Free educational kits teach about snow, Alaska Native culture

How much do you know about snow? Sure, it’s cold, it’s white and it’s a regular part of life in the Far North.

But how much do you really know about snow? Did you know there are several types of the white stuff, for example?

That information and more awaits readers in a new snow activities kit produced by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio.

“The kits are family oriented. The idea is that a child does this with their parents or their brothers and sisters,” said Matthew Sturm, leader of the Geophysical Institute’s Snow, Ice and Permafrost Group. “It’s the size of a shoebox.”

The kit includes activities in five subjects: snowflakes, insulation, animal tracks, water and ice and walking on snow. Each kit includes some supplies and a 20-page booklet designed by the Ohio center that includes instructions, subject discussion, information about Alaska Native culture, and other fun material in a pleasing presentation. A QR code with each activity leads to a related video.

The kits are geared for students from mid-elementary grades to junior high school, but the information is useful for anyone wanting to know more about snow and Alaska Native culture.

“It highlights a lot of Alaska, both the culture and the climate,” said Serina Wesen, who helped create the kits as education and outreach designer with the Geophysical Institute’s Snow, Ice and Permafrost Group.

Several Alaska Natives participated in the project to ensure the accurate presentation of their cultures.

“I love the activities and the lesson plans that are provided because they are true and very representative of our lifestyle,” said Joni Spiess, an Alaska Native educator from Nome who helped review the booklet’s content.

The kits are useful not only for Alaskans but also for Lower 48 students who have little or no exposure to snow and Alaska Native culture.

The Geophysical Institute will have 300 kits available on a first-come, first-served basis through a grant from the National Science Foundation, and the hope is to find additional funding to manufacture more kits. The Center of Science and Industry paid for its own allotment of the kits.

“We know science is everywhere and for everyone, and this new snow kit embodies this philosophy,” said Dr. Frederic Bertley, president and chief executive officer of COSI and an immunologist.

Students of The Iditarod’s 2022 Teacher on the Trail, elementary school teacher Jim Deprez from Ohio, will receive the snow activities kit.

Alaskans who would like a kit can fill out this form at the website of Our Winter World, a partnership of the Geophysical Institute, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Center of Science and Industry.

The smaller kits complement larger kits that continue to be available from the Snow, Ice and Permafrost Group for educators and communities throughout Alaska. The large kits, funded by the National Science Foundation, contain more than 15 variations of activities.

Additionally, Geophysical Institute staff can travel to rural communities for science nights or can provide educators with lesson plans and materials that can also be found on the Our Winter World website for free.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Matthew Sturm, Geophysical Institute, 907-474-5257, msturm1@alaska.edu; Serina Wesen, Geophysical Institute, smwesen@alaska.edu; Kristy Williams, Center of Science and Industry, KWilliams@cosi.org.

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