Weather Wonders Snow Science Field Trip
Using scientific inquiry and tools to gather data, students learn about how abiotic factors (i.e. snow) influence biotic organisms (i.e. wildlife). Shovels and snowshoes provided! Students will also learn how animals have developed specific adaptations in order to survive the harsh winters of this ecosystem.
Cross-cutting Concept: A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions. Patterns can be used as evidence to support an explanation. A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions. Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small. Phenomena that can be observed at one scale may not be observable at another scale. Macroscopic patterns are related to the nature of microscopic and atomic-level
structure.
Vocabulary: Biotic, abiotic, scientific process, data trends, subnivean, adaptation, metamorphosis, depth hoar, survival, migrate, hibernate, tolerate.
Science Standards This Program Meets
4-ESS2-2 Earth’s Systems
- Grade: 4th Grade
- Discipline: Earth & Space Science
Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
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4-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structure and Processes
- Grade: 4th Grade
- Discipline: Life Science
Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction
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4-LS1-2 From Molecules to Organisms: Structure and Processes
- Grade: 4th Grade
- Discipline: Life Science
Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.
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MS-ESS2-2 Earth’s System
- Grade: Middle School
- Discipline: Earth & Space Science
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.
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MS-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structure and Processes
- Grade: Middle School
- Discipline: Life Science
Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
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MS-PS1-2 Matter and Its Interactions
- Grade: Middle School
- Discipline: Physical Science
Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
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MS-PS1-3 Matter and Its Interactions
- Grade: Middle School
- Discipline: Physical Science
Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
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About Grand Teton National Park
Turn Grand Teton National Park into your classroom! We offer programs year-round including field trips with hands-on exploration, rangers visiting your classroom with park resources, or even opportunities to connect to rangers digitally. Topics range from “taking a walk on the wild side” with ecology, “rocking the Tetons” with geology, or learning that "every snowflake counts" from rangers sitting at a desk made of snow. If you don't see a program here that meets your needs, please contact park educators to explore options for a customized program.
View All Programs Visit Website| Who | Park rangers (GRTE_Education@nps.gov) |
| What | Field trips and classroom visits about ecology, geology, history, ranger careers, and outdoor leadership |
| When | All year |
| Where | In your national park or your classroom |
| Why | Because learning sticks when you experience the real thing! |