Adventures In Winter Ecology

ADVENTURES IN WINTER ECOLOGY (AWE) SKI PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL GROUPS

Bohart Ranch is pleased to partner with Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS) to offer a full day of skiing and winter ecology lessons led by Bohart Instructors.  This acclaimed program is offered to students from 3rd grade through high school.

Your school group arrives at Bohart by 9:30 AM. We begin the morning lesson with fun, age appropriate skill games on skis that focus on developing ski skills.  After a short snack break, students are divided into smaller tour groups and spend the day with Bohart Instructors skiing the trails and participating in the grade-level science curriculum.  Around noon, tour groups meet at our Trail Shelter along the Meadow Loop Trail for lunch with classmates, classroom teacher and chaperones.  After lunch the tour groups resume their ski and arrive back at the base lodge at approximately 2:40pm.

Throughout the day, Adventure in Winter Ecology (AWE) lessons integrate teachable moments and science into the ski tour and lunch.  These hands-on field exploration activities and games are tailored to each grade level and are designed to compliment school curriculum and science standards.

AWE CURRICULUM

Students participating in the Adventure in Winter Ecology Program experience the wonders of winter through interactive investigations and experiments in the field.  All lessons align with current district, state and national science standards.

Grade 3: Fur, Fat & Feathers / Animal Adaptations
Students will:

• Discover the advantages of different types of adaptations through experimental observations.
• Explore how animal adaptations are related to habitat (i.e., the moose’s long legs and flexible knee joints help it move in shrubs and deep snow).
• Examine how animal behaviors, such as migration and hibernation, relate to winter survival.

Grade 4: Skeletons on Skis
Students will:

• Observe the skeletal advantages of different body types, including humans, in the snow / winter environment.
• Compare and contrast human adaptations to winter with animal adaptations.
• Experiment with physical motions to experience how each type of animal (waddlers, long leggers, hoppers and bounders) moves on snow.

Grade 5: Discover Bohart’s Biome
Students will:

• Closely observe the land and who lives within the Bohart ecosystem.
• Identify trees and shrubs and look for signs of animal life.
• Observe and investigate connections within the Bohart habitat.
• Learn about the difficulty of survival for animals in the Bohart winter habitat.

Grade 6: Snowflakes to Snowpack
Students will:

• Examine snowflakes, perform a snow density experiment and discover how the phase changes of water affect snowpack.
• Observe weather and how it affects snow over time.
• Explore how and why different snow types lead to changes in the winter snowpack.
• Play a snowflake identification relay game on skis.

Grade 7: Winter Watersheds
Students will:

• View and understand Bohart and Bridger Canyon from the watershed point of view.
• Identify the parts of the watershed, from the headwaters to the main drainages.
• Determine slope angles and potential avalanche areas using measuring tools.
• Investigate evidence of winter activities in the area that may impact the watershed.

Grade 8: Winter People
Students will:

• Explore how, historically, various cultures of native peoples adapted to the winter environment.
• Create a snow hut village; discuss what humans do to survive winter.
• Build a quinzhee; the snow hut of the Athabascan people.

Tailored AWE Programs are available for specialized groups

Call Bohart Program Director, Theresa Leland, for more details 406-586-9070

PROGRAM FEES

$14 per student for Adventure in Winter Ecology (AWE) Program
$6 per student for Ski Rental Package

Teachers and chaperones pay no program fee, and may rent the ski package for a discount of $8 for the day.

Scholarships are available based on financial need.  Contact Bohart in advance for arrangements.

CALL TO RESERVE YOUR SKI EDUCATION PROGRAM DATES

Our programs are very popular and the schedule fills quickly.  To reserve your space for the 2012 season, call the Bohart Program Director beginning Sept 15, 2011 after 7:00 AM:

HOME OFFICE:  1-406-587-0011

BOHART: 1-406-586-9070, (after Jan 1st)