A v a l a n c h e

C o n t r o l ,

R e s c u e

a n d

E d u c a t i o n

Stage 5:Learning the fundamentals of snowscience and
weather history[reading, lecture, exercises,and
discussion]

Stage 6:Hypothesizingpersistenceandchangeinthe
snowpack

Stage 7:Confirming and correcting the hypothesis by ad-
ditional observation during Field Trip 2

Stage 8:Accountingforpersistenceandchangeinthe
snowpack
Students reflect not onlyon how much information they
have gainedand used but also on ways that their learning
about snow has improved theirabilityto make scientific
observations and to write them up forspecific audiences.
Having answered these questions,theyare well on their
way to thinking scientifically.At the same time,theirre-
flections help them meet the liberal arts and general edu-
cation goals of the unit.

Report6:Assessing the snowpack study unit

Toward the end of the snowpack study unit,students as-
sess the unit itself. Their evaluation of teaching andlearn-
inginthesnowpackstudyunitisguidedbyResearch
Question 6:
Whatis your assessment of the snowpackstudy project?
Students explain each of the aims in theirown words,
statewhetherthey were appropriate aimsforthe course
and for them, evaluate howwell the activities of the course
contributedtoachieving theaims,tellhowwell theyin
fact achieved the aims,and explain how they coped with
difficulties.
Assessing aneducationalexperienceis quitenewto most
students. For this reason, what they learn in this section is
not only how to make honest and straightforward evalua-
tions but to couch them in diplomatic language.They learn
to maintain a tone of collegiality thatrespects the sensi-
bilities of the people and actions they write about;at the
same time they learn to avoid both gratuitous compliments
and offensive statements.

PHASE 6:EDITING THEFINAL REPORT

Report7:Preparing the finalreport for publication

Thetangibleproductofthesnowpackstudyunitisthe
final cumulative report in which students meld theirse-
ries of write-ups. They prepare the final reports for publi-
cationbysubmittingthemtopeerreviewand repeated
revision.They submit a printed report to me.
Eventually, I plan to have students publish their reports
on the World WideWeb. Publishingon the Webwill create
anewdimensionfortechnicalwriting:world-wide
overnight publication--something few students have ex-
perienced. Expectation that their report will be published
on the Web will be a heady tonic to maintain interest for
the final big push. Many students realize that this mode of
publication opens for them a new method of communica-
tionaswellasprovidinganothersheaf fortheirprofes-
sional portfolio andanimportant newlinein their résumés.
The fact that Webpublication of theirreport reflects well
or ill both upon themand upontheir collegewill, I surmise,
provide additional incentive to perfect theirreports.

Students tell me that in this snowpack study unit they
not only learn howto write more concisely and clearly but
develop a new appreciationfor one of nature's most inter-
esting substances.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to Samuel Colbeck, Robert Davis, Michael Ferrick,
and AustinHoganofCRREL,Hanover,New Hampshire,
forextensive review of myField Guide.Thanks to others
at CRREL and faculty at Plymouth State College who made
numerous suggestions about teaching snowpackstudy. An
earlier version of this article was publishedin the Proceed-
ings of the Fifty-second Annual Eastern Snow Conference,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada,June7-8, 1995. Thanks to anony-
mous reviewers of an earlier version of this paper prepared
forthe ESCand tothe editorsforpermissiontopublish
thisrevisedversion.Asimilarversionappeared inVol-
ume7(1996)ofthePlymouthStateCollegeJournalon
WritingAcrosstheCurriculumandwaspresentedas a
poster at the Eastern Snow Conference, Williamsburg, Vir-
ginia, May1-2, 1996. Thanks to Robert McLaughlin,Doug-
las Graham,and RogerDamon ofthe National Ski Patrol
who introduced me to snowpack study.

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