Day 162: Field Trip...Chaperone

While Day 162 was technically not spent in my own classroom, I was still part of an educational learning experience.  What did I do?  I spent the day as a chaperon on my sixth-grader's study trip.  (A note to those of you who teach middle school:  Kudos to you.  I don't know how you do it!)

The trip was to a local nature center where the students learned about the function of wetlands on a hike, identified birds in the habitat, acted as naturalists for the day while searching for frogs, snakes, and evidence of other animals (like bats, snails, deer, and chipmunks/squirrels).  The students also learned how pollution, erosion, and runoff affect watersheds; how to determine of water was "clean" by identifying live aquatic insects in samples of water from around the area; and how to identify trees by their leaves and bark. In all, it was an very informative trip, and the weather was cooperative.

While I was out in the park, my students spent the day with  a substitute.  They said they had fun and everything was covered.  A good day on both ends.

Day 144: Cows, Cows, Cows!

Day 144 was our field trip for the year.  Due to budget cuts, each grade level in the district is restricted to one field trip a year.  In years past we have gone on two to three--to a local zoo, a museum, or a wildlife center/nature park.  This year we went to a dairy.

Since our grade level is so large (six classrooms), we have to divide our field trips over two days.  One half of the grade level goes one day; the other half goes the next day.  Fortunately for us this year, we went on a nice sunny day.  The group that went the day before us had to tour in the rain. Ugh.  (Did that one year.  Not fun.)

Anyhow, we toured a local dairy farm and they shared with the children how milk gets from cow to table.  They also told how milk used to be delivered to your house in glass bottles (so amazing to the children!).  We had a chance to peek into the factory where the milk is pasteurized, homogenized, and bottled for distribution.  (This with the help of a window cut between the wall of the lecture room and the factory.)  The children really enjoyed watching the bottles come down the conveyor to be filled, washed off, and whisked away again.

After the peek into the factory, we went on a walking tour throughout the farm.  The children had a chance to pet some newborn calves and goats.  (The cow liked to lick that day and some of the students had their hands, shoes, and/or pants tasted!)  They learned how much a cow needs to eat each day to produce milk.  They also learned about milking, the difference between Guernsey and Holstein cows, and had a party in one of the antique barns on the property, complete with ice cream made with the milk from the cows on the farm.

Hungry anyone?

That's a lot of milk!

When we left, the dairy sent us away with coloring books and stuffed cows for the children.  In all, the children had a great trip and learned a lot.  

Mmmmmmoooooooo!