Thursday, August 2, 2018

Cave Unit: Day 13-15 and Inner Space Cave Visit


This is part one of a Caves Unit Study intended to be done before (or after) visiting Inner Space Caverns or another cave.  


Day 13-15:  Section 16 
So, it's finally time!   You've been studying caves for more than two weeks now, and you're ready to visit one!


DAY BEFORE CAVE VISIT
The day before you visit Inner Space Caverns, if you haven't already done this, make your  cave journal (page 9 of One Small Square Cave book).  You can decorate the cover of the notebook now, and copy this map of Inner Space Caverns to paste in the book to reference during your trip.


DAY BEFORE or DAY OF VISIT 
(before leaving if on day of visit)
1.  Read section 14:  The Safe Caver (pg 44)

ACTIVITY
1.  Junior Cave Scientist Workbook Pages
Read/work through page 4-5 in the Junior Cave Scientist workbook, which talks about cave etiquette and safety. This can be done on the drive from Waco to Inner Space, to pass the time. It will help you get ready for your visit.   Page 23 has a "Cavers Pledge" which students can fill out to commit to learn about caves and treat them respectfully (if you didn't do this on Day 1). 

Now lets visit a cave!!


ACTIVITIES TO TRY AT INNER SPACE CAVERNS

You can bring your Cave Journal to Inner Space, so you can draw sketches of some of the things you see there and jot down notes.  While there isn't a lot of time on the Adventure Tour  to sit and draw in a notebook, there are a three places where the tour stops in which you'll have some time to do this if you want (at least, if they haven't changed this since we went).   You may want to find them on the map and put a star by them.
  1. You can draw while waiting for other families to take pictures early in the tour.  
  2. Midway through the tour there's a place with a broken off stalagmite kids can touch, and after you've done that there's a rock wall to sit at where you can stop and sketch.
  3. At the very end of the tour (before you head back to start) there's a room with a pool of water where you will stop for a while (this room is called Lake of the Moon).  There are places to sit here as well, and lots of cool things you might want to draw.
Of course, you can also take pictures, and print them out and paste them into your Cave Journal later.
 
There are several sidebar activities in the Cave Book you can do on the tour (please refer to the book for full instructions).  If you want to do them, you can either bring the book with you or jot down the instructions on a piece of paper or in your cave journal.
 
SIDEBAR:  When the Wind Blows - Pg 32
Any place you stop during the tour (see above) would be a great time to check wind direction with a small piece of paper. 

SIDEBAR:  The Same or Not The Same - Pg 25
There are cave adapted animals that live in Inner Space Caverns.  Though it's not very likely you'll see these on the tour, if you do it will give you an opportunity to try this activity. 
 
SIDEBAR:  Echo...Echo...Echo - Pg 23 
Try shouting your name or something else while in the cave, to hear the echoes.   You will have an opportunity to do this without disturbing the tour guide's presentation on the way back after reaching the end of the tour. 


AFTER YOUR CAVE VISIT

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
  • What animals did you see?
  • What formations did you see?
  • What new things did you learn on the tour?
  • What was your favorite part? 
  • A cowboy discovered Carlsbad caverns when he saw bats flying out of a hole in the ground.  How did people find Inner Space?   What do you think it felt like to be the first person to visit the cave?


POST - VISIT ACTIVITIES
  • Inner space offered a Tour Assessment and post visit activities in both it's 4th and 5th grade sections here.  (I may have already included these in some of the previous days activity suggestions).
  • JUNIOR CAVE SCIENTIST CERTIFICATE of ACHEIVEMENT
    The Junior Cave Scientist Workbook has a nifty certificate you can print out for your students for completing this unit.

     





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