Yellowstone Unit Study
Objective: To prepare for a family trip to Yellowstone by studying some of the science and history behind Yellowstone. We chose to explore a native group - the Shoshone, one of the states inside - Wyoming and the founder of the National Parks Service - Teddy Roosevelt. We discussed things we might find at the park like geysers, calderas, wolves, and petrified wolves.
Learning Goals:
Language Arts - Listen to a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction.
Social Studies - Learn about Native Americans. Discuss famous Americans. Be familiar with maps and globes.
Science - Become familiar with animals - beginning zoololgy. Be able to describe the basic composition of the earth.
Where is Yellowstone:
To learn about where Yellowstone could be found, we read Yellowstone: A True Book. Using what we learned from that book, we found the states where Yellowstone could be found in our puzzle of the United States and while playing The Scrambled States of America. We chose one of the states in which Yellowstone could be found and read about the state of Wyoming.
What Makes Yellowstone Unique:
Yellowstone is in a caldera. What is a caldera? When a volcano erupts, sometimes the top is blown off. The crater left behind is a caldera. This volcanic crater is ripe for hot springs and geysers, as that magma is still there warming the world beneath the surface. We watched an excellent video by the United States Geological Survey demonstrating how calderas are formed. We did our own small scale model of this experiment, burying a balloon taped to a straw beneath some flour. We used the straw to inflate the balloon, watching the flour move and then deflating the balloon.
Old Faithful and the number of other geysers around Yellowstone are one of the most popular sites. Our daughter was very excited to see a geyser erupt. Before we could go, we made a model geyser. We used an old soda bottle and filled it most of the way with warm water, then added Alka-Seltzer. You can quickly add a lid to increase the pressure. While the pressure builds, we talked about molecules. Gas molecules move faster than other molecules and want as much space as possible to move around. After the first eruption, we took a break to model the molecules. We start as solid molecules vibrating in place and close together. Then we become liquids and move about with some speed. Finally we run around as much as we can in the space to become gas molecules. Then we changed it up, playing a kind of red light, green light with states of matter. For fun, we used another soda bottle, this one filled (Diet Coke works best) and put some Mentos inside for another fun geyser. After the initial eruption, we let the kids play with whatever was left to make their own reactions.
The animals inside the park are unique and amazing. Bison, bears and wolves are all found within the park. We read a great book about the ways one species can make a difference in an area. The Wolves Return explores the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, and how a predator can help bring balance to a habitat.
We conducted our own experiment into petrified wood, based on instructions from Yellowstone. We folded up a paper towel and added some dissolved epsom salts. After the water evaporated, the kids loved how the paper towel had changed.
The kids found a fun game on PBS Kids that allows them to travel with Nature Cat through several national parks, including Yellowstone. It shares fun facts along the way. After all these fun experiments and readings, we worked together to create a list of things we hoped to see while at the park. Then my older daughter started work on her own book about Yellowstone.
The Shoshone:
The Shoshone lived over much of the West, including in the Yellowstone basin. We read a few books on the Shoshone and Sacajawea. We read stories about their migrations and making baskets for pine nuts. The kids liked a funny tale we found where people used to use Old Faithful to blast their laundry clean. Since Sacajawea is one of the most famous Shoshone's, we read her biography. Then the kids used three sticks, some yarn and leaves to make a mini tipi for the rolly pollies they like to collect. It was a fun project in engineering to try to make it stand. We also used sticks to play a handgame, played by many Native Americans. We played our own version for the three of us, taking turns hiding sticks behind our back while the others guessed which hand held the stick with stripes.
Teddy Roosevelt:
We chose to read about the founder of the National Parks Service because he is a great example of a true nature lover. He was an interesting kid, suffering from asthma in the big city, his parents encouraged him to exercise and to spend time in the great outdoors. He practically created a Natural History Museum in his home, which led to some interesting encounters as there were turtles and snakes in random boxes and one fun story where a frog jumped out from under his hat as he tipped it in politeness. Some of the books we read were Teedie, Take a Hike Teddy Roosevelt, and You're on Your Way Teddy Roosevelt. In Teddy's example, we took several walks around the neighborhood observing nature as we walked.
For those trapped at home, there are several virtual tours of Yellowstone available.
Learning Goals:
Language Arts - Listen to a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction.
Social Studies - Learn about Native Americans. Discuss famous Americans. Be familiar with maps and globes.
Science - Become familiar with animals - beginning zoololgy. Be able to describe the basic composition of the earth.
Where is Yellowstone:
To learn about where Yellowstone could be found, we read Yellowstone: A True Book. Using what we learned from that book, we found the states where Yellowstone could be found in our puzzle of the United States and while playing The Scrambled States of America. We chose one of the states in which Yellowstone could be found and read about the state of Wyoming.
What Makes Yellowstone Unique:
Yellowstone is in a caldera. What is a caldera? When a volcano erupts, sometimes the top is blown off. The crater left behind is a caldera. This volcanic crater is ripe for hot springs and geysers, as that magma is still there warming the world beneath the surface. We watched an excellent video by the United States Geological Survey demonstrating how calderas are formed. We did our own small scale model of this experiment, burying a balloon taped to a straw beneath some flour. We used the straw to inflate the balloon, watching the flour move and then deflating the balloon.
Old Faithful and the number of other geysers around Yellowstone are one of the most popular sites. Our daughter was very excited to see a geyser erupt. Before we could go, we made a model geyser. We used an old soda bottle and filled it most of the way with warm water, then added Alka-Seltzer. You can quickly add a lid to increase the pressure. While the pressure builds, we talked about molecules. Gas molecules move faster than other molecules and want as much space as possible to move around. After the first eruption, we took a break to model the molecules. We start as solid molecules vibrating in place and close together. Then we become liquids and move about with some speed. Finally we run around as much as we can in the space to become gas molecules. Then we changed it up, playing a kind of red light, green light with states of matter. For fun, we used another soda bottle, this one filled (Diet Coke works best) and put some Mentos inside for another fun geyser. After the initial eruption, we let the kids play with whatever was left to make their own reactions.
The animals inside the park are unique and amazing. Bison, bears and wolves are all found within the park. We read a great book about the ways one species can make a difference in an area. The Wolves Return explores the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, and how a predator can help bring balance to a habitat.
We conducted our own experiment into petrified wood, based on instructions from Yellowstone. We folded up a paper towel and added some dissolved epsom salts. After the water evaporated, the kids loved how the paper towel had changed.
The kids found a fun game on PBS Kids that allows them to travel with Nature Cat through several national parks, including Yellowstone. It shares fun facts along the way. After all these fun experiments and readings, we worked together to create a list of things we hoped to see while at the park. Then my older daughter started work on her own book about Yellowstone.
The Shoshone:
The Shoshone lived over much of the West, including in the Yellowstone basin. We read a few books on the Shoshone and Sacajawea. We read stories about their migrations and making baskets for pine nuts. The kids liked a funny tale we found where people used to use Old Faithful to blast their laundry clean. Since Sacajawea is one of the most famous Shoshone's, we read her biography. Then the kids used three sticks, some yarn and leaves to make a mini tipi for the rolly pollies they like to collect. It was a fun project in engineering to try to make it stand. We also used sticks to play a handgame, played by many Native Americans. We played our own version for the three of us, taking turns hiding sticks behind our back while the others guessed which hand held the stick with stripes.
Teddy Roosevelt:
We chose to read about the founder of the National Parks Service because he is a great example of a true nature lover. He was an interesting kid, suffering from asthma in the big city, his parents encouraged him to exercise and to spend time in the great outdoors. He practically created a Natural History Museum in his home, which led to some interesting encounters as there were turtles and snakes in random boxes and one fun story where a frog jumped out from under his hat as he tipped it in politeness. Some of the books we read were Teedie, Take a Hike Teddy Roosevelt, and You're on Your Way Teddy Roosevelt. In Teddy's example, we took several walks around the neighborhood observing nature as we walked.
For those trapped at home, there are several virtual tours of Yellowstone available.
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