Agenda

Participants will:

• Investigate extreme environments
• Build an understanding of the geologic processes that result in these extreme conditions
• Examine different organisms that live in these conditions and build an understanding of the adaptations that allow them to thrive
• Build an understanding of the evolution of life on Earth and how this informs our expectations of finding life on other planets
• Build an understanding of some of the ways in which we search for life – or the conditions that could support life – in our solar system
• Be able to bring content and hands-on inquiry based, standards-aligned activities into the classrooms in ways that are appropriate for the grade level being taught

Sunday, July 22
	Arrive at Montana State University
6:00 p.m. Until 9:00 p.m.	Meet in the Hall of Fame Room in the Brick Breeden Field House for group dinner and … Welcome, Introductions, Pre-Test and Survey, Overview of Experience Classroom Connections – Fingerprints of Life Discussion – Essentials for Life, Life in Extreme Environments
	Night at Hannon Hall, Montana State University
Monday, July 23
	Breakfast at Miller Dining Hall
8:30 a.m.	Discussion – Geologic Setting of Yellowstone
9:30	Classroom Connections – Human Time Line
10:00	Discussion – Evolution of Life on Earth; Connections to Yellowstone
11:00	Break
11:15	Discussion – Searching for Life on Other Planets in our Solar System
12:00 p.m.	Lunch at Miller Dining Hall / Pack for Later Departure
1:00	Classroom Connections – Spectrometry
2:30	Discussion – Online Journals
3:00	Load Gear into Bus
3:45	Depart for Yellowstone
	Night in Yellowstone – Mammoth Lodge;dinner paid by individuals
Tuesday, July 24
	Breakfast at Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room
8:00 a.m.	Field exploration in Yellowstone (Bus Leaves) Mammoth Hot Springs Box Lunch Provided by Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room Hoodoos Huckleberry Ridge Sheep Eater Cliff Norris Information Station and Bookstore Obsidian Cliff Indian Creek
~7:00 p.m.	Night in Yellowstone – Mammoth Lodge; dinner paid by individuals
Wednesday, July 25
	Breakfast at Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room
8:00 a.m.	Field exploration in Yellowstone (Bus Leaves) Old Faithful Box Lunch Provided by Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room Grand Prismatic Spring Octopus Spring Fountain Paint Pot
~7:00 p.m.	Night in Yellowstone – Mammoth Lodge;dinner paid by individuals
Thursday, July 26
	Breakfast at Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room
8:00 a.m.	Field exploration in Yellowstone (Bus Leaves) Norris Basin Artist Point Box Lunch Provided by Mammoth Hot Springs Dining Room Sulphur Caldron Mud Volcano Tower Fall Possible Stops in Gardiner/Emigrant
~8:00 p.m.	Night at Hannon Hall, Montana State University; dinner on the road, paid by individuals
Friday, July 27
	Breakfast at Miller Dining Hall Class in the Hall of Fame Room in the Brick Breeden Field House
10:00 a.m.	Discussion – Revisit Sites
12:00 p.m.	Working Lunch at Miller Dining Hall
1:00	Continue Discussion
3:00	Classroom Connections – What Makes a World Habitable?
4:00	Team Web page development (interactive discussion with instructors until 7:00 pm; teams can continue on their own after 7:00)
	Dinner at Miller Dining Hall (5:00 to 6:00 pm) Night at Hannon Hall, Montana State University
Saturday, July 28
	Breakfast in the Hall of Fame Room in the Brick Breeden Field House Class in the Hall of Fame Room in the Brick Breeden Field House
8:30 a.m.	Discussion – Earth, Habitability Zones, Life Elsewhere?
10:00	Classroom Connections – Spectrometers
11:30	Discussion: Dissemination Plans
12:00 p.m.	Lunch in the Hall of Fame Room in the Brick Breeden Field House
1:00	Discussion: Dissemination Plans
1:30	Team Web page development; interactive discussion
3:30	Classroom Connections – How will this be shared with students?
4:00	Shared Reflections, Remaining Questions, Post-Test and Survey
5:00	Close of Day
	Dinner at Hannon Hall (7:00 pm) Night at Hannon Hall, Montana State University
Sunday, July 29
	Depart

Earth's Extremophiles Home Page

Images courtesy of the
National Parks Service