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Animals Over Winter

1st Grade Program Description: Students will determine how wildlife have adapted to the challenges they experience during winter. Students will explore three responses to winter: adaptation, migration, and hibernation. Students will investigate the physical adaptations of wolves and connect how humans mimic their winter response. Students will explore the responses of hibernators and migrators and determine if it is feasible for humans to mimic that winter response.

1st Grade Cross Disciplinary Concepts: The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function(s).

1st Grade Vocabulary: adaptation, habitat, hibernation, migration, resistance, metabolism, and survive.

3rd Grade Program Description: Students will determine how wildlife have adapted to the challenges they experience during winter. Students will investigate three responses to winter: adaptation, migration, and hibernation. Students will explore the anatomy and behavioral characteristics of local wildlife and determine how they have evolved to survive or avoid winter.

3rd Grade Cross Disciplinary Concepts: Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain change.

3rd Grade Vocabulary: adaptation, camouflage, compete, habitat, hibernation, hyperphagia, metabolism, migration, resistance, and survive.

Virtual Program: Program can be hosted through Zoom or in a Google Classroom. The teacher requesting the program must set up the virtual platform.

Science Standards This Program Meets

1-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures & Processes

  • Grade: 1st Grade
  • Discipline: Life Science
Requirements:
Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
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3-LS4-3 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

  • Grade: 3rd Grade
  • Discipline: Life Science
Requirements:
Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
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About National Elk Refuge

National Wildlife Refuges are world-renowned as places to see great seasonal migrations of fish and wildlife, iconic animals like bison and bears, and ordinary creatures thriving in their natural habitats. The National Elk Refuge is one of over 565 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States. The education team at the National Elk Refuge offer a variety of environmental education programs that highlight natural history and life sciences. We look forward to working with educators in the community to achieve their science standards in a fun and engaging way. Join us on the Refuge or have us bring the Refuge to your classroom!

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Who We offer programming to all ages.
What Natural History & Life Science programs.
When Year-round
Where We offer programs onsite at the National Elk Refuge & Greater Yellowstone Visitor center or onsite at locations within Teton, Sublette, and Lincoln counties in Wyoming. Or in Teton County, Idaho.
Why Our vision is to provide teaching and learning opportunities about wildlife and conservation to enable students to make informed decisions about environmental sustainability and stewardship.