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Activity  To investigate the complexities of snowpack formation.
Materials for each team Illustration of Foam Board Model   •
copy of the "Slip Sliding Away" student handouts     Slip
Sliding Away (PDF or HTML)     Foam Board Model (PDF or HTML)
• prepared Foam Board Model   • 16 oz. granulated sugar   • 5
lb. flour   • 8 oz. mashed potato flakes   • protractor   •
newspaper   1. An integral part of avalanche research is
understanding the complexities of snowpack formation and using
this data to make predictions about how particular slopes might
behave. In this activity, students layer foodstuffs to mimic the
strong and weak layers within a snowpack and then cause an
avalanche to occur.    2. Prior to the activity, you will need
to construct boards for each team using the "Foam Board Model"
directions.    3. Once the models are made, divide students into
teams, gather materials, and distribute the "Slip Sliding Away"
student handouts.    4. In Part I