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5 Winter-Themed STEM Activities: snowflakes, glaciers, and more!

Winter classroom STEM activities

Looking for fun and educational ways to bring STEM learning into your homeschool or classroom this winter? These winter-themed activities are perfect for exploring science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on projects that celebrate the season. From measuring snow and studying glaciers to investigating the science behind snowflakes and symmetry, these activities will keep students engaged all winter long. Grab your winter coat and get ready to dive into these exciting winter STEM activities!

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1. Measure snow like a scientist

If you live somewhere that gets snow in winter, youโ€™ve likely measured the depth of snow before! But with a few extra steps, you can turn this simple task into an awesome, hands-on snow science activity.

Start by learning about snow water equivilent and how to calculate it. This can be a great way to start a conversation about snow in the water cycle, and the ways snow supplies our rivers and aquifers with an important input of water.

You can find the full activity directions for a snow measurements activity in my blog! Or better yet, you can save time and support my blog when you purchase the printable worksheets and directions for this activity in my complete Science in the Snow Unit.

Snow Measurements Activity Guide (free)
Printable Worksheets (purchase)
โ˜ž Upgrade your outdoor learning:

Measuring snow with your students? You can track the snow all winter long by placing a metal snow gauge in your yard or outdoor learning area. Whether you’re teaching in the classroom or at home, you can create an inspiring outdoor learning area for studying snow, weather, and more.

Cardinal Snow Gauge: product and image from Soldarmetals on Etsy.
Snow Gauge: product and image from Swenproducts on Etsy.

2. Explore glaciers and climate science

Why study glaciers this winter? Glaciers tie in to many important science topics – not just geology and landforms, but also climate science, sea level rise, and water resources! Glaciers are an important reservoir of frozen freshwater on Earth. However, glaciers all over the world are receding and disappearing due to climate change, putting communities at risk of flooding and altering ecosystems.

Furthermore, glaciers teach scientists about our Earth’s past! Glacial ice is like a time capsule, holding important clues about the history of our Earth and its climate. By studying glaciers, students can learn about and discuss the past, present, AND future of our climate!

Ready to study glaciers? You can read more about the types of glaciers and how they form in my blog post! Or better yet, you can save time and support my blog when you purchase my Glaciers Unit – complete with classroom activities, worksheets, handouts and more.

Read about Glaciers (free)
Complete Glaciers Unit (purchase)
valley glacier diagram

3. Read about how snowflakes form

If you’ve ever looked at a snowflake under a microscope or magnifying glass, you know that each snowflake is a unique, beautiful formation. But how do these amazing water crystal structures form? It all starts high in earth’s atmosphere, with a dust particle and water vapor. Since every snowflake takes a slightly different path to the ground, each snowflake runs into unique conditions along the way. These different experiences impact the way each snowflake forms.

Learning about the formation of snow ties in to studies of meterology and the three phases of water. Because of this, snowflake formation is an engaging winter science topic at many different levels.

Need materials for studying snowflakes? Read a step-by-step description of how snowflakes form in my blog post! Or, find printable snowflake formation materials in my Snowflake Mini Study or in my complete Geometry in the Snow Unit.

Read about Snowflakes (free)
Snowflake Mini Study (Purchase)
Full Geometry in the Snow Unit (Purchase)
formation of a snowflake diagram

4. Learn about symmetry with paper snowflakes

When it comes to geometry, snowflakes provide a great tool for learning about symmetry with a winter-y twist! Cutting paper snowflakes from coffee filters or paper is a great hands-on way to study rotational symmetry, planes of symmetry, and more!

Paper snowflakes are an easy activity to DIY! But if you’re looking for a little guidance, I’ve got you covered. Activity directions and worksheets for a paper snowflakes & lines of symmetry lesson are also found in my Geometry in the Snow Unit.

lines of symmetry classroom handouts

5. Study the animals of the poles!

Winter is the perfect time to study the survival strategies of animals that live in the coldest places on earth! Topics could include survival strategies like migration, hibernation, and insulation or the food webs and ecosystems of the Arctic or Antarctic.

Studying and modeling arctic food webs is a fun, hands-on ecology activity that students love. You can learn how to build your own food webs in my blog post. Furthermore, you can learn all about arctic ecology and find materials for an arctic food webs lesson in my Arctic Unit.

DIY Models of Food webs Activity (free)
Complete Arctic Unit (purchase)
handouts and classroom printables

Winter studies with Wild Earth Lab!

Thereโ€™s no need to scramble to put together the perfect winter science lesson  โ€“ Iโ€™ve already created some for you! The winter stem activities from this post come from my winter STEM units:

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If you enjoyed these winter stem activities, I know you will love trying my other science and nature units in your classroom too!

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Solar System Distances Lab: Try this hands-on math activity to model the solar system!

A banner that says "solar system distances model lab activity" with a picture of worksheets and a measuring tape

In this post, you will learn how to set up your own relative distances lab to teach the relative distances between objects in our solar system! In this fun lab, your students will learn about the vastness of space and the spacing of planets in a hands-on way. To do this, they will perform calculations and mark the locations of planets on a measuring tape. This post includes a materials list and directions for this fun, hands-on math and measurements activity!

During this lab, it may surprise students to see that the planets of the solar system are not evenly spaced out at all, as they are often shown in solar system diagrams. In fact, the inner four planets are grouped much more closely than the outer gas giants. Students will also calculate just how teeny-tiny scale models of planets would need to be if included in the model.

A note for educators: The activity in this post comes from my complete Sun and Stars Unit. You can find the printable directions and worksheets for this activity in my Solar System Relative Distances Lab or in the full Sun and Stars Unit – plus all the other printable handouts, worksheets, and diagrams you need to teach the solar system, the sun, and stars. Plus, every purchase helps support this blog! ๐Ÿ’š

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You can also find the relevant worksheets and handouts for this activity in my Solar System Distances Lab!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the solar system distances lab:

Other Materials:

Set Up

  1. Stretch out a tape measure along the ground.
  2. Tell students that the Sun is located at 0 and Neptune is located at the highest number on the tape measure.
  3. Use a clothespin to attach the Neptune and Sun flashcards to the proper locations.
  4. Go through the example below with your class to learn how to find the locations of the other planets. Find the actual distances from the Sun to each planet in the table below.
  5. Finally, ask students to calculate the model locations of the other planets on the tape measure in small groups.
Approximate distances between the Sun and planets. A printable version of this table and worksheets are included in my Solar System Distances Lab mini study.

Example Calculation

If you have a 5-meter tape measure, then the Sun is at 0 meters, and Neptune is at 5 meters. In reality, Neptune is 4,635,000,000 km from the Sun. We want to know where to mark Uranus on the tape measure. Uranus is 2,881,000,000 km from the Sun.

  1. Set up the equation:

2. Solve for model distance:

3. Put the actual distance (in kilometers) to Uranus into the equation:

4. Find and mark the calculated location on the tape measure.

5. Repeat these steps with the other planets in the solar system.

Download worksheets and handouts for the solar system distances lab activity

Other Suggestions

  • To make this activity simpler, calculate the distances to mark on the tape measure before the lab and provide these numbers to the students. Students can still work through finding the correct locations on the tape measure and marking the location of each planet.
  • For more advanced groups, ask students to start by trying to figure out on their own how they would set up the equation to solve this problem.
  • Pay attention to units while working through the example. Ask students how they know which units to use for their answers.

Problem Questions

  1. Outer space is mostly made of empty space. Planets and stars are relatively tiny compared to the distances between them. But letโ€™s imagine we are trying to make a scale model of the solar system with planets and a Sun that are to scale, relative to the distances between them on our tape measure.
    • If we add a scale model of Jupiter to our tape measure model, what would its diameter be? The actual diameter of Jupiter is 87,000 miles (140,000 km). Show your work below.
    • What is the problem with building this model?
  2. Letโ€™s say we want to build a model of the solar system with both planet sizes and distances between planets to scale. We want to use a marble as Earth. The marble has a diameter of 0.75 inches (1.9 cm). Earthโ€™s actual diameter is 7,900 miles (13,000 km).
    • For this model, what would the distance between the Sun and Earth be? Give your answer in miles or kilometers.
    • For this model, what would the distance between the Sun and Neptune be? Give your answer in miles or kilometers.
    • For this model, what would the diameter of the Sun be? The Sunโ€™s actual diameter is 865,000 miles (1,390,000 km).

Reflection Questions

  1. What is one thing that surprised you during this activity?
  2. Describe the spacing of the planets in our solar system. Are they evenly spaced or not?
  3. Do most images/diagrams of our solar system do a good job representing relative sizes and distances between objects? Why or why not?

This activity comes from my Sun Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

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If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!

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5 Outdoor Math Activities with Real World Applications

diagram showing the angles between the petals of a flower with the text "outdoor math ideas activity round up!"

Wild Earth Lab is supported by readers like you. This post includes links to my own products and affiliate products. If you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

If you are a teacher, you know that combining math activities with real-world applications can make things a bit more interesting. Now taking applied math OUTSIDE?! Your students might just find that math is more fun than they ever thought it could be!

These math activity ideas are inspired by my work in the field of environmental science and can help bring the real experience of being a scientist to your (outdoor) classroom! I hope you enjoy them.

1. Use trigonometry to estimate tree height

Did you know that you can estimate the height of trees using an inclinometer, a measuring tape, and math?! Trigonometry is the study of angles, and this is just one of its many real-world applications!

To learn more, read my blog post about how to calculate tree height, which also includes steps to build a simple inclinometer from household items. Or, check out my Math in the Forest unit for this activity and more.

2. Calculate the velocity and discharge of a stream

Watershed scientists need to know how much water is flowing in streams and rivers. There are lots of methods for measuring streams, but the most simple method for finding velocity and discharge is easy to do with students. Students will take simple measurements like stream width, depth, and the time it takes for a small object to float down a measured length of the stream.

I wrote a whole blog post on how to calculate the velocity and discharge of streams with your student. Get velocity and discharge equations, steps, and more in the post. You can also get worksheets, diagrams, and more for this lab activity in my Science on the River unit.

3. Snow water equivalent math activities

Anyone can set a container outside to measure precipitation. However, you can turn this simple meteorology exercise into an awesome applied math activity with some snowfall-related calculations!

Snow scientists, called “snow hydrologists”, study the snow-to-liquid ratio. The snow-to-liquid ratio is a similar concept to density. To calculate a snow-to-liquid ratio, first collect some snow by setting a container outside during a snowstorm. Record the height of the snow in the container. Then, bring the container inside so the snow can melt. Once it melts, record the height of the liquid water – this is called the snow-water equivalent. Finally, divide the depth of snow by the snow water equivalent to find the snow-to-liquid ratio:

snow-to-liquid ratio = snow depth/snow water equivalent

To take this activity a step further, calculate the total volume of water that falls on your roof during a snowstorm. All you need is the area of the roof and the snow water equivalent!

Live somewhere with a lot of snow? Consider setting up a snow gauge in your yard as a more permanent meteorology installation! You will find equations, diagrams, and worksheets for these activities and more in my Science in the Snow unit!

4. Tree trunk diameter and finding pi activity

Tree trunk ring

This is one of my favorite applied math activities and it is so simple. Use a measuring tape to find the circumference of a tree. Then, use the following formula to calculate the tree’s diameter.

diameter = Circumference/ฯ€

Foresters use calculations like this to estimate the volume of wood in a tree’s trunk and approximate the amount of wood in forests.

Bonus: measure the circumference and diameter of a stump, and try calculating pi. How close can you get to the actual value of pi? What could be a source of error?

Find all the worksheets and materials for this activity in my Math in the Forest unit. Plus, read about tree anatomy and tree rings in my blog posts.

5. Finding symmetry in nature

This outdoor geometry activity is great for younger groups. Nature is filled with symmetrical objects: flowers, leaves, insects, and snowflakes – there are so many possibilities! Teach your students about planes of symmetry, reflectional symmetry, and rotational symmetry. Head outside to find examples of each!

You will also find some fun symmetry activity ideas in my Geometry in the Snow unit, available for purchase in my shop.

Applied Math and Science Curriculum:

If you enjoyed these activity ideas, I think you will love my applied science and math units. They are filled with activities inspired by my experiences working as an environmental scientist. Plus, they include all the worksheets, diagrams, and math activities that you will need for an awesome lesson:

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Trigonometry in Action: Tree Height Measurement Step-by-Step Guide

tall tree

I don’t know about you, but I think math is more interesting when we can apply it to real-world situations! If you’re teaching trigonometry, right triangles, or angles in your classroom or homeschool, you and your students will love this tree-height applied math activity! In this simple learning activity, students will learn how to make a homemade inclinometer – a device for measuring the angle of inclination. Then, they will take measurements and calculate the height of a tree.

A note for educators: This tree height activity comes from my Math in the Forest Unit. If youโ€™re an educator planning to try this activity, I recommend checking out the unit. It includes the necessary printable directions, diagrams, and worksheets for this activityโ€”perfect for teachers and homeschoolers looking to bring applied math fun to the classroom! ๐Ÿ’š

The challenges of measuring tree height

Unless you are measuring a short seedling, you probably wonโ€™t be able to measure tree height directly because you can’t reach the top. So how do you measure something so tall? Answer: Use an inclinometer and trigonometry!

View looking up at the rough bark of a tall deciduous tree
How do you measure the height of something taller than you? Answer: use trigonometry!

An inclinometer is a device for measuring an angle of inclination above the horizontal. We can use an inclinometer to help us find the height of tall objects, such as trees! When you’re looking up at the top of a tree, you can use the angle of inclination and your distance from the tree to calculate the tree height. This is possible thanks to trigonometry โ€“ a branch of mathematics dealing with angles and the sides of triangles.

So how do we do this? In this blog post, I’ll walk you through all the steps to calculate tree height with your students. The first step is to make your own inclinometer out of common household objects…

Part 1: Make an inclinometer

Follow these steps to make your own inclinometer from common household items. You’ll use the inclinometer to find an angle of inclination, which you’ll use to calculate tree height.

Materials

All the materials you need to make a homemade inclinometer to measure tree height!
Free printable protractor!

Step-by-Step Directions

  1. Tape the straw across the center of the protractor at 90ฬŠ.
  2. Use the scissors to shorten the straw (as needed).
  3. Cut a short piece of thread or dental floss.
  4. Tie the small weight to the end of the floss.
  5. Tie the other end of the floss to the straw.
  6. Check that the thread hangs over the 0ฬŠ mark when holding the inclinometer with the straw parallel to the ground. Adjust the position of the thread on the straw as needed.
1. Tape the straw across the center of the protractor at 90ฬŠ.
2. Use the scissors to shorten the straw (as needed).
3. Cut a short piece of thread or dental floss.
4. Tie the small weight to the end of the floss.
5. Tie the other end of the floss to the straw.
6. Check that the thread hangs over the 0ฬŠ mark when holding the inclinometer with the straw parallel to the ground. Adjust the position of the thread on the straw as needed.

Part 2: Using your homemade inclinometer

Use your homemade inclinometer to measure the angle of inclination when looking up at the top of the tree. The homemade inclinometer requires two people to operate – one person to look through the inclinometer and one person to read the angle off of the side.

Materials

  • Homemade inclinometer
  • Tape measure
  • A friend

Directions

  1. Stand a short distance away from the tree, far enough away that you can see the top of the tree. This works best if you are on flat ground – not uphill or downhill from the tree. Measure your distance from the tree.
  2. Look through the straw with the curved edge of the protractor facing your eyeball. Do not touch the straw to your eyeball.
  3. As you look through the straw, tip the inclinometer upwards until you can see the top of the tree through the straw.
  4. Hold still and have a friend look at the side of the inclinometer. Have them read the angle where the thread crosses.
  5. Measure the height to your eye level.
Measure your distance from the tree
Look through the straw with the curved edge of the protractor facing your eyeball. Do not touch the straw to your eyeball.
As you look through the straw, tip the inclinometer upwards until you can see the top of the tree through the straw. Have a friend read the angle on the side of the inclinometer where the thread crosses.

Part 3: Calculate tree height

You can use trigonometry to calculate the tree height from the measurements you took with the tape measure and inclinometer. The imaginary horizontal line at eye level, the imaginary line from your eyes to the top of the tree, and the tree itself create a right triangle (see figure below).

There is a relationship between the angles in a right triangle and the lengths of its sides. If you know two angles and the length of one side, you can calculate the length of the other sides of the triangle. Look at the diagram and then check out the example calculation below.

Calculate tree height! (My email subscribers can download this printable diagram on the free resources page of my website!)

Example Calculation

Question: I want to know the height of a tree in my backyard. When I was standing 15 feet away from the tree and looking up at its top, I used my inclinometer to find an angle of 20ฬŠ. The height to my eye level is 5.2 feet.

distance x TAN(angle) = tree height above eye level

15 feet * TAN (20ฬŠ) = 5.5 feet

tree height above eye level + eye level = tree height

5.5 feet + 5.2 feet = 10.7 feet

Answer: The tree is about 10.7 feet tall!

Printable Directions & Worksheets

Trying this activity in your classroom? You can find worksheets and printable directions for measuring tree height in my Math in the Forest Unit:

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worksheets and homemade inclinometer

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References and Further Reading

  1. South Carolina Government Website (n.d.). Get Acquainted with Forestry Tools. Available: https://www.state.sc.us/forest/edutools.htm
  2. University of British Colombia (n.d.). Height Measurements. Available: https://bigtrees.forestry.ubc.ca/measuring-trees/height-measurements/
  3. Massachusetts Government Website (n.d.). How to measure trees. Available: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/how-to-measure-trees

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