Item: Is it Safe? An Educational Poster Developed by Grade School Students for their Peers
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Title: Is it Safe? An Educational Poster Developed by Grade School Students for their Peers
Proceedings: Proceedings Whistler 2008 International Snow Science Workshop September 21-27, 2008
Authors:
- 2007/2008 Fifth Grade Class [ Ophir School, Big Sky, MT ]
- Andrew E. Slaughter [ Department of Civil Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT ]
- David T. Neal [ Ophir School, Big Sky, MT ]
Date: 2008-09-26
Abstract: A poster developed by the students of Mr. Neal's 5th grade class was specifically designed to educate their fellow schoolmates regarding snow and avalanche safety. The following is an overview of the poster, which was primarily written by the students. For an avalanche to occur there needs to be a bed surface, a weak-layer, and a slab. The slab must be a solid piece of snow and rest on top of a weaklayer. Humans are usually the trigger that causes the slab to break away and slide down the hill. Before traveling in an avalanche area you need to consider the snowpack, weather, and terrain. The snowpack is made of layers of different snow types, like facets or rounds, and the correct layering can cause an avalanche. Avalanches usually occur on 30 to 45 degree slopes, and other factors such as trees and rocks could make them more deadly. The weather is also important because wind and heavy snow can lead to unsafe conditions. When traveling in avalanche terrain be sure to travel one-at-a-time so that many people do not become buried. But, if someone does get buried you can rescue them using an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe-which you should always carry with you.
Language of Article: English
Presenters: Andrew Slaughter
Keywords: avalanche, safety, education
Page Number(s): 606
Subjects: avalanche education avalanche safety
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