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  • It’s Elemental, My Dear! What Makes an Experience Different at Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve?
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It’s Elemental, My Dear! What Makes an Experience Different at Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve?

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Recreation
  • Social Science
  • Wilderness
  • Alaska
  • Evergreen Forest
  • Permafrost
  • Social Science
  • Survey
  • Tundra
Three children observing the sky with a camera and binoculars
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In this study, the scientists wanted to identify the most important elements of an experience in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.

It’s Elemental, My Dear! What Makes an Experience Different at Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve?

Part Of

Wilderness Benefits - Vol. 7 No. 1

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  • The question you will answer with this FACTivity is: What are some of the things that make a visit to Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve different than...

    FACTivity – It’s Elemental, My Dear!

    • Activity
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Recreation
    • Wilderness
    • Visitor Experience
    • Wildland Visitation
    The question you will answer with this FACTivity is: What are some of the things that make a visit to Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve different than...
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    It's Elemental, My Dear! What Makes an Experience Different at Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve?

Glossary

View All Glossary
  • boreal

    (bȯr ē ǝl): Of, relating to, or located or growing in northern or mountainous regions, characterized especially by dominance of coniferous forests.

  • Congress

    (käŋ grǝs): The supreme legislative body of a nation and especially of a republic; in this case, the group of elected officials in the United States that makes the laws, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

  • designate

    (de zig nāt): To appoint or choose by name for a special purpose; to mark or point out.

  • element

    (e lǝ mǝnt): One of the parts of which something is made up.

  • manager

    (ma ni jür): A skilled person who directs or manages something.

  • native

    (nā tiv): Living or growing naturally in a particular region.

  • outdoor recreation

    (au̇t dȯr re krē ā shǝn): Activities done outside for fun, such as hiking, boating, or playing baseball.

  • relationship

    (ri lā shǝn ship): The state of being connected through a relation that is known or can be discovered.

  • subsistence

    (sǝb si stǝn(t)s): The minimum (like food and shelter) necessary to support life; a source or means of obtaining the necessities of life.

  • wilderness

    (wil dǝr nǝs): In this case, an area designated by Congress to be preserved in a wild and natural condition as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

  • Dr Glaspell carrying a baby on his back

    Brian Glaspell

    Social Scientist

    My favorite science experience was having no idea what time of the day or night it was while interviewing visitors under the ‘midnight sun’in Gates of the Arctic National Park.
    View Profile
  • Dr. Kneeshaw in the snow

    Katie Kneeshaw

    Social Scientist

    My favorite science experience was when I flew into the base camp of Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park and Preserve. I talked with people who climb mountains about their...
    View Profile
  • Dr. Pendergrast canoeing in front of a green mountain range

    Don Pendergrast

    Chief of Interpretation

    My favorite science experience was going with my father and uncle on Saturday mornings to the Pendergrast Chemical Company. Saturday afternoons were spent hunting through junk yards for pumps, pipes,...
    View Profile
  • Dr. Alan Watson wearing sunglasses, on a beach

    Alan Watson

    Social Scientist

    “I like being a scientist because I’m helping to keep something special for future Americans. I became interested in natural resources when I was a kid and my family used...
    View Profile

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  • Education Standards
  • Educator Guide
  • Lesson Plans
  • Education Files

Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Time, Continuity, and Change

Note To Educators

The Forest Service's Mission

The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.

USDA and Forest Service Logos

What Is the Natural Inquirer?

Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

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  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

  • What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?

    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

  • Method

    Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.

  • Findings & Discussion

    Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.

  • Reflection Section

    Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.

  • Number Crunches

    Presents an easy math problem related to the research.

  • Glossary

    Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.

  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

  • FACTivity

    Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.


Science Education Standards

You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.


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    Jessica Nickelsen
    Director, Natural Inquirer program

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Lessons

  • This five-day lesson plan can be used in whole or in part to accompany the Wilderness Benefits edition of Natural Inquirer. Students will brainstorm and then research features of wilderness...

    Lesson Plan – Wilderness Benefits

    • Lesson Plan
    • Middle School
    • 5 Classroom Periods
    • Creative Writing
    • National Wilderness Preservation System
    • Student Research
    • Wilderness
    This five-day lesson plan can be used in whole or in part to accompany the Wilderness Benefits edition of Natural Inquirer. Students will brainstorm and then research features of wilderness...
    • Explore Lesson Plan
    • Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
    • Explore Lesson Plan
    • Download Lesson Plan (PDF)

    Part Of

    Wilderness Benefits - Vol. 7 No. 1

Education Files

Jump To

  • Additional Resources

Additional Resources

  • USDA Forest Service: Wilderness

    Learn more about wilderness areas and the Forest Service’s work in wilderness areas.

    Visit Website
  • National Park Service: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

    The official National Park Service website for Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

    Visit Website
  • Wilderness Connect

    A collaborative partnership between the University of Montana and federal agencies, Wilderness Connect educates hundreds of thousands of visitors annually about the benefits of wilderness and stewardship of wilderness under the Wilderness Act.

    Visit Website
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The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, and other cooperators and partners.

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