Source: Nature: "Christmas in Yellowstone"
Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.
In this video segment from Nature, meet Tom Murphy, a modern day explorer who travels alone throughout Yellowstone National Park taking photographs. In many ways, Tom is similar to John Colter, who traveled across the park almost 200 years ago with the Lewis and Clark expedition. Both Murphy and Colter traversed these lands during the harsh winter season. Murphy describes what he carries in his pack and how he builds his shelter. He also discusses his frame of mind towards the inclement weather and makes comparisons between his travels and essential equipment and those of Colter.
Download and ShareThe following Frame, Focus and Follow-up suggestions are best suited for middle school students using this video in an English language arts or social studies lesson. Be sure to modify the questions to meet your students' instructional needs.
What is Frame, Focus and Follow-up?
Frame (ELA) What does it mean to compare and contrast? What elements are you looking for?
Focus (ELA) As you watch the video, listen for the similarities and differences that Tom finds between himself and John Colter, an explorer who traveled the same area almost 200 years ago.
Follow Up (ELA) What are some similarities between John Colter and Tom Murphy? What are some differences?
Frame (SS) Why did Lewis and Clark set out on an exploration west?
Focus (SS) As you watch the video, think of the difficulties that John Colter faced on his exploration that Tom Murphy would not have to deal with.
Follow Up (SS) When Lewis and Clark returned from their exploration out West, what did the American government do with the land they explored?
NARRATOR: It takes something special to enter Yellowstone completely … in the cold … and on your own. The days are short in December and Tom Murphy must make camp before dark. In the pack on his back, he’s carrying all the comforts he thinks he needs.
TOM MURPHY: Travel in the backcountry in Yellowstone in winter takes a lot of stuff. This pack runs for me generally between 70 and 80 pounds. That’s about as light as I can make it if I’m carrying camera gear, so, this is what I got. First of all, this is a bag of food which I always have way too much of. I have a stove. I always travel with a very large, very warm down jacket. These are the warmest mittens I’ve ever seen, even soaking wet, they’re really nice. A small emergency kit, a headlamp. I always have two water bottles; you can never drink too much water.
TOM MURPHY: So this is my shelter, an 8ft square nylon tarp with rubberized coating. You need to tie a knot that’s easy to untie because your fingers are going to be cold in the morning. A figure 8 is a wonderful knot. Tie this one up here. Wish I’d gotten a longer stick. I’ll improvise by using the grommet on that knot actually. This is the roof, here, flexible. Okay, so there’s my back wall, my roof, that’s pretty nice actually.
TOM MURPHY: Okay, there’s a 3lb down sleeping bag here, which is theoretically rated to 20 below zero. I’m going to fluff it up here, put it in here as soon as I can so that down fluffs up and is warm as soon as possible. And, that’s pretty much it.
NARRATOR: “Pretty much it” doesn’t look like nearly enough. A storm is moving across the mountains.
NARRATOR: Tom is in for a bumpy night.
NARRATOR: By first light, a ground blizzard is sweeping down Specimen Ridge.
NARRATOR: Winds blowing 50 miles per hour whip the snow into a frenzy.
MAN: How was the night, Tom?
MR. MURPHY: Well, I normally pick a place with less wind. The biggest problem I had was this thing flapping all night, keeping me awake, but, um, there’s a little more snow in here than I’m used to mostly ‘cause it’d eddy around right here. Um, I see it looks like a ground blizzard out here. I’m sure this looks like I’m committing suicide out here, but mostly mental, I don’t think I’m all that tougher than most people. I’ve got a mental idea, I mean this snow flying around here – just water. I have to think about that what I’m doing is not that unusual. If you think that 200 years ago, almost 200 years ago when John Colter went across this park … You think about 200 years ago when John Colter went across this park, he didn’t have a down sleeping bag. He probably had a bison robe which is pretty warm, it’s definitely water proof. And there’s hair on bison about that thick so it’d be very, very warm but he’d be lying down in something just like I am, the wind blowing the snow right over him, it probably buried him at night. And uh, he’d just get up, shake that stuff off, and away you go.
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