Lesson 1: History of Yellowstone
Lead Teacher: Mrs. Welsh
Cognitive Goal: The students will learn about the history of Yellowstone National Park and will create individual viewfinders containing six slides about significant points in Yellowstone history.
Affective Goal: The students will express a new appreciation for the special features of the park. The students will demonstrate willingness to work together as a team to inquire and to complete tasks.
What we learned: John Colter was the first white man in Yellowstone. In 1872, President Grant signed a bill making Yellowstone the very first National Park! Settlers came to the park and hunted deer, elk, moose and mined for gold.
Lesson 2: What are geysers, fumaroles, mud pots and hot springs?
Lead Teacher: Ms. Gorman
Cognitive Goal: The students will concentrate on the natural wonders of Yellowstone National Park, including Old Faithful, geysers and how they work, mud pots, fumaroles and hot springs.
Affective Goal: The students will be given an opportunity to explore and appreciate the natural wonders that can be found at Yellowstone National Park.
What we learned: We learned that Yellowstone's most famous geyser is Old Faithful. It is very predictable, erupting once every seventy-eight minutes. It hasn't missed an eruption in over one hundred years! We learned that geysers erupt when water trickles into the Earth's surface and is trapped in channels or pockets in the ground. The water sits there and is heated by magma that is deep in the Earth's core, and due to all of the pressure pushing on the water and the heat, the geyser erupts! We used Mentos and Diet Coke to reenact a geyser outside! We learned about fumaroles and how they look like steamy, smelly vents around Yellowstone; they smell like rotten eggs! We also learned that " fumarole" is the Latin word for" smoke" which is a good way to remember what a fumarole looks like. We discovered that hot springs are created when thermal steam rises through cold water and heats that water up. They are colored by algae and bacteria, some are beautiful shades of blues, greens and yellows! Hot Springs can be identified not only by their unique colors but also because they look like witches brew - bubbling and boiling! Finally we learned about mud pots, they can be described as being bubbling and burping! When minerals color the mud, they are called paint pots. These amazing features of Yellowstone are completely natural, not man-made, and they are called Geothermal features!
 Yellowstone Mud Pot |
 The Famous Old Faithful! |
 Prismatic Hot Spring |
 Prismatic Hot
Spring
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Lesson 3: Endangered and Threatened Animals of Yellowstone
Lead Teacher: Mrs. Welsh
Cognitive Goal: The students will focus on the endangered/threatened animals of Yellowstone and will create posters to save them!
Affective Goal: The students will gain a new understanding of what it means when an animal is endangered/threatened, as well as an appreciation for these animals found at Yellowstone.
What we learned: We learned that when an animal is endangered, it means that there are so few of these animals left that they are in danger of becoming extinct. We can help save endangered/threatened animals by not hunting, joining animal protection groups, and being aware of which animals are endangered. We made posters about 4 different animals that are either endangered or threatened in Yellowstone. These were grizzly bears, gray wolves, bison, and the lynx. Each student made a poster that had facts about each of the animals as well as a drawing!
Lesson 4: What is the weather and climate in Yellowstone?
Lead Teacher: Ms. Gorman
Cognitive Goal: The students will focus on the weather and climate throughout Yellowstone, as well as the differences found in the park due to the fact that it is so large that it stretches into 3 states (Majority is in Wyoming, but is also in Idaho and Montana).
Affective Goal: The students will hear the story of Truman Everts, who was lost in the park for 37 days after his exploration team abandoned him, and will appreciate his bravery and strength that was portrayed through surviving the harsh Yellowstone weather conditions. Also, the students will gain an understanding of the unpredictable nature of the weather and climate found at Yellowstone.
What we learned: We learned about Truman Everts (pictured below), a man who survived in Yellowstone for 37 days after his exploration team abandoned him. The day after he realized his team was nowhere in sight, his horse was spooked and ran away with any supplies he had left! He was stranded with only this clothing on his back, a few knives, and an opera glass. He survived off the heat of the hot springs, and ate anything he could find. One night, he even ate a bird that he found in a tree above him! When they found Truman, 37 days later, he was very frail and thin. We learned that the weather in Yellowstone is very different from the weather we experience in Charleston, Illinois! If you could use one word to describe the weather at the park, it would be UNPREDICTABLE! There are sudden storms during all seasons that cause severe drops in temperature. In winter, temperatures are often below zero. Also,Yellowstone has an average of 150 inches of snow per year!
Frosted trees in winter Truman Everts
Lesson 5: Yellowstone's Natives
Lead Teacher: Mrs. Welsh
Cognitive Goal: The students will focus on the homes of the Native Americans that lived in Yellowstone and will create a model of the homes.
Affective Goal: The students will express a new appreciation and respect of the Native Americans that lived in Yellowstone by learning about and constructing a model of their home.
What we learned: We learned that the Native people of Yellowstone were the Sheepeaters and they lived in wikiups. The Sheepeaters were not aggressive or violent people. It was said that other tribes saw them as great medicine men, as well as very spiritual people. The Sheepeaters were very skilled toolmakers. They made tools from obsidian rock, which is volcanic glass found locally and is formed when molten lave cools quickly. We learned about their homes, and got to build our own models out of clay, sticks, and grass! We discovered that the opening to the wikiup home was larger in the summer due to the warm weather, and the opening was more closed and tight for the wintertime to keep out the cold.
Lesson 6: Conservation = Cooperation
Lead Teacher: Ms. Gorman
Cognitive Goal: The students will learn what conservation is and focus on the idea that people just like them can take steps to help the preserve the environment. The students will also learn that this idea can be applied to the conservation of Yellowstone, and will learn about how Yellowstone is conserved today.
Affective Goal: The students will learn what park rangers do and how they contribute to the conservation of Yellowstone. The students will gain an appreciation of the natural beauty of the park and will learn that Yellowstone remains a beautiful place because of the cooperation and efforts of others.
What we learned: We learned that there are small steps we can take to preserve the environment in our community. We can volunteer to help clean parks around our homes, we shouldn't litter, we should walk or ride our bikes when possible to avoid pollution, and many other things that will help keep our community clean. Just like we can take steps to keep our communities clean, park rangers, volunteers, and organizations work together to keep Yellowstone in the beautiful condition it can be found in today! Our team made a sign titled " Conservation = Cooperation" and listed eight different ways that we think will help conserve Yellowstone. We came up with the following list:
1. Do not hunt the animals
2. Do not feed the animals
3. Do not litter
4. Do not leave a fire without putting it out
5. Do not touch the animals
6. Throw back the fish that you catch
7. Leave the park the way you found it
8. Donate your time and money to the park
Overall, we learned that in order for Yellowstone to continue being the amazing park that is found today, everyone must work together and treat the park with respect!