Snow Flake Investigations
Self-Guided Program
Grade 2- 3
Please share this kit with other teachers that are coming to FWA with your group.
Thank you for booking the “Snowflake Investigations” self-guided program at FortWhyte Alive.
Enclosed is your self-guided package, designed to use in your classroom and help you guide your
group at the Centre. This package provides key vocabulary words, various games, and
information about how snow and ice affects the lives of plants and animals. These are only
suggested activities. Please feel free to use these activities with your class or your own materials at
your discretion.
GOAL
The goal of this program is to help students understand how plants and animals adapt to life in
winter due to water being in the solid state. Students will also learn how to identify similarities
and differences of snow and ice, and learn some properties of water by conducting snow and ice
experiments.
VOCABULARY
Solid, liquid, gas, property, evaporate, condense, float, freeze, melt, plougher, floater, crystal,
insulate, evergreen, deciduous, and pukak layer.
THE DISCOVERY KIT
Upon arrival at FWA please present yourself to the Front Desk. Our receptionist will direct you to
your discovery kit which will be ready for you to pick up in the Interpretive Centre (IC) in front of
the kiosk (computer in the shape of a big leaf) located directly in front of the IC entrance. Your
school’s name will be written on an information sheet located on or above your bag. The
information sheet will also indicate your building tour time, and your lunch location and time.
Your kit will contain:
~ 8 winter scavenger hunt sheets
~ 2 animal track identification sheets
~ 1 snowflake variations sheet
~ 1 set of interpretive stop cue-cards
~ 1 digital and 1 snow thermometer
~ 4 magnifying glasses
~ 8 snowflake catchers (square pieces of black fun foam)
~ 1 snow saw
~ 1 snow vs. ice sheet
~ 1 jeopardy trivia sheet
~ 1 map of FortWhyte Alive
FORTWHYTE’S RULE OF RESPECT:
Before going outside, please discuss FortWhyte’s rules and your own rules that you expect your
group to follow:
1. RESPECT: Please do not pick any plants and do not disturb the animals. These are things
that are part of the animals' homes and we also want other children to be able to enjoy them too.
2. No running or yelling inside the building.
3. Any other rules YOU want followed, such as stay with a partner, walk in a line, etc.
Program Information and Activities
What is snow and ice made of?
Snow and ice are both water in the solid state.
Melt (heat)
(i.e.: ice in a glass on a hot day)
SOLID
(ice/snow)
Freeze (cold)
(i.e.: ice in the freezer)
Evaporation (heat)
(i.e.: steam from a kettle)
LIQUID
(tap water)
GAS
(water vapour)
Condensation (cold)
(i.e.: water on a mirror after a shower)
Here is when you can discuss how applying heat/cold will change the state of water using the
vocabulary in the diagram.
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How are snow and ice different? How are they the same?
Discuss the similarities and differences of snow and ice
small crystals
one big crystal
floats
solid
water
slippery
can melt
clear
frozen crystals
six-fold symmetry
fluffy
white
use as shelter
insulator
Snow
Snow is frozen water that forms when dust in the atmosphere attracts tiny water droplets. These
droplets attach to the dust and freeze into crystals, eventually forming a six-sided structure - the
snowflake. A snowflake is made up of one tiny crystal of ice whereas a snow bank is made up of
millions of ice crystals (snowflakes).
When snow falls to the ground, it looks white. That is because when light strikes the snow, it
reflects off of the billions of tiny ice crystals. We see that reflected light as white. If you examine
an individual flake on your mitten or jacket, it is clear.
Snow has insulating properties. In fact, the layer of snow next to the Earth is called “pukak”, an Inuit word.
The pukak is extremely important for the survival of small rodents, insects, and for certain members of the
weasel family. It is formed after the first snowfall; the snow covers the ground and vegetation. Various
small plants keep the snow off the ground thereby trapping air and creating tunnels and cavities. These
spaces of air trap the heat from the Earth’s core and from residual heat the ground has absorbed from the
summer sun. The snow will melt slightly and reform into columnar crystals. When the snow reaches a
depth of about one foot, the temperature of the pukak layer stabilizes at just a degree or two over freezing.
The snow above the pukak layer insulates it from the cold air above just like a blanket, making it ideal
habitat for small creatures.
Ice
Ice is formed on water bodies such as lakes, ponds, puddles, and swamps. It is one giant crystal,
not billions of tiny crystals like snow, therefore it is clear. Light can reflect off the sleek surface,
but some passes through to the water below. Aquatic plants and algae live and grow during the
winter because light can reach them year round. A unique property of ice is that it floats. Water
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expands when it is frozen making it less dense as a solid than as a liquid. Most substances
contract (shrink) as they form a solid.
This property is essential to all aquatic life. When water freezes in early winter, it solidifies from
the top down. If the ice formed from the bottom up, water-dwelling plants, and animals would be
forced to the surface and eventually either freeze to death or suffocate.
Both
~are water in the solid phase
~can melt
~have properties that help plants and animals to survive in the winter
How do snow and ice affect the lives of plants and animals? If water is in a frozen state in the
winter, how can plants and animals meet all their needs? (Water, air, shelter, food and space)
Brainstorm the answers of this question with your students while outside on your nature hike.
During the winter many plant species rely on a thick layer of snow to survive! The snow insulates
their roots, keeping them warm enough to wait until spring and then grow again. But because
they are not growing during the winter they don’t need water!
In the winter animals must contend with the cold temperatures and frozen water.
Some amazing adaptations allow them to remain active:
Animals:
Floaters have special physical adaptations that help them walk on top of the snow. Rabbits,
hares, and lynx have large fluffy feet that distribute their weight over a large area. They require
less energy to get around during the winter because they don't sink into the snow.
Ploughers are animals that stay active during winter but have to push through the snow to
travel. An example of a plougher is the bison, which has to push through snow to get to its food.
White tailed deer have small feet and long slim legs that sink into deep snow. To avoid ploughing
constantly, which wastes valuable energy, deer create paths that they reuse throughout the
winter. Have your kids be a deer. Ask them to make a new path through the snow, just like a
deer would. Are we ploughers or floaters? We are ploughers.
Tunnelers such as mice, voles, and shrews will live in the pukak layer and use the deep blanket
of snow as insulation. This way, they can stay active in the relative warmth under the snow.
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Under the Ice…
River otters are able to travel during winter months and find food under water. They must
have holes in the ice for air. They are normally solitary animals, but tend to gather at these air
holes.
Muskrats & Beavers are active in the water during winter. Muskrats chew holes into the ice,
plugging them with weeds to make domes called “push ups” where they stop to breathe.
Branches and leaves in muskrat and beaver lodges, which make up part of their diet, become
frozen and inedible during the winter. Muskrats will feed on dried grasses, weeds, and willow
twigs. Beavers will find meal of aquatic plants, and bark and branches from the bottom of the
pond.
Fish remain active, but their metabolism slows down. The fish also slow down and move only to
find food. Remind students that ice freezes from top to bottom, and if it didn’t, the fish would not
survive.
ACTIVITY: Where is it warmer?
Before you begin your hike, make sure you place your thermometers somewhere outside near
your hike path in the pukak layer of the snow and one on top of the snow. You will come back to
this point some time on your hike to explain to your students the different layers of snow and
how the pukak layer is the warmest layer.
Plants in winter
Some trees lose their leaves in the fall & winter because they can’t get water; it’s in the solid state.
Visit an aspen, or other deciduous, tree. Compare how this tree would look in the summer to
how it looks now. Have the kids stand with their arms above their heads like branches and their
fingers spread like leaves. When water leaves the tree through its leaves (wiggle your fingers), it
can take up more through what part? Its roots (wiggle your toes)! Can a tree get water in the
wintertime? No. It’s all in the solid state. In addition, water expands when frozen which would
explode the plant cells.
Many trees lose their leaves to save water, but not all of them! If you are within sight of a spruce
tree, you can ask “Who can find me a tree that doesn’t lose its leaves in the winter?” When you
reach the spruce tree, talk about what it means to be an evergreen or a leaf keeper. The tree’s
NEEDLES are actually its leaves, but they’re very special. They help keep the tree from drying
out because they’re skinny and waxy. These trees live in places that have VERY short summers.
They keep their leaves throughout the winter so they can start making food as soon as it warms
up, which then starts up the growing process. The summers where leaf keepers live are not long
enough for them to grow their leaves, and then grow themselves.
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Look for buds on the branches of both deciduous (leaf droppers) and evergreen trees. Many
people only think that buds are only present in spring, when in fact they develop in autumn. On
deciduous trees, you’ll find a bud in the place wherever a leaf fell off. On evergreen trees, buds
are located at the end of each branch. Inside these spectacular structures, new leaves are forming,
waiting for spring to bring water. Then they’ll burst open with life, so the cycle can start again.
When you visit an oak tree have the kids feel the deeply furrowed bark. Tell them that the bark is
like an accordion. The oak tree’s special rough bark expands when it needs to and then shrinks
back down again. It’s like the elastic part at the top of your socks!
Next, go to a nearby aspen tree close by and have the kids feel its bark and ask them what it feels
like. Smooth. Is it different from the oak tree? I should hope so! Show them the aspen bloom.
This very special powder helps the tree stay alive. Warm spells in the middle of winter can trick
the tree into thinking it is springtime and its sap starts flowing again. HOWEVER, if it gets cold
again this sap freezes. Has anyone ever left a bottle or can of pop in the freezer by mistake? It explodes
because frozen water is bigger than when in the liquid state. The same thing would happen to the
tree! The aspen tree has special sunscreen so its bark never warms up enough to be tricked.
Plants and Animals…working together.
Plants and animals have the same basic needs for survival: food, water, shelter, space and air. In
winter, most of the water available for plant and animal use is frozen. Animals however, have the
ability to travel to places where there is perhaps a flowing stream of open water, or get water by
eating snow. Plants on the other hand, are unable to move to open water and they cannot use
water in the solid state. Examine the dead aboveground parts of grasses and wildflowers poking
out of the snow. Is this plant dead? Probably not. The snow safely insulates the living part of the
plant (perennials), where it will re-grow from in the spring. Other plants only live one year
(annuals) and next year’s plants actually survive the winter as seeds.
In winter, animals rely heavily on plants for shelter from the frigid temperatures. Shrubs and
tufts of grass provide areas where rabbits, foxes, voles and deer can seek relief from blowing
winds. Deer will bed down in the thick willow groves to conserve energy, while mice and voles
scurry around under the snow in tunnels amongst the grasses and pukak layer. Left over fruits
and seeds also provide nourishment for birds that would normally feed on insects in the summer.
Winter Bird Feeding Station
Why do some birds migrate and some don’t? Most people assume that birds migrate because it’s
too cold for them to survive. The real reason is because snow and ice cover their food sources. In
Winnipeg, spots of open water on the Assiniboine and Red Rivers host small groups of ducks and
Canada Geese all winter. They do not have problems surviving the cold as long as they can find
food.
Discuss how snow affects the species of birds that stay in Manitoba. Although much of their food
is covered by snow, birds may still scratch for food or find it on the trees. Many birds, such as
woodpeckers and chickadees, will switch from summer food, insects to seeds, which are high in
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fat and available in the winter. Birds will feed constantly during daylight hours and rely on fat
storage to make it through plummeting nighttime temperatures. Freezing rain is particularly
difficult for winter birds since it prevents them from scratching the ground to find seeds. What do
birds drink in the winter? They eat solid water - snow.
Insects in the winter
Though some insects, like Monarch butterflies, migrate south for the winter, most Manitoban
insects are freeze tolerant, meaning they encourage ice formation inside their bodies, and freeze
solid in winter! Sometimes, insects restrict the ice formation to outside the living cells of the
insect’s body but the goldenrod gall fly and some others allow some of their tissues to freeze
solid! Some insects overwinter as adults (ladybugs in large aggregations, mourning-cloak
butterflies) but many overwinter as pupae (eg. in cocoons) or freeze-tolerant eggs.
Even though they freeze solid, terrestrial insects must take shelter in drier places to prevent
damage to their exoskeleton. They can be found in deep crevices of tree bark or on the ground in
leaf litter, soil, rock piles, caves or animal burrows. It is often warm enough just below the ground
(in loose soil) for mites, spiders and some insects to stay unfrozen, and keep moving around!
Examples of water in the environment
Throughout your hike, try and show the students as many examples of water you can find in
nature. Was there any frost on the trees this morning? If not, look for frost on windows. You can
examine snow during the snowflake study. Look at the clouds. Do they look like snow clouds?
Sweep some snow off of the lake or pond and examine the ice. Is there water underneath or is the
pond/lake frozen to the bottom?
Be a tracking detective…
Use the laminated animal tracks sheet to identify animal footprints along your hike. During the
walk have the students look for tracks and signs of animals (vole tunnels, nests, chewed twigs,
woodpecker holes, scat, etc.). How do these animals survive the winter? Do they live above or
below the snow? What do they eat? Are they ploughers or floaters?
ACTIVITY: Fox Eyes- Optional
This is a variation of the old favourite "Red Light, Green Light". Have all the children stand in a
group about 20 or 30 feet behind you. Turn your back on them and yell "NO FOX!" While your
back is turned, the children have to creep up and try to tag you. After two or three seconds, yell
"FOX EYES!” and quickly spin around. The students should freeze- if you see them move, either
send them back to the start line, or declare them "out". Continue the game until you are tagged, or
all the children are out. Play one or two rounds.
This simple game is helpful in demonstrating how difficult it is to move through snow. Take the
time to discuss how a camouflaged animal (ex. snowshoe hare) would benefit from staying still.
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ACTIVITY: Where is it warmer?
Check your thermometer. Where is it warmer? Discuss how animals benefit from the pukak
layer. Heat escaping from earth's molten core (geothermal heat) is held next to the ground by the
insulating layer of snow, creating a comfortable microclimate protecting many small animals from
severe cold. The exception is during warm spells that immediately follow cold snaps. In this
case, the snow insulates the ground from the warm air, reversing the situation.
Using your snow saw, remove a section of a snow bank such that you can look at the different
layers. Show the students any obvious layers of snow. Snow changes over time and with
compaction, it forms layers generally correlating to memorable weather phenomena (ex. a layer of
ice from freezing rain). Point out the pukak layer and look for vole tunnels and droppings.
Scoop a bit of pukak snow onto your snowflake catcher and have your group study it closely.
How is it different? Why?
ACTIVITY Snowflake Study
Distribute snow catchers for a closer look. Catch falling snow or toss loose snow into the air and
onto the catchers. What do they look like? Can you recognize any shapes? If need be, allow your
students to take a closer look as the snowflakes with a magnifying glass. How many sides do they
have? Are they all the same size? Have the students pick out snowflakes from different layers
and examine them. Are there differences? Why or why not? Sprinkle different flakes and
crystals onto nylon mittens or sleeves and listen to the difference in sound. Why does it sound
different? Note that individual snowflakes are clear. Take out your laminated pictures of
snowflakes to see if any of the ones you find, match the pictures. It is said that there are 35
different types of snowflake formations. But there are no two snowflakes that are exactly alike.
Building Tour
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Touch Museum
How does snow affect the species that you see here? Look for animals that are active during the
winter. They will have special adaptations that help them move through the winter landscape in
an energy efficient manner.
Ask the kids to identify ploughers, floaters, and tunnelers.
Aquarium
During the winter, fish remain active, but their level of activity drops. Because fish are
ectotherms (ecto-out, therm-heat: they draw heat from the environment around them-, they are
cold-blooded) their body temperature drops with the water around them. They eat less, and
move less, but remain active. What would happen if water did not float when solid? What
options would fish have for winter survival? Ask the students what the temperature of the water
is. Explain that the lake’s water does not freeze to the bottom.
Note: The temperature of the water in the tank is the same as the temperature in the lake, because
the source is the lake.
Duck Room
Why do waterfowl migrate south for the winter? It isn't because of the cold - they have plenty of
warm down. They leave because snow and ice cover their food. They begin migrating when all
the water is frozen. Would a duck be a floater or plougher?
Prairie Soil Profile
Examine the root systems of some of these prairie plants to get the point across to the students
that much of a plant is actually underground. This allows perennial plants to re-grow from the
roots in the spring.
Bees
Honeybees that live outside go dormant for the winter. They don’t hibernate, but they are much
less active. The bees clump together with the queen in the middle. The main goal of the bees is to
ensure the queen survives the winter. The bees in our hive are more active than outdoor hives
because the temperature in the building is warmer. The bees will survive on sugar water or pure
honey during the winter, and once spring arrives and the temperature warms up, the bees will
leave the hive to let out some ‘bee diarrhea’.
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