Winter can be a difficult time to use the outdoors for teaching science.

I have found that once the snow begins and my students have spotted the first snowflakes I have lost them…… unless I use the snow and go explore the outdoors to teach science and math.  Once cold weather has arrived I prepare my snow box.  In the snow box I place black construction paper, clipboards, and magnifying lenses for each group of two students.  In the teacher box I have one stopwatch, one piece of flat glass, and hairspray. Once I have the snow box prepared I say, ” Let it Snow!”

After I have spotted the snow and we get outdoors I give each scientist group (2 students) the tools to observe snowflakes.  I give them one quarter sheet of black paper on the clipboard and a magnifying lens.  They will be able to look at the different individual snowflakes on the dark paper.  After a few minutes of observations I have them count the number of flakes that hit the small piece of black paper in 30 seconds. If you have older students perhaps you can count the flakes for longer or record several trials to collect more data.

While the students are observing snowflakes you should spray the glass with copious amounts of hairspray and allow the glass just to sit.  Be careful to only touch the edges of the class as not to disturb your imprints.  You will be collecting imprints of snowflakes in the hairspray and when you bring it into your classroom it will melt and you can place the glass onto your overhead and look at some of the imprints of the different shapes of the snowflakes.  I would try this prior to doing it with your students.

Once you have been outdoors enough to make observations come inside and do some analysis of your scientific observations.  Have your students diagram some of the snow flakes they saw.  Conduct a discussion of what they saw.  Ask questions about the observation such as:

  1. What did you see?
  2. What shapes did you see?
  3. How long did it last on your paper?  Why do you think that?
  4. Were all the snowflakes the same size?
  5. Does it always snow when it is cold?  Why?

Through the questions you can get the students to discuss and perhaps even ask more questions.  Write them on the board and see if you can’t answer them during your study of snow and cold weather.

After you have discussed the snow observation you can record the amount of snowflakes in 30 seconds.  Have the students create a graph or do averages depending on your level of mathematics in your classroom.

Don’t let the snow get you down in your classroom….. LET IT SNOW AND HAVE FUN LEARNING!!

Have fun learning science this winter in your classrooms.

Dr. J

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