Winter, snow, and ice play a critical role in Earth's systems, regulating temperatures and water supplies, supporting winter ecosystems, and sustaining human communities. This collection of climate and weather lessons and activities helps students explore these essential processes using weather data and hands-on investigations. Students can investigate snow texture, discover how water changes as it freezes, observe local wildlife, learn about glaciers and artificial ice management, explore the effect of albedo on climate, and examine how seasonal climate change is affecting snowpack and extreme winter weather. These resources make the science of winter engaging and accessible, no matter where students live.
This activity guide from the Nature Conservancy offers five hands-on winter activities for exploring the outdoors. Students stargaze, build bird feeding stations, identify trees by their twigs, investigate animal tracks, and create a diorama.
In this animated video, students explore how snow changes when brought indoors and learn how temperature affects its texture. A linked lesson includes a lab activity and game.
This experiment clearly shows how water becomes less dense when it freezes by comparing water levels before and after freezing. Students also discuss prior knowledge, analyze results, and record their findings in a journal.
This resource includes a “Winter Fun Facts” page and a BINGO sheet featuring Connecticut plants, animals, and winter signs that students might observe. It can be easily adapted for use anywhere!
This video explains how glaciers form naturally and how people have created artificial glaciers for irrigation and water security. Students learn about their history and benefits.
In this lesson, students explore how climate change may worsen extreme winter weather through discussion, a video, and a jigsaw activity on the polar vortex and lake-effect snow.
This hands-on experiment shows the effect of albedo, letting students hypothesize, collect data, and analyze results while learning how albedo influences regional and global temperatures.
This article explains how climate change is reducing snowpack in the western U.S. and why snowpack is vital for ecosystems, water supplies, agriculture, and hydropower.
These resources are just a starting point for exploring the science of winter. For more activities, lessons, videos, and experiments about snow, ice, and their role in Earth’s systems, visit SubjectToClimate.org and discover even more ways to bring the wonders of winter into the classroom.
