The field trip to Sandy Creek Nature Center begins with a hike around Clay Pit Pond. Our group poses for a photo beside a giant wall of tangled roots and red clay. Heavy rains soften the topsoil as the wetland creeps further and further into the forest. Even the biggest trees are no match for loosened, saturated soil and strong winds.
Donnell glimpses a great blue heron taking flight, a terrapin balancing on a log and all sorts of insects.
Lorenzo and Abram go on and on about a moose (which is nowhere to be found).
Wyatt saves a spot as the class settles down (or not) for an exploration of microhabitats.
Teamwork! Anyiah and Bella stretch a tape measure to determine perimeter and area.
After an informative lesson on ecosystems and habitats throughout Georgia, the class lines up for a short bus ride to Sandy Creek Park.
Genesis points out a lizard darting along a wooden fence.
Part two of the day's adventure begins with lunch in the sun.
The most popular spot is on a stone wall overlooking the beach and Lake Chapman's glassy surface.
Between bites, Vivi shares a place-based connection, when she and her little brother paddled across Lake Chapman imagining they were pirates on the high seas.
Shamir doesn't look too thrilled with his sandcastle.
Lawton looks forward to post-lunch soccer on the sand.
Levyn the Bedouin returns from a long journey.
Z'yon, Vivi and a handful of others collectively terraform the sandy landscape.
Ella begins to explore while Akasha strikes a pose (again).
Genesis cleans away Cheeto remnants before digging in.
Dylan make a splash.
Anyiah scoops. Water pools.
Drip castles rise above canals.
Cleo smiles as Danielle walks backward into the lake. Maybe she should open her eyes.
Maya digs deeper and discovers a layer of buried silt.
Avery and Riley document afternoon adventures with a series of interviews.
Game on!
Egan's method for exploring the texture of sand particles is a lot more fun than any science experiment back in the classroom. His smile says it all...
“Kids need time and room to become themselves, and that is never a simple or straightforward process. Kids, like all of us, need time away from school, away from TV, away from supervision, away from monitoring, testing, and surveillance.”
-Matt Hern
No comments:
Post a Comment