Since the boot does not have straight edges, some estimating will be necessary. Ask the students to count the number of square centimeters covered by the boot surface. Ask the students what they think it is that makes you sink into the snow. Measure weight in kilograms of all students individually. And the sinking factor of a cow moose that weights 800 pounds.
Students then do similar exercise finding the area in square centimeters of a pair of snowshoes.
Have students compare boot to moose print, snowshoe to hare, lynx or ptarmigan to see which kind of animal can move efficiently through snow. Calculate the psi of a stiletto style high heel and compare to the psi of your boot. Describe in your own words or pictures the relationship between weight and surface area and force, and how psi changes as you increase or decrease the surface area. You have been out in the woods all day cutting firewood. At the end of the day, you have a big stack of logs to get back to the village.