PLEASE PASS THE MAMMOTH!

Thousands of years ago, giant woolly animals roamed the area that we now call Utah. Spear points made by ancient people make scientists think that these ancient animals were hunted. During this time, scientists believe that the weather was cool or very cold almost all year long. As the weather conditions became warmer through the years, many of these woolly animals became extinct. People had to change the way they lived and what they ate. The area of Utah became much drier than before. People began to gather plants, seeds, berries, nuts, and roots to eat. Smaller animals were hunted. Some people even ate insects to survive.

WHERE DID THEY GO?

Weather conditions affect the way people live. The Fremont and Anasazi people lived in the Utah area hundreds of years ago. They were successful at raising beans, corn, and squash. They could stay in one area and build homes and villages. For some reason these people all left their homes about seven hundred years ago. They never came back. We are not sure why. Scientists have evidence that there were many years of very little rain about the same time the people moved away. Some scientists think that the dry weather may be the reason these people left.

TO PLANT OR NOT TO PLANT

A little over one hundred fifty years ago, the first pioneer people began to come and stay in Utah. The Mormon Pioneers were some of the first people to arrive in this area. They wondered about the weather here. Jim Bridger, a famous mountain man who explored much of the Utah area, told the Mormons that he didn't think it would be warm enough to grow corn in the Salt Lake Valley. The first Mormon pioneer group brought special tools for measuring weather. They brought a barometer to measure air pressure and a thermometer to measure temperature. They brought many scientific tools to help them learn about this place.

KNOWING WHEN RAIN IS A PAIN

Knowing about weather is important even today. When you go to school or on a family trip, knowing what the weather will be like that day helps you choose what to wear. Going to Lagoon is a lot more fun on a warm sunny day than during a thunderstorm. In fact Lagoon closes in the winter because of the cold weather. Weather is very important to everyday life. In this unit you will learn all about weather. Try the activities on the pages that follow. You will learn how to make you very own weather instruments and use them to make weather predictions. Hopefully, you will have a lot of fun along the way "weather" you like it or not.