Students explore the Tetons

Eighteen Saratoga 8th grade students got a taste of the Tetons this month with a trip to Jackson Hole, for a week of learning and exploration.

The trip, over the week of May 12, allowed students to stay with the Jackson Campus of Teton Science Schools. The students hiked through Grant Teton National Park studying the ecology and natural history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The overarching goals were to immerse students in hands-on, scientific inquiry and to provide opportunities for them to develop a sense of connection to themselves, their home and their natural world.

Activities were designed to practice making acute observations, thinking critically, asking well-developed questions, formulating hypotheses and testing their hypothesis by interpreting their surroundings. Students refined these skills while investigating the relationship between climate, glaciers and the frequency of forest fires. When reflecting on the experience, Shaleas Harrison, teacher from Saratoga Middle High School, wrote that, “The experience is simply invaluable to the students’ development as world citizens.”

For more information about the Teton Science School’s programs, visit http://www.tetonscience.org or contact Joe Petrick at 307-734-3715 or [email protected].