Utah Resorts Cart Title: From Silver Ore to White Gold

Core Connection

Fourth Grade Social Studies Standard 1: Students will understand the relationship between the physical geography in Utah and human life.

Fourth Grade Social Studies Standard 2: Students will understand how Utah’s history has been shaped by many diverse people, events, and ideas.

Fourth Grade Math Standard 5: Students will interpret and organize collected data to make predictions, answer questions, and describe basic concepts of probability.

Summary: Students will determine, from the map, the location of ski resorts along the Wasatch Front and their proximity to Salt Lake City. Students will review the statistics from various Utah ski resorts to compare features of the resorts. They will choose their favorite resort, based on the information in the table and its location and provide reasons for their choice.

Lesson Learning Objectives:

1. Students will gain experience in analyzing a map and drawing conclusions about the relative locations of the various ski areas and their proximity to Salt Lake City. 2. Students will gain experience in reading a table. 3. Students will compare and contrast the features of the various ski resorts as shown on the table. 4. Students will determine which resort they feel is the best value for the options it offers.

Materials: copy of map for each student OR copy of map to use with document camera copy of “Ski Resorts” table and accompanying worksheet for each student

Time Approximate: 55 minutes

Instructions: 1. Ask students what they think makes one more popular than another. Write student responses on board and discuss.

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2. Using the map, show locations of ski resorts along the Wasatch Front and discuss the importance of location to a resort’s popularity. (Proximity to a big city and airport, etc.) 3. Distribute “Ski Resorts” table to students and discuss the various categories. Why would each play a part in a consumer’s choice of a resort? 4. Distribute worksheet to each student and discuss answers when completed.

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Ski Resorts*

Resort Name Year Adult Lift Number Inches of Skiable Opened Ticket Price of Ski Runs Snow per Acres Per Day Year

Alta 1938 $64 115 547 2,200

Beaver Mid-1940s 38 30 400 664 Mountain

Brian Head Early 1960s 45 63+ 400 640

Brighton 1939 58 66+ 500 1,050

Canyons 1997 75 163 355 3,700 (Park West) 1968 Deer Valley 1980s 83 99 300 2,026 (Snow Park) 1946 Park City Mountain 1963 83 107 360 3,300 Resort Powder 1972 56 114 500 5,500 Mountain

Snowbasin 1940 63 113 400 3,300

Snowbird 1971 62 85 500 2,500+

1,200 Solitude 1958 61 64+ 500

Sundance 1968 (Timp 45 42 300 450 Mid-1940s Haven) Prices 2008-2009 *The first two columns show areas that have changed ownership and/or name as well as the area’s original opening year and the year the change took place.

The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation Which Ski Resort Would You Choose?

Use the map and the “Ski Resorts” table to answer these questions.

1. What is the oldest ski resort in Utah? ______

2. Which two ski resorts get the least average amount of snow per year?

______

3. Which resort gets the most amount of snow? ______

4. Which resort would be best for someone who likes to ski a lot of different runs in a day? ______

5. Where does it cost the least amount for an adult lift ticket? ______

6. Which resort has the most amount of area to ski in? ______

7. If an adult wanted to spend less than $60 to go for a day, how many areas could he or she choose from? ______

8. How much would an adult spend to ski one day at Alta and one day at Snowbird?

______

9. How much more does a ticket at Deer Valley cost than a ticket at Powder Mountain?

______

10. Circle the two resorts that are located in the same canyon. (Use the map for this one!)

Alta The Canyons Snowbird Solitude

11. Which resort is closest to Cedar City, Utah? ______

12. Which resort would you recommend to someone visiting Utah for a ski trip? Why?

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KEY

Which Ski Resort Would You Choose?

Use the map and the “Ski Resorts” table to answer these questions.

1. What is the oldest ski resort in Utah? Alta

2. Which two ski resorts get the least average amount of snow per year?

Deer Valley and Sundance

3. Which resort gets the most amount of snow? Alta

4. Which resort would be best for someone who likes to ski a lot of different runs in a day? The Canyons

5. Where does it cost the least amount for an adult lift ticket? Beaver Mountain

6. Which resort has the most amount of area to ski in? Powder Mountain

7. If an adult wanted to spend less than $60 to go skiing for a day, how many areas could he or she choose from? 5

8. How much would an adult spend to ski one day at Alta and one day at Snowbird? $126

9. How much more does a ticket at Deer Valley cost than a ticket at Powder Mountain? $27

10. Circle the two resorts that are located in the same canyon. (Use the map for this one!)

Alta The Canyons Snowbird Solitude

11. Which resort is closest to Cedar City, Utah? Brian Head

12. Which resort would you recommend to someone visiting Utah for a ski trip? Why?

The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation

Alpine Racing Exhibit Title:

Core Connection

Fourth Grade Language Arts Standard 6: Vocabulary – Students learn and use grade level vocabulary to increase understanding and read fluently..

Fourth Grade Language Arts Standard 7: Comprehension – Students understand, interpret, and analyze narrative and informational grade level text.

Fourth Grade Language Arts Standard 8: Writing – Students write daily to communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Summary: Alpine skiing has developed into a popular sport and recreational activity. Alpine racing is especially exciting and includes five different events. Through the use of the following activities, students will understand the elements of, and the differences between, various Alpine events. Students will write a new article using the information and vocabulary they have learned in the lesson.

Lesson Learning Objectives: 1. Students will define vocabulary associated with Alpine skiing. 2. Students will read the information in this lesson and then compare the similarities and differences between downhill and slalom using a Venn diagram. 3. Students will imagine either a slalom or downhill race and write a news article it, using the information from the lesson articles and appropriate vocabulary. Students should be encouraged to use descriptive adjectives and adverbs as these races are very exciting.

Materials: copy of “Alpine Ski Racing” information page for each student copy of Venn diagram for each student writing paper

Time Approximate: 55 minutes

Instructions: 1. As a class, read and discuss the “Alpine Ski Racing” information page. Students should be encouraged to compare and contrast the various events.

The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation

2. Students complete the Venn diagram. 3. Brainstorm with class a list of descriptive adverbs and adjectives that could be used in a news article about a ski race. 3. Students choose which of the two disciplines they want to use as a basis for their news article and write a short, descriptive article about a ski race.

The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation

Alpine Ski Racing

Alpine Skiing

Alpine ski racing is among the most exciting of all skiing events. It includes five men’s events and five women’s events: downhill, slalom, , super-g, and combined. The rules are the same for men and women in these events, but the women’s race courses are usually shorter than the men’s. Alpine racing involves making fast turns through gates to get the fastest overall time down one or two runs of a race course. Today’s Alpine racers wear helmets to prevent head injuries.. In all Alpine events, skiers are times to one hundredth of a second. Let’s learn about each of these events.

Downhill

Downhill ski racing is the fastest Alpine event and can be very dangerous. Competitors get only one run and the skier with the fastest time wins. Racers wear skintight, elastic one-piece suits with padded forearms. They carry poles that are bent to fit around the body. Downhill racers fly down the mountain at 60-80 miles per hour. Some racers have been timed at almost 100 miles per hour! A few gates are used to control speed and give direction. Racers must go between the gates or they are disqualified.

Slalom

Slalom races are the shortest race but are considered to require the most technical skill. The course is made of close together turns, or gates, formed by alternating pairs of red and blue poles. Slalom tests the racers’ balance, speed, and agility as they race through breakaway poles in the competition. Today’s slalom racers wear plastic “armor” on their arms, legs, and hands that protects them from injury when they hit the poles. Each racer makes one run. The course is then reset on the same slope, but with the gates in different positions. Skiers qualifying for the second run race again on the same day. The winner is the skier with the fastest combined times of the two runs.

Giant Slalom

Giant slalom (GS) races are similar to slalom races, but there are fewer gates and the courses are longer. A giant slalom racer needs to make wider turns than the slalom skier to get through the course. Because of having to go through gates, giant slalom, like slalom, is considered a technical sport.

The Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation Super-G

Super-G is short for super giant slalom. This race is the closest to a downhill race, though the course for super-g is shorter than the downhill course. The skier with the fastest time in one run is the winner.

Combined Events

Combined events include one downhill run followed by two slalom runs on a single day. All of a racer’s times are added together and the fastest total time determines the winner. The downhill and slalom races in a combined competition are run on different, shorter courses than the regular downhill and slalom races.

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Comparing Downhill and Slalom Racing

Directions: Compare and contrast downhill and slalom ski racing on the Venn diagram. In the area marked “Both,” list the ways these two events are alike. Keep in mind the race courses, speed, style, and equipment.

Slalom

Both

Downhill

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