Vast, open spaces in the Wyoming Range. The dense vegetation in the foreground is lush and green, indicating that it is mid-summer. The sky is blue with white, puffy clouds. There are no roads, trails, power lines, or any other signs of humans anywhere in the photo.

For Educators

Ungulates are easy-to-observe, common in some places, and incredibly charismatic, which make them great case studies for science lessons in K-12 classrooms! Here are some resources for bringing these special species into classrooms.

If you’re interested in having one of our team come to speak with your class, or working together to develop some classroom activities, please contact Taylor Wagstaff at tkennah1@uwyo.edu.

Lesson plans and classroom activities

Three male elk with large antlers stand on a grassy hill, morning sun glancing off their coats.

Why do ungulates live where they do? Students in grades 6 – 8 can explore habitat types using gVeg, an interactive web platform, and learn about why ungulates live where they do. You can view the lesson plan here.

A drawing of a mule deer who is lying dead by a juniper tree.

Mule Deer CSI is an activity for 3rd – 7th grade students. Follow this link to access “case files” and instructions for how to lead this activity!

Children gather around a table, where Ben is showing them how to make casts of animal tracks.

Make casts of animal tracks to take home and keep with you! You can find the instructions here.

A female mule deer with 3 young fawns in the snow.

Retrace the steps of Deer 104 as she migrates between her winter and summer ranges in western Wyoming. Learners of all ages can use this interactive map to experience migration first hand! You can start your adventure here.

Board for A Mule Deer Year

Put yourself in the hooves of a mule deer mom and her fawns! Play a round of A Mule Deer Year and see if you can survive a whole year!

Schematic of force being applied and dissipating in bighorn sheep skull.

How many times a day do deer poop? Why don’t bighorn sheep get concussions when they ram their heads together? We’ve assembled some of the best trivia about ungulates here!

A bighorn sheep ewe in her summer coat lies in front of a few-month-old lamb. They are in a bed of short, alpine plants with large, lichen-covered rocks.

We’ve compiled fact sheets about the ungulates that live in Wyoming. Access them here!

Coloring Pages

Click on the images below to download a high-quality PDF!

Design by Rhiannon Jakopak.
Design by Rhiannon Jakopak.
Design by Rachel Smiley.
Design by Rhiannon Jakopak.