Mountains
Tribal Survival: Students will be put into tribes that will last the school year. Everything
they make matters to the tribe. The tribe will decorate a flag/banner to represent their
tribe. Each group will be given a quiz that will have three levels of questions: easy, medium,
and hard. (This will be used later on after information has been gathered about and learned
from the ecosystem.)
Each member that gets the easy question correct gets to earn a game piece for the team of
food/drink category. Medium earns you a weapon. Hard earns you a luxury item. So game
pieces on three different colors of papers will need to be made and put into three different
containers for students to draw from. Once students have had a chance to collect necessary
items for their team, something will change in the current ecosystem we are travelling
through and from the faceless society/trial council such as there is an avalanche. All team
members will have to give up shelter. Tribes where all members turn in the piece advance
while teams who can’t stay in place.
Teams can win game pieces from participating in group work, discussion, problem solving,
good questions, good behavior, and etc. to win game pieces.
Stranded! Survival in the Canadian Mountains “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen will be
presented orally in excerpts (pages 22-28 and 43-48) to the students with major emphasis
on the dramatic aspects of a plane crash in the Canadian mountains along the river systems
and Brian Robeson’s assessment of what he has on hand to make survival possible.
Know your environment: Students will learn that the mountain environment is one of the
harshest places for human to survive. They will know that mountains are defined as
landmasses with a summit above 2,000 ft mountains can be very dangerous places due to
their elevation and terrain. Students will discuss that lower temperatures and poor weather
are more likely at higher altitudes, so there is a significant risk of hypothermia, frostbite,
and altitude sickness, while snow, ice and precipitous terrain present further hazards.
Students will discover that survival may depend on your ability to descend to areas with
better prospects of survival and rescue.
Big Summer Blowout!: Students will watch the ‘Big Summer Blowout’ clip from
Frozen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_w105aWPNY and discuss what equipment
Anna had with her, and what she asked for/needed in order to safely travel on the mountain
(and why she wanted it) when the weather changed and why she didn’t want swimming
suits or sun balms.
Also, discuss with students what kind of gear Kristoff had and what he used to stay safe on
the mountain. Why was there a problem with supply and demand and why was the winter
gear so much more expensive?
What would be the differences/challenges you might face that would be different between
winter and summer, or fall and spring? (Olaf’s summer song might inspire students to start
thinking… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFatVn1hP3o )
What’s My Worth?”- This activity is for the students to do their own assessment of
what they have on their persons to contribute to their survival and an assessment of
the land surrounding them and any natural resources that may come in handy.
Students will, with teacher guidance, understand the three most important survival
elements: water, food, and shelter. Students will brainstorm and compile a list of
materials they have (shoe strings, hair accessories, jackets, belts, watches,
backpacks, etc.) to use to provide shelter for the group, the ability to find and
prepare food (water source, plants, animals, etc.), and any resource they may have
to communicate with the rest of the world to be rescued. Students may also
research the area using classroom computers to get realistic ideas of what natural
resources there would be in this given situation and to understand the climate and
geographical terrain they would find themselves in given the situation. The lists
compiled in this activity will be used to complete the next activity.
“The Team that Works Together…”- The students will split into two teams: one
that will build a shelter for the group and one that will seek options for providing
food for the group. Students will make rough draft “lists” of what they need to be
successful (this includes writing and/or drawing). Students will use provided
materials (cardboard will serve as wood from the forests, but no scissors or cutting
tools, raffia to simulate fibrous plants found in the Canadian forests, leaves and
sticks gathered from outside on the walking trail, and fabric scraps that will
simulate torn or extra clothing) to build a shelter that will serve to protect them
from the elements. Students will use similar materials to construct their own food
finding/cooking implement (homemade bow and arrows, homemade fishing poles,
sling shots, spears, a way to make fire, etc.). Students will use math skills to
estimate the lengths and amounts of materials needed. They will do rough
estimations to figure the area and perimeter of their shelters and the “camp” they
are in.
From Bear Paws to Beaver Tails: Put Your Webbed Foot Forward
Students learn the history of snowshoes, how they work, the science behind them, and then
make their own pair!
The use of snowshoes dates back over an incredibly long span of human history.
Archeologists have been unable to date the origin of either skis or snowshoes, but the best
evidence suggests that the first device to serve as a foot-extender for easier travel over the
snow was originated in Central Asia about 4000 B.C. Thus the snowshoe/ski is one of the
oldest inventions of man, ranking in importance with the wheel.
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the
weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely
into the snow, a quality called "flotation".
Before people built snowshoes, nature provided examples. Several animals, most notably
the snowshoe hare, had evolved over the years with oversized feet enabling them to move
more quickly through deep snow.
Traditional snowshoes have a hardwood frame with rawhide lacings. Some modern
snowshoes are similar, but most are made of materials such as lightweight metal, plastic,
and synthetic fabric. In addition to distributing the weight, snowshoes are generally raised
at the toe for maneuverability. They must not accumulate snow, hence the latticework, and
require bindings to attach them to the feet.
In the past, snowshoes were essential tools for fur traders, trappers and anyone whose life
or living depended on the ability to get around in areas of deep and frequent snowfall, and
they remain necessary equipment for forest rangers and others who must be able to get
around areas inaccessible to motorized vehicles when the snow is deep. However, today
snowshoes are mainly used for recreation, primarily by hikers and runners who like to
continue their hobby in wintertime. Snowshoeing is easy to learn, and in appropriate
conditions is a relatively safe and inexpensive recreational activity. However, snowshoeing
in icy, steep terrain is more dangerous.
Despite the lack of archeological evidence, the earliest snowshoes are believed to have
originated in what is now central Asia more than 6,000 years ago. These forerunners of the
snowshoe are referred to as snowskis. Basically, they amounted to a slab of wood lashed to
the bottom of each of the wearer’s feet. As tribes began to migrate from central Asia, those
tribes that went west to present-day northern Europe developed Nordic skis (the Nordic ski
did not find its way across the Atlantic until the early 1800s). Meanwhile, those tribes that
migrated east across the Bering Sea land bridge (Beringia) into what is now North America
developed snowshoes.
But the evolution of snowshoes did not stop there. North America is comprised of a vast
array of environments, so it only makes sense that snow in Alaska differs greatly from snow
in the prairies, which in turn differs from snow along the East Coast. These differences in
snow and landscape resulted in snowshoes evolving into a myriad of regional styles. As a
result, a snowshoe in Alaska differs from a snowshoe on the prairies, and so on.
Simply put, snowshoe design evolved to meet the environmental needs and intended use of
the wearer. Another factor that impacted snowshoe design and evolution was the
availability of materials. White ash, prized for its strength and pliability, is the preferred
framing material, but hickory, spruce, birch, elm and larch have also been used. Babiche –
untanned caribou, moose, or deer hide strips – was used for the lacing.
The Athapascan Indians of the American and Canadian west coast and the Algonquin
Indians of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence River valley areas brought the snowshoe to the
greatest peak of perfection. Snowshoes were handcrafted from wood and rawhide by skilled
Native American artisans, not as a recreational item, but as a means for survival. Starting
with a basic bearpaw design, they introduced hundreds of variant patterns suited to all
possible conditions. Before the horse was reintroduced to America by the Spaniards, even
the Plains Indians used snowshoes to hunt buffalo wearing snowshoes and it could be truly
said that one common cultural characteristic of all the Indian tribes in any region where
snow covered the ground in wintertime was the snowshoe. Despite their great diversity in
form, snowshoes were, in fact, one of the few cultural elements common to all tribes that
lived where the winters were snowy, in particular, the Northern regions.
Traditionally, the task of making snowshoes was a job shared by men and women; men
made the frames while women laced the deck area with babiche. Frames were formed by
bending lengths of wood that had been split and cut to length from straight logs of the
preferred wood at hand. Each snowshoe was made from a single length of wood, with the
exception being Ojibwa-styled snowshoes, which used two lengths per snowshoe. The
lengths are then steamed and bent into the appropriate shape using a form. Crossbars,
usually two, were added and the tails were pinned together.
After the snowshoes had dried and holes were drilled, the women would take over, weaving
the babiche lacing that filled the frames. Depending on the type of snow that the snowshoes
were intended to be used upon, the lacing would be either extremely fine, as is the case for
snowshoes produced in Labrador and Eastern Quebec where the snow is deep and dry, or
much looser, as is the case in Alaska. Snowshoes also differed from season to season; with a
looser weave being used on snowshoes intended for use in wet spring snow and slush. The
lacing was so fine in many eastern snowshoes, with intricate designs woven into the deck
that they are considered pieces of art.
In dire survival situations, pine branches can also be tied onto your feet to make primitive
snowshoes and spread the weight.
Option: To demonstrate the function of snow shoes on a small scale for those that
have never been in deep snow.
Fill a container with flour to be snow. Make footprints in the snow with a toy heavy enough
to give a good result!
Don’t push it down, just let him stand and the weight will make prints. Then construct some
cardboard “snowshoes” for the toy. If the feet are too close together, just make two big
shoes. The toy with the snowshoes on may not make visible footprints at all – the
snowshoes spread out his weight to a larger area, and so he will not sink down in the snow!
It is also really interesting to have students push down on the toy in the flour both with his
snowshoes on and without and feel the difference in how easily his feet sank (or didn’t
sink!) into the flour.
Have students work to make an actual foot sized version of the
following, http://eveofreduction.com/recycled-craft-how-tomake-a-snowshoe-holiday-ornament/ or
https://diy.org/tyranneous/45782



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
Cardboard
Potato or onion sack, or more durable form of mesh.
4 Thumb tacks
Spray paint
Hot glue gun
To make things easier, have students cut a template out of
paper, first. Just fold a piece of paper in half the long way and draw one side of your image,
that way you know it’s symmetrical. Have students base it on their foot size, but larger.
Step 2: Likely your mesh potato sack is orange or some other “off” color. If that’s the case,
tack it down to a piece of cardboard and have the instructor give it a quick once-over with
spray paint such as silver or cream. Tip: To protect my hands from paint, I always wear old
rubber gloves when I spray paint (and a mask, of course).
Step3: Next, trace your snowshoe template onto your cardboard and cut it out with an XActo blade. If you’re doing this with children, use a thinner material, like a double layer of
paper bags so they can use scissors.
With your cardboard scraps, cut a half circle and parallelogram to form the shoe hold
Step 4: Next, apply hot glue to the back of the cardboard piece. Lay the mesh down, painted
side down on top of the cardboard. Delicately press the mesh into the hot glue – use the side
of a pencil so you don’t burn your fingers.
Step 5: Trim the mesh around the cardboard and test them out. Then…
Transforming Each Step
http://www.core77.com/blog/footwear/eric_brunts_flux_snowshoes_transform_with_each
_step_27333.asp (Students can watch the video for the flux snowshoe and check out the
designer’s amazing thought and engineering process)
https://plus.google.com/photos/114598814468200695655/albums/5742443921780379
089
A snowshoe that shrinks and expands to facilitate
a more natural gait and adapt to changing snow
conditions.
Challenge! Have students try to create their own
new design and
build a design
prototype from cardboard, masking tape, and other low
cost materials like this engineer did using cardboard.
Get the right gear: Students will write down a list of items they think will be helpful
to survive in the mountains. Students will take into account the likely demands of the
weather and terrain, and the amount of gear they can actually transport. Students will share
their ideas with their classmates and discuss the difficulties of having to carry their gear
thorough the mountains. Students will be given items that could possibly be used to survive
in the mountains (backpack, map, compass, walking stick, small radio, survival tin, knife,
poncho, ect….) and decide how they would pack and carry their items. Students will create a
brochure on how to correctly pack the items needed to survive and why these items will be
needed.
They will then carry their items in a relay/hike using their snowshoes. Snowshoe events
and
1. Snowshoe races through the different terrains on the mountain (grass/mud
at the bottom, rocks {pavement/gravels} part way up, and snow at the top).
With all outdoor adventures it is important to discuss the 7 Leave No Trace
principles: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces,
Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire
Impacts, Respect Wildlife, Be Considerate of Other Visitors. To help minimize
the impact on the environment each participant will be given a map with a
trail to follow to help them get up and down the mountain safely. After we
will discuss what terrain the snowshoes worked on best and why.
Southern Tales: Study the folktales , ghost stories, and folklore of the people of
Appalachian Mountains. Students write their
own ghost story legend where a human
character comes into contact with the
supernatural, after reading sample books and
tales Such as the ‘Jack’ tales, Tailypo a
backwoods folk tale from the Appalachians,
the Widow’s broom, and others. How the
central character chooses to deal with this
encounter enables the storyteller to teach a
lesson about ethics or morality.
Surviving the Savage Gulf: study the
formation of our local Appalachian mountain
range
A Mountainous Endeavor (20-30 minutes): We will tie in our discussion of
travels and trails with a look at one of the most incredible feats a person can complete on
foot in the United States, the Appalachian Trail. Through the AT’s website, we’ll research
the scope of the trail, including the 2000+ mile length of the trail, the flora and fauna one
might find on the AT, and the terrain that make this trail one that only 20% of attempted
2000 mile club members complete. We will use what we know about the time it takes to
walk the trail to find out how many miles these trekkers hike in a day, plan what supplies
we would need to take with us and figure up the cost for a trip to Maine on foot!
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/ & we’ll take a virtual hike by watching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FE-BgdV-UU for perspective on what this looks like
to a hiker as we travel the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in three-and-a-half
minutes.
Applied Hike (10-15 minutes): Students will go on a hike around the school and see
if we can collect leaves from each of the trees for identification, focusing on the differences
in these trees’ leaf structure and taking note of the underbrush to see if we could make it
through the AT without a bottle of calamine lotion!
What’s for dinner?
Students will identify with the importance of knowing how prepare and cook food wherever
you may be by Making a Solar Oven .
1. Prepare the frame and the boxes
When you select the cardboard boxes, make sure that one of them is of the same size as the
glass frame, while the other one is 2-3 inches larger. Cut a hole into the large one, so that it
can fit the smaller one inside. The space between the two boxes fill with the crumpled
newspapers. Once this is all done, and the small box is fitted inside the big one, tape them up
using the duct tape.
2. Line the inside of the oven
Take the aluminum foil and using the white glue line the inside of your future oven. It is a
good idea if you extend the foil out of the box and over the top, and also reverse the door so
that the tape is on the outside.
3. Place the reflectors
To make the reflectors cut out pieces of cardboard and glue some aluminum foil onto them
(the shiny side of the foil should be facing down). After the glue is dry, trim the foil and tape
the edges with the duct tape.
4. Do the tests
Put the oven at a 60 degrees angle, so that the sun is focused on the pan. If you have to
adjust the light beam you can make a few holes.
5. Have students start “Solar Cooking”
If you would like to have a bit more control over the temperature of your new oven, you can
make a hole at the back of the oven and insert a thermometer.
Happy Solar Survival!
From Terrain to Terrariums: Life in a bottle!
Considering the ecosystem of the mountains, we’ll attempt to recreate this in miniature
with some plant life that thrives in a mountainous climate. Students will build their own
ecosystem with rock, soil, leaves and ferns (one of the many plants they might see underfoot
on the trail). We’ll look at some horticulturalists’ work that have survived within a bottle
for over 40 years and talk about local examples that we can see in action, like the ones on
display at Magness Library.
http://containergardening.about.com/od/floweringcontainergarden/ss/Mason-JarTerrarium.htm is a good example of how to create this project, and
http://www.boredpanda.com/sealed-bottle-garden-david-latimer/ here is a link to the
story of David Latimer. Latimer has a seedling that has survived within a bottle for 40 years!
This link includes a video on building your own terrarium as well, but on a larger scale than
a mason jar.
Mason Jar Terrarium
They thrive on neglect so even a determined plant serial killer
can keep one of these alive. These terrariums are inexpensive
and depending on the plants, can last for years. It takes less
than 30 minutes to make.
Making a terrarium in a mason jar is easy, but requires a little
finesse because you are working with a very small planting
area. While you can make a standard terrarium by planting
them right side up, I like the look of the upside down jars. To
do this, you use the lid for your planter. For the sample
terrariums pansies were planted but you could use many
other plants (see list below)
What You Need

Mason Jars (or any other jar with a screw on lid

Small plants

Moss (optional)
How to Make a Mason Jar Terrarium

First clean and dry your jar. If you use glass cleaner or a harsh soap, make sure to
wash out the jar after and let it air out completely.

Next take your jar top and put it on a flat surface, making sure the center disk is
securely placed in the lid.

Moisten the soil of your plant and then remove its pot or cell, making sure not to
pull it out by the the top. If it is in a pot, tap the pot and slide the plant out by gently
squeezing the sides and tipping it into your hand. If your plant is in a cell pack,
squeeze the bottom and push the plant out.

If the plant is root bound, rough up the roots either by rubbing them or tearing
them at the bottom
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Squeeze the root ball and then place it in the lid of the jar. You want the root ball to
be compact and if possible, have all the roots covered with soil.
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Press the root ball into the lid so that it is mounded, but doesn't overflow.

To give the terrarium a finished look, take small pieces of moss and press them
on to the soil around the plant, creating a nice green mound. Keep the moss away
from the crown of the plant.

Carefully corral the leaves and branches of your plant so they will fit into the jar,
being careful to push the leaves and branches up. Gently place the bottle over the
plant, using your fingers to push the greenery into the jar. Twisting the jar can help.
If possible, keep rotating the jar until the threads of the lid catch. This is a bit tricky
and even if you can't make the threads catch, you can rest the lip on the jar on the lid
and create a seal. Just be careful to remember this when moving the jar and pick it
up by the lid and the glass.
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To care for your terrarium, keep it out of direct sunlight, but try to give it bright
indirect light. You may not have to water it for months, though you should check to
make sure the soil is moist, not wet every couple of weeks. If you see lots of
condensation on the jar, leave it open for a few hours to dry the soil out a bit.
You can use any small plant that will survive with indirect sun. Click here for a list of great
terrarium plants.
In a beautiful example of a closed but functional ecosystem, David Latimer has grown a
garden sealed inside of a giant glass bottle that he has only opened once since he started it
almost 54 years ago.
Latimer planted the garden on Easter
Sunday in 1960. He placed some compost
and a quarter pint of water into a 10gallon glass carboy and inserted a
spiderwort sprout using wires. In 1972,
he opened the garden again to add a bit of
water. With that one exception, the
garden has remained totally sealed – all it
needs is plenty of sunlight!
It might seem strange to some that a
totally sealed garden would thrive like
this, but it’s not – the garden is a perfectly
self-sufficient ecosystem. The bacteria in
the compost break down the dead plants
and break down the oxygen given off by the plants, turning it into the carbon dioxide that
the plants need to survive. The bottle is an excellent micro version of the earth as a whole.
(via: dailymail)
Here’s a how-to video for making your own terrarium:
http://www.boredpanda.com/sealed-bottle-garden-david-latimer/
Off the trail: Denali’s Mountain Wilderness, Students are greeted with a sign, “Welcome
to Denali”. A map of Alaska is hung in view. The teacher may wear a brimmed hiking-type
hat, khakis or olive pants, and a shirt to resemble a hiker or park ranger. Students are
introduced to Denali, North America’s tallest mountain peak and wilderness nature
preserve. How do plants and animals survive in the long dark winters and short sunny
summers? To learn more, students view a Denali National Park Visitor’s Center video,
Heartbeats of Denali, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wLisXL-CpA ) showing an
overview of the terrain and wildlife. Excerpts are read and pictures are shown from the
book Welcome to Denali National Park. Students recall animals and plants from the
presentations, and some of their modes of survival, which are written on the board, or on
sheets of bulletin board paper, with teacher assistance in referencing information.
Surviving the Cold: Migration, Hibernation, and Adaptation,
Some of the coldest ecosystems are found the mountains. Students are asked,” How do
animals and plants survive the long, dark winters with freezing cold and heavy snowfall in
mountain ranges?” Students view the introductory video segment of the film Alaska’s Wild
Denali, portraying how various animals survive in winter. Additional information is added
to the board. Plant and animal cards are chosen by or distributed to students. Animals and
plants have developed a variety of strategies to help them adapt to the severe climate.
Canada geese, trumpeter swans, and other birds migrate south in the fall, to avoid the bitter
winters, returning in spring to nest and feed. Many mammals, such as grizzly bears, store up
food as fat to provide energy for the winter. They seek a sheltered place, and their
metabolism slows, during hibernation.
Wood frogs and some species of insects also go into a state of dormancy and actually freeze.
[http://www.wimp.com/woodfrogs/] Watch as they touch ice crystals and freeze internally,
allowing them to weather each winter until it's time time to set their hearts beating again and
come back to life in the spring. [alternate video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvCdOXG2rPo]
Those who do remain and stay active in winter have developed special adaptations for
survival. Layers of fat, fur, feathers, and burrows in the snow provide insulation. Snowshoe
hares and ptarmigans change brown fur and feathers, to white, as camouflage to hide from
predators, and grow their own snowshoes, to survive in the snowy landscape of winter.
Moose and caribou’s long legs act like stilts to keep their bodies high above the snow. Large
body sizes also help to protect animals from the cold, Plants have a limited growing season
in the short summers, and remain small, with lots of green leaves, to minimize energy costs
and maximize energy production. Black and white spruce trees are skinny and narrow, to
better shed the heavy snow loads of winter. Lightning strikes can lead to fires in old growth
areas, but help in rejuvenating life with added sunlight and nutrients to the soil, promoting
new growth and renewal.
[For an amazing video to illustrate this point and on how frogs aren’t the only ones
with anti-freeze go to.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Hibernation#p0060vdd Painted turtles
have a natural anti-freeze that helps them survive winter, too. Especially have
students watch the first 2 minutes and 17 seconds.]
Glycol is the main ingredient used in all forms of antifreeze .A partially frozen frog will stop
breathing, and its heart will stop beating. It will appear quite dead. But when the
hibernaculum warms up above freezing, the frog's frozen portions will thaw, and its heart
and lungs resume activity--there really is such a thing as the living dead!
Chill Out: Organic Antifreeze
In the freezing temperatures of winter, the wood frog’s outer body freezes and its heart
stops beating. Its tissues and internal organs are protected, and do not freeze, due to the
high concentration of glucose inside its cells. This lowers the freezing point of water within
the cells, as natural antifreeze, just as antifreeze in a car keeps the coolant from freezing and
protects the car’s engine. In this experiment, students investigate the effects of a sugar
solution on the freezing point of water.
Can [Blood] Sugar Really Change the Freezing Point of Water?
The following experiment is designed to be simple, fun, and of course to teach an important
scientific concept. From Jane Hoffman, the Backyard Scientist.
http://www.knowledgehouse.info/BackyardScientist2007-3.pdf
Here’s the question: How to survive at a temperature that turns blood to ice? Two coldblooded creatures have
evolved very different
physiologies to cope with the
extreme cold of their
environments. The winter
flounder can live in sea water
of -1.8 degrees C. The wood
frog actually freezes - its heart
stops beating and its liver
converts glycogen to glucose,
thereby lowering the
temperature at which ice
crystals form and protecting
its cells from the ice when
freezing does occur. Scientists
hope further understanding of
these mechanisms might be used to preserve human organs for transplants. An excellent,
and pretty incredible, introduction to this experiment is the video Going to Extremes:
Frozen Alive at http://www.pbs.org/saf/previous/watchonline704.htm. If that video
won’t load, there is a version available on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM (Note: STOP the video at 3:30
precisely). These frogs freeze completely when winter comes, entering a hibernation
period. They actually stop their heartbeat, and thaw when spring comes.
An automobile's engine is cooled by jackets of water. In winter, water in these channels can
freeze and expand. The expansion is so forceful it can crack an engine block. Antifreeze is a
liquid solute (ethylene glycol) that dissolves easily in water. In solution and added to a car's
engine, it lowers the freezing point of water, preventing it from freezing and ruining the
engine.
Glucose, like the antifreeze ethylene glycol, dissolves in water. In this activity, think of the
sugar solute as a form of glucose that depresses the freezing point of water. In cells, the
lowering of the freezing point of the liquid cell contents protects the living system from
freezing and ripping open with fatal results. The wood frog's liver converts glycogen to
glucose, which is able to actually prevent ice crystals from forming in the frog's cells
through freezing point depression.
Gather the following supplies for each group:

Bowl

Thermometer

Two small plastic cups

Ice

Spoon

Measuring cup

Water

¼ cup Kosher salt

Sugar packets

Marker

Clock or timer

Pencil and paper to record your
observations
Have students begin experimenting, using the following directions:
1. Fill the bowl with water and ice.
2. Measure the temperature. The ice water is ready when its temperature falls to 0 C.
3. Once the water reaches this temperature add the ¼ cup of salt.
4. Stir well to dissolve as much of the salt as possible.
5. After five minutes, use the thermometer to measure the temperature of the water and salt
solution.
6. Label one cup A and the other cup B.
7. Add 10 ml of ice water (no ice) to each cup.
8. In cup B, add ½ packet of sugar.
9. Place both cups A and B into the bowl filled with salted ice-water.
10. Wait for ten minutes.
11. Observe the contents of cups A and B.
Can you answer the following questions from your observations?
1. Did the temperature of the water change after salt was added?
2. What temperature did it reach?
3. What happened to the water in cups A and B?
Solution to the experiment:
Like the salty ocean water, the salt lowered the freezing temperature of the water in the bowl from
0oC to about -2 C. Any ice in the bowl should have begun to melt.
The water in Cup A began to freeze. The solution of sugar and water in Cup B did not freeze. The
sugar lowered the freezing point of the water, preventing it from freezing.
Sugar is glucose. It, like ethyl glycol in anti-freeze dissolves in water forming a solution.
Ethyl glycol is used in car and truck engines to reduce the freezing point of the water to prevent the
water from freezing and damaging the radiator and engine components.
A substance (solute) dissolves in another substance (solvent) producing a mixture called a solution.
Solutes can change the temperature at which liquids freeze. Note: not all mixtures are solutions.
Extensions:

Do different kinds of sugar have different effects? Students may decide to keep the amount
of sugar and the amount of water constant and see how the freezing point changed from one
sugar to the next.

What about artificial sweeteners?

Discuss with students: What do you think can vary from one investigation to the next?
Think about this for a moment. Well, the amount of salt or sugar can vary, the amount of
water can vary, and the type of salt or sugar can vary. Let’s concentrate on sugars first. A
scientist might select one sugar to study first and see how the freezing temperature varies
with amount of sugar while keeping the amount of water constant.
Make Pemmican: Discuss how students can take what they’ve learned about animal
adaptations and apply it to our own survival through the mountain ranges. Just like mountain
travelers always have we’ll need portable, high-energy, highly nutritious, and filling foods that
would last for long periods of time. The original travel food was pemmican.
Pemmican is a traditional food of the native peoples of North America. It is a concentrated mixture
of fat and protein, and was adopted as a high-energy food by explorers and those involved in the fur
trade in the early 20th century. The word pemmican (pimîhkâ) comes from the Cree tribe and is
derived from pimi – fat or grease. It is a simple food with 2, maybe 3 ingredients. Fat would have
been rendered from the back cavity of a large game animal like buffalo or elk. The muscle meat
would have been sliced, laid out to dry, and ground to a powder to make beef jerky. Then, the
rendered fat (tallow) and the jerky would be mixed together in a rawhide bag to make pemmican.
This high fat snack was carried on long journeys and even shared with European settlers and
explorers.
Traditionally, the meat (typically bison, moose, elk, or deer) was cut in thin slices and dried over a
slow fire or in the hot sun until it was hard and brittle. It was pounded nearly into a powder using
stones and mixed with melted fat. Sometimes dried fruits, typically berries, were also pounded into
a powder and added to the mixture. Traditionally packed into rawhide pouches for storage,
pemmican keeps indefinitely (years!)
Students will make and test different recipes for pemmican. There are some excellent recipes at the
following link: http://www.wildernesscollege.com/pemmican-recipes.html
Sample: Bacon Pemmican
*Recipe courtesy of SCD Lifestyle.
Ingredients

12-16 ounces of dry cooked bacon

1/2 cup of coconut oil (melted)

1 cup of dried cranberries
Instructions

Add meat to the blender. Then begin blending it down. Chop it as finely as you can. At this
point add 1 cup of cranberries and make sure they get chopped into very fine pieces as
well. The last step is to add the coconut oil and blend till it’s good and mixed up. The ratio is
usually 50/50 fat to meat.

Next get the glass dish out and pour the mixture into it. Try to make it about even depth in
the dish, then cover and freeze. It will take an hour or so to solidify. At this point you can
cut it into bars or whatever size pieces your heart desires.
Variation: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=697873
Survival Tip: In cold weather the fat before bed would keep us warmer all night as well if we were
sleeping outdoors.
Make a Geodesic Den:
Building a Snow Cave - Ray Mears Extreme Survival – BBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOJQPz1s-1c
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/clubhouse/Geodesic_ClubHouse_Printer_Version.htm Note:
You'll need to scale the size of the tubes to match with the size newspaper in your country. I'd
recommend rolling two sheets of paper together with each tube for strength.
Domes are nature's perfect structure and provide a unique environment for every use. And
inexpensive geodesic domes make great survival shelters for many different ecosystems. Geodesic
domes are made of interlocking geometric shapes--often triangles. Because loads are spread over
many triangles, these domes are especially strong. Often made of aluminum bars and plexiglass,
they’re also light compared to ordinary domes, which makes them easier for us to travel with.
Materials
• newspaper
• doweling or broom handle
• tape
• marker pen
• stapler (and staples)
• measuring tape
Like a real engineer and survival team each group will need to rely on teamwork to get this project
finished. Why? Because the dome tends to flop over unless it's supported, and stapling is a bit tricky
unless you get help holding all the newspaper tubes together.
Using a piece of doweling makes stronger tubes that are harder to staple. Using a broom handle
makes slightly weaker tubes that are easier to staple.
Challenge Instructions
1. Open up a sheet of newspaper. Roll the newspaper around the doweling diagonally from
one corner to the other.
2. Cut a piece of tape and stick it to something (preferably not your head) for a minute.
Hold the newspaper tube in one hand and gently pull out the dowel with your other hand. If
you rolled the newspaper really tightly, you may need to wiggle and twist the dowel a bit.
Use the piece of tape to keep the newspaper tube together.
3. Cut the tube to length. [Note: The ends of the tube are not very stiff. To make a stronger
tube, make the tube the correct length by cutting some off both ends.] You need a total of
35 newspaper tubes measuring 71 cm and 30 tubes measuring 66 cm. So get busy rolling,
measuring, and cutting. Keep the two lengths separated.
4. Use the marker pen to put a mark on the longer newspaper tubes. Now you'll be able to
tell the two lengths apart easily. From now on, we will call the marked tubes As, the
unmarked tubes Bs.
5. Arrange 10 As in a circle.
6. Overlap the ends of two tubes by 2 cm and staple together. Repeat this to form the base
of the dome.
7. Lay alternating pairs of As and Bs radiating out from the central circle.
8. Pick up two of the As and form a triangle with them and one of the As from the circle.
Staple the joints firmly.
9. Do the same thing with the rest of the tube pairs. You should end up with a circle of
triangles poking into the air. Tall triangles should alternate with short triangles.
10. Connect the triangles by stapling a row of Bs across the top.
11. Every point where four Bs come together, staple on another B pointing straight up.
12. Brace the Bs by using two As, one attached to each adjacent joint.
13. Connect the tubes by stapling a row of As across the top.
14. Finish the dome by adding the last five Bs. These tubes come from the five joints and
meet in the middle.
Now, cover the dome in paper to make a complete shelter. Did you leave a door
open?
Why domes are so strong: http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/geodesicdome2.htm
Cryogenics: The Big Chill
In a second experiment, employing yeast and balloons, students compare the effects of cold in
slowing the rate of metabolism
The Big Chill
As we can observ on the Going to Extremes video, some organisms withstand frigid temperatures by
shutting down their energy needs. In a "suspended state," their cells, tissues and organs require
very little energy. The demands of such a "quasi-living" state can be satisfied by a very slow
metabolic rate. Metabolism refers to the physical and chemical processes that make energy
available to an organism. Metabolism is affected by temperature. The colder the temperature, the
slower the reaction rate. When the rate of these life-sustaining reactions drops beneath a critical
level, the organism will die.
In this activity, we'll observe the relationship between temperature and metabolism and see how it
helps us survive. The subjects for this experiment are Saccharomyces cerevisiae - one-celled
organisms more commonly known as baker's yeast. These cells have been specially packed, treated
and stabilized so they can remain in a "suspended" but viable state for several months. When
placed in warm water, the cells activate. As the metabolism awakens, the cells generate carbon
dioxide gas. By observing the presence of this gas, you'll be able to make inferences about
metabolism. You'll see that both the yeast and the multi-cellular organisms seen on video can
survive states of suspended animation or low metabolic activity.
Materials:

4 16-ounce clear beverage containers

8-inch to 10-inch balloons

2 packages of dry baker's yeast (or dried yeast in jars)

warm water

small basin filled with ice water

small basin filled with warm water (about 40 degrees C)

thermometer

sugar

spoon

magnifying glass
Objective:
Observe the relationship between temperature and metabolism.
Procedures:
1. Open a package of baker's yeast and carefully remove several small granules. Examine the
grains of pressed dried yeast with a hand lens. Does the yeast appear alive? Explain.
2. Divide the contents of this opened package into two equal portions (about 1 1/8 teaspoons
each). Place one portion into a small, clean, dry beverage container labeled A and the other
portion into a similar container labeled B.
3. Open and divide the contents of a second yeast package into two equal portions. Place one
portion into a beverage container labeled C and the other portion into a container labeled D.
4. Do not activate the yeast in container A. The yeast in containers B, C and D should be
activated according to the instructions printed on the yeast package, including adding about
1/2 teaspoon of sugar per container.
5. Stretch and secure a balloon over the mouth of each of the four containers. Record
observations under Initial Observations in your data table.
6. Set containers A and B on a desktop. Place container C in a basin filled with warm water.
Place container D in a basin filled with ice water.
7. Examine the setups after 15 minutes. Record any change in the balloons' appearance in
your data table under Final Observations.
Note: You can use dried yeast either in packets or in less expensive jars. The experiment will work
even if amounts of yeast are not precise. You might want to try varying amounts of yeast to see
what happens. Most instructions call for the use of sugar to activate the yeast; try variations of the
instructions to see what happens.
Data Table:
Initial Observations
Final Observations
A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
Questions:
1. What can you conclude about the relationship between temperature and metabolism?
2. How does this connection relate to the Organic Antifreeze activity?
3. How do temperature and metabolism and freezing point depression work to help the wood
frog survive?
Answers:
1. The lower the temperature the slower the metabolism.
2. In the Organic Antifreeze activity students demonstrated that glucose could act to lower the
freezing point of water. The wood frog uses this coupled with the fact that the lowered
temperature decreases its metabolism so that the water in its blood will not form ice
crystals when it freezes (which would expand and kill the frog) while its metabolism is
slowed.
3. They allow the frog to withstand extremes in cold without harming the frog.
For questions 2 & 3 accept reasonable answers. The above are to serve as examples.
Credits: Adapted from Cryogenics: The Big Chill by Micheal Dispezio at www.pbs.org/safarchive
Animal Insulation
Humans are essentially tropical animals and are not equipped to deal with even mild cold. That we
can live in cold climates is a result of behavioral adaptations such as wearing appropriate clothing
and building shelters.
For us to successfully survive the cold on our trip requires two simultaneous events. Firstly,
generating sufficient body heat by burning appropriate food and secondly, preventing the loss of
that heat by suitable clothing and shelter.
Have you ever wondered how animals stay warm in the winter? Lots of animals grow extra fur to
help keep their bodies warm, but most animals also put on extra fat during the fall that helps them
stay warm all winter long. How does fat help keep them warm? Do this experiment to find out!
While the average body temperature for a mammal is 99ºF, a hibernating animal's temperature
drops to around 43ºF. This is less than half the normal temperature and only 11 degrees above
freezing! The lower temperature reduces the amount of energy an animal must use to keep warm.
To demonstrate, half-fill a plastic shoe box with
warm water and have students measure the
temperature using a thermometer. Have them stir in
one ice cube at a time and take a temperature
reading after each addition, until the water reaches
43ºF. Then invite children to place their hands in the
water to experience the body temperature of a
hibernating animal. Do they think they could sleep
comfortably at this temperature?
Now, what about keeping that temperature when it’s
even colder outside? Have students use adjectives to
vividly describe the various sensations.
What You Will Need:

Vaseline, lard, or shortening

two plastic baggies

rubber bands

Bowl

Water

Ice cubes

a stopwatch

Journals for notes

Pencils
What To Do: Give the following instructions to students
1.Put your hand inside one of the plastic bags. Have your teammate spread Vaseline or shortening
all over the bag to cover your hand. There needs to be a pretty
thick layer over all of your hand.
2.Now have your helper slide the other bag over the Vaseline or
shortening, squeezing the air out of both the bags, and tie the
bags to your wrist with the rubber band (make sure it isn't too
tight; you just want it to keep the bags from falling off).
3.Stick both of your hands into the bowl of ice water (it's okay if
you only have about half of each hand in the water, but make
sure the water doesn't go above the rubber band and get into
the bags on your covered hand.
4.Have your helper time how long you can leave each hand in
the cold water and mark down the time in the journal. Make
sure to take each one out as soon as it starts to feel
uncomfortable so that you won't damage your skin! Note the
sensations you felt and the differences down in your journal.
Then, have your partner take their turn.
What's Happening?
The layer of Vaseline or shortening that you surrounded your hand with acted very similar to a
layer of fat that animals grow for the winter. It protected your hand from the ice water and you
were probably able to keep your covered hand in the water for longer than you could stand to keep
your bare hand in! How did the Vaseline or shortening protect your hand, though? It insulated it
from the cold water. This means that it kept the heat that your hand already had from escaping into
the water and also blocked the cold temperature of the water from touching your hand as quickly.
Your bare hand did not have this extra layer of protection and all the heat from that hand was
transferred to the water almost right away. Then it only took a few seconds for the cold from the
water to start making your hand feel very cold. Animals grow a layer of fat underneath their skin or
fur that helps insulate them from cold weather, just like the layer of Vaseline did for your hand!
Extension: Students could be introduced to topographical maps, contour maps, including U.S.
Geodesic Survey maps, and shown how to read and interpret them, using map keys. Material could
be presented on latitude, longitude, GPS, and compasses. With tape measures and compasses,
student teams might give instructions for another group to follow, to see if they are able to arrive
from a start point to a particular destination. Accuracy in giving and following directions is
important here. Students could find map locations based on coordinates and geographic features.
Location exercises: Can You Find…(a swampy area)? Where in the Mountains is…(the highest
point)? Using contour maps, students could calculate the distance in elevation between two points,
and determine whether an incline is steep or a gradual grade. Students could also make their own
maps individually, or in small groups, to represent an imaginary geographic location. Different map
related activities could be presented with each geographic region, so that students are exposed to a
variety of mapping experiences.
“And Then There Was Fire”- Students will understand the importance of fire throughout the
reading of the book and planning with their teammates. They will identify reasons fire is important
such as: for cooking, for warmth, for purifying water, etc. The students will participate in the
following “fire” activity as found on “historyforkids.org”.
http://scienceforkids.kidipede.com/chemistry/reactions/combustion/doing/fire.htm
Saving Our Souls
Like all other survival techniques, signaling for help is a skill we should practice before we actually
have to use it. If you ever find yourself lost, signaling for rescue is an option you should consider.
If you do not carry a two way communication radio, cellular phone or a whistle, you mainly will
have to use visual signals. Depending on your situation and the material you have available, you can
use either fire and smoke, a signal mirror, flares and flashlights or strobe lights to create your visual
distress signals.
Visual signals
For best results when signaling for help, select a signal site close to your shelter with good visibility
such as a clearing, hilltop or a lakeshore. Will there be a search for you? Put yourself in the
searchers place. Will they be searching for you from the air or the ground? A search will probably
start from your last known location and sweep over your proposed route.
SOS signal
SOS (Save Our Souls) is the best known international distress signal. Everyone should be familiar
with SOS. The SOS signal can be transmitted by any method, visual or audio. The code for SOS is 3
short, 3 long and 3 short signals. Pause. Repeat the signal
The SOS signal can, for instance, be constructed as a ground to air signal with rocks and logs, or
whatever material you have available. At night you can use a flashlight or a strobe light to send an
SOS to, for instance, an aircraft. During the day, you can use a signal mirror. If it is difficult to
produce long and short signals, you should know that almost any signal repeated three times will
serve as a distress signal. Use your imagination.
Homemade Glow Sticks:
The teacher and students will talk about how dark it is in the mountains and how we can make our
own lights to signal to other travelers and each other and help us see our way.
http://diyready.com/how-to-make-diy-glow-stick/
Materials





A clear, plastic pen
Electrical tape
3v button cell battery (You’ll need one battery for every light you use.)
LED
Super glue
Step 1: take your pen apart so all that is left is the clear plastic casing. This way you have an opening
for your LED to slide inside. (Remove ink and tip of pen. Now you’re left with opening for LED to fit
inside.)
Step 2: Grab your LED and super glue. Apply some glue to the base of the bulb and place it inside
the pen casing. (Apply superglue to the base of the bulb. Leave prongs to the bulb sticking out.)
Step 3: Once you’ve glued the bulb in place, grab the battery and tape it in between the prongs on
the bulb. Your light will light up! Tape the battery into place. Turn off the lights and checkout your
homemade glow stick!
Step 4: Now that you know how to make your own glow stick using an ink pen and a single LED,
adapt the design by adding multiple LEDs of different colors and maybe even a larger clear tube.
Add multiple lights to get a different effect or even choose different LEDs to make different colors.