Hiking the Rockies

What Is This Video?

Join Sydney, Nathaniel, and their mom Christine as they hike a mountain in Colorados Rocky Mountain National Park and collect data, such as elevation, temperature, and types of plants. They'll see awesome animals along the way!

Conversation Starters

Ask:
  • What is the elevation, or height above sea level, of your neighborhood? How might your climate be different if your neighborhood were located 2,000 feet higher than it is?

Explore Some More

Take a Hike

Take a walk in your neighborhood and collect data, such as temperature, elevation, and the most common kinds of trees and animals you see. Then, head out on a day-long adventure. If there are large hills in your area, visit one or two of those. If you live near a mountain range, consider a day trip there! When you get to the top of the mountain or hill, collect the same data you collected during your neighborhood walk. It might surprise you that even the top of a hill in a city will likely feel windier than the bottom.

Curriculum Topic

ecosystems, weather and climate

Activity Type

indoor and outdoor

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas
Science and Engineering Practices
Crosscutting Concepts