Hillcrest & Bremen HS Chemistry Students Take to the Slopes to Study Weather

Science teachers Ms. Coradina Tate, Mr. Jacob Mooney, and Mr. Paul Switzer loaded a bus alongside approximately 30 Chemistry students and headed to the slopes in Andalusia, Illinois! Both Bremen High School and Hillcrest High School chemistry students collaborated and took to the ski slopes for a lesson on weather and the atmosphere. Students received skiing instructions for approximately 45 minutes and afterwards were allowed to explore the slopes and inquire about climate. Students applied real-life application by calculating pressure, temperature, and composition of air at various altitudes. This activity made students aware of the effects of global warming, and introduced them to reading weather maps. “As always, the students had a wonderful time learning to ski and challenging themselves to step out of their comfort zone. The staff at Ski Snowstar was amazed and impressed by the students’ attitude to learn, their behavior and their determination,” said Bremen Science Teacher Ms. Coradina Tate. The weather unit being studied help to enhance students' understanding of weather fronts, and predicting weather based on data gathered using weather measuring tools. “The ski trip is always a great supplement for teaching weather!” said Tate.