Pocatello Community Charter School Students Explore Grand Teton National Park
JACKSON, Wyoming — Seventy middle school students from the Pocatello Community Charter School traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in November for a week of outdoor learning and exploration. During the week, students were based out of the Jackson Campus of Teton Science Schools.
Led by instructors from Teton Science Schools, the students hiked Grand Teton National Park while studying the ecology and natural history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The overarching goals of the experience were to immerse students in hands-on, scientific inquiry and to provide opportunities for them to develop a sense of connection to the natural world.
Throughout the week, students participated in activities and lessons designed to practice making acute observations, thinking critically, asking well-developed questions, formulating hypotheses and testing their hypotheses by collecting and analyzing data in the field.
More specifically, students refined these skills while focusing their studies on plant and animal adaptations, field research projects, and stewardship within Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The trip was accented by visits to the National Wildlife Art Museum, where students made connections between art and ecology. At the end of the week, students were given the opportunity to reflect on their week and brainstorm on how they could transfer the knowledge and skills they gained at the Teton Science Schools to life back home in Pocatello.