e-mail Megan Smith or call her at 307-578-4028.
SURVEY: After borrowing any of our lending materials, we invite you to return here to evaluate it in a short survey: Outreach Evaluation
Standards Correlations
All of our Lending Materials meet Wyoming and Montana state standards. Please click on a link below to view your state’s standard correlation chart.
Trunks
Click on each image for a larger view of trunk contents.
Plains Indian Art Trunk
This trunk fosters an understanding and appreciation for the culture of Plains Indian people. Materials in the trunk include examples of traditional Plains Indian arts such as: bead work; quill work; and painted objects. A teacher’s guide is enclosed.
Weight: 51 lbs. Size: 30 x 15 x 15 inches
Powwow Trunk – Brand New Curriculum Based on New Standards!!
Music and dance have long been central to American Indian cultures. Today’s powwow is a celebration of that heritage. Learn about powwows in their present form and the history behind them with a video, dance outfits, musical instruments, accessories, and a teacher’s guide.
Weight: 56 lbs. Size: 32.5 x 20.5 x 19 inches
Gray Wolf Natural History Trunk
This trunk explores the gray wolf’s biology, controversy, and management. The trunk contains a wolf pelt, skulls, tracks, and other current resources and fun activities! A teacher’s guide for grades 1 – 8 is enclosed.
Weight: 54 lbs. Size: 29 x 21 x 13 inches
Trappers, Traders, and Trailblazers: Mountain Men in the Rocky Mountain West Trunk
Mountain men were rugged individuals who traveled, explored, and lived in the Rocky Mountains in search of valuable animal pelts. This trunk contains tools and equipment characteristic of mountain men. It also includes classroom activities, games, and a teacher’s guide.
Weight: 91 lbs. Size: 52.5 x 19 x 19 inches
Learning Kits
Shoshone Learning Kit
Sacagawea and Chief Washakie were both members of the Shoshone Tribe. Learn about the Shoshone people, their culture, language, and history. Hear contemporary Shoshone youth speak about issues today. The kit includes games, audiotape, photographs, and a teacher’s guide.
Weight: 19 pounds
DVDs
Catch Me If You Can
Watch elk calves playing in a game of tag, and bison calves butting heads. Learn how these behaviors prepare animals for life as an adult.
The Grazers: 20 minutes; The Predators: 26 minutes
Grades: K – 5
Geysers of Yellowstone
The Yellowstone hotspot has created over 10,000 thermal features. Learn how these features were formed, how they work, and why they change.
Length: 50 minutes
Grades: 6 and above
The History of Yellowstone: The Discovery
This film begins with the discovery of Yellowstone in 1806 to the founding of the park in 1872. Learn about fur trappers, mountain men, prospectors, and mapmakers in Yellowstone.
Length: 57 minutes
Grades: 5 and above
The History of Yellowstone: Dudes and Sagebrushers
Discover the development of the tourism industry in Yellowstone National Park. Learn about the earliest campers, housing accommodations, the railroad, and the influence of automobiles.
Length: 86 minutes
Grades: 5 and above
Wolves – Originally presented in IMAX® Theaters
Learn how wolves live in packs and what their behaviors mean. Explore their significance in their ecosystem and learn about wolf conservation initiatives.
Length: 101 minutes
Grades: 4 and above
Wolves in Paradise: Ranchers and Wolves in the New West
Uncover the issues and multiple points of view surrounding the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park.
Length: 56 minutes
Grades: 8 and above
Yellowstone: An American Legacy
Discover the natural and man-made wonders of Yellowstone through this historical overview. The film highlights Yellowstone’s geysers, hot springs, waterfalls, and wildlife.
Length: 63 minutes
Grades: 6 and above
Yellowstone: Imprints of Geologic Time
Many different geologic processes shape Yellowstone’s landscape. Discover the natural features that tell the story of Yellowstone’s geologic history.
Length: 27 minutes
Grades: 8 and above
Yellowstone: Land to Life
Yellowstone provides a rare window into our planet. Discover the influences of volcanic forces and other geologic processes on Yellowstone’s environment through time.
Length: 39 minutes
Grades: 4 and above
Yellowstone: A Symphony of Fire and Water
This video provides a general overview of the thermal features of Yellowstone National Park. Learn how water and heat create these features.
Length: 23 minutes
Grades: 4 and above
