The Waters of Yellowstone
Take an adventure through watersheds
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem contains the headwaters of the Green/Colorado, the Snake/Columbia, and the Yellowstone/Missouri/Mississippi. Join us on an adventure through watersheds, exploring how the topography affects drainage systems and why these watersheds provide life for humans and wildlife throughout the western United States. During this 30–45 minute virtual field trip, students join an educator on a journey revealing how water in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has changed the landscape.
Students will start to learn about reading the landscape looking for evidence that such forces shape not only the land but the people and animals that live here. The lesson covers science standards for all grades.
Additional resources
The Waters of Yellowstone
Grade Level: 4–12
Length: 45 minutes (35 of instruction & 5–10 for questions)
Learning Objectives:
- Introduce the processes that change a landscape over time
- Provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water
- Identify the major river systems originating in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
