Find out what students will be learning in our Yellowstone unit this year! 

Yellowstone is one of the United States’ largest and wildest national parks—and you’re about to see a side of it that isn’t on the tourist trail! Students become park rangers to investigate how matter and energy move through systems. They observe predators hunting prey, discover the organisms that recycle the dead, and learn how plants create food out of sunlight, water, and air. As students explore the relationships between the plants and animals that live in Yellowstone, they discover how even small changes to an environment can have big impacts.

Essential Question: How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem?

Students join a community of international star-spotters to report on the patterns they see in the night sky. They investigate why some stars are brighter than others, why we only see them at night, and how they seem to move across the sky. They discover how the night sky can be used for navigation, explore the constellations, and investigate the reasons why we don’t fall off the Earth! Using these explorations and observations, students create their own Galactic Guidebook—a record of patterns in the sky and in their own lives. It’ll be out of this world!

Essential Question: What patterns do we notice when we observe the sky?

Students become hydrologists, tasked with investigating the growing issue of water scarcity. Students explore where water is found around the world, and discover just how little of it is accessible and drinkable. They investigate the many ways we use water, and consider the threat posed by water shortages—including droughts in California. Students then use what they’ve learned about sustainability to design and implement a water campaign. Remember: every drop counts! 

Essential Question: Why do some places lack fresh water and what can we do to protect it?