"Hatchet" at LaBoiteaux Woods

We spent our day today learning about "surviving in the woods." The program, presented by naturalists from the Cincinnati Parks Department's LaBoiteaux Woods, led our students in an experience based on the book, Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen.

The book tells how a routine journey turned into a life-threatening and life-changing experience. The central character, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, is stranded alone at a lake deep in the Canadian wilderness for fifty-four days. A small plane, carrying Brian from his mother's home in Hampton, New York, to the oil fields in Canada where his father works, crashes after the pilot dies in flight from a heart attack.

Our students learned a great deal from their experience today. They built survival shelters, and tried to start a fire using flint and steel. They gathered tinder and kindling and built small firest themselves. A hike through the woods gave them an opportunity to discover what might, or might not, serve as food and water sources, should they find themselves lost for an extended period. Too, a great deal of our day was spent on learning how to not become lost in the first place.

They worked together, listened and participated with enthusiasm, and made us very proud. It felt like a very good day.

We're Going on a Field Trip :-)

Next Monday, we'll be traveling to one of our beautiful city parks to enjoy a day in the woods and experience first hand some of the challenges that we've read about in Reading Class. Our day will be based on the book, Hatchet, and we'll practice a number of survival skills as we work with a park naturalist to bring that book to life.

WE DO NEED TWO PARENT CHAPERONES TO ACCOMPANY US ON THIS TRIP

BRINGING LITERATURE TO LIFE: SURVIVAL LITERATURE Season Available: F, S Grade Level: 4 – 8 Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain or Danger Along the Ohio will come to life as students hike to locate sources of food and water, build an emergency shelter in the woods and try essential outdoor skills like fire building, reading maps and using a compass. The program will build excitement, deepen understanding and instill self confidence. Read the book before the program

Field Trip -- On the Metro

It has been too long since I took these pictures while we waited for our bus to go see the production of VOTE? last month. That was a good field trip and a great way to wrap up our work studying the election process.

We have our final field trip scheduled for Monday, June 2.

We will be touring the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati(includes a tour of the Mosque), and then we will eat lunch at a local Mediterranean restaurant called TAZ.

Field trip permission slips and money for the bus and lunch must be returned by Thursday, 5/29, so that we can have the appropriate checks cut. Please note information about appropriate attire for this trip on the permission form.

Music Hall

Tomorrow we'll head off to Music Hall for our annual field trip to enjoy the musical artistry of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. If you don't know much about the actual building itself, here's just a little bit of the "history" and story behind this lovely Cincinnati landmark --

Built in 1878 with private money raised from what is believed to be the nation's first matching grant fund drive, this Cincinnati showpiece has been renovated and updated and includes what is judged to be among the best and most beautiful concert theaters in the world.
Springer Auditorium - The Springer Auditorium is known the world over for its extraordinary acoustics and its lavish old world decor. With its plush seating for 3,516, it serves as home for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Opera and the May Festival Chorus, among other local performing arts organizations. In addition, throughout the year it hosts a large number of touring performances, conferences, concerts and awards ceremonies. The fully-equipped stage with a complete lighting system, hydraulically-operated orchestra pit and roomy backstage area make any type of production or performance possible.

Burnett Woods Field Trip -- Aquatic Environments

Today, we took a trip out of the building to Burnett Woods, to study aquatic environments. Even though the weather was rainy over night, it turned out to be a lovely, cool, sunny fall day. The park was truly beautiful, and we got a chance to learn about the role that water plays on our planet and in our lives.

We learned about the algae that form the basis of the lake ecosystem, and had a chance to actually see some up close, using some magnifying viewers. We tested the pH of the lake water, and found that our readings were generally between 7 and 8. The naturalists told us that these readings indicate that the lake is a pretty healthy environment for the organisms that live there. We played a game that helped us better understand the water cycle, and we even formed a "web of life," that gave us a good picture of what happens when one part of the web is damaged or destroyed. When we were done, we could se clearly that if even one plant, or one animal is lost from an ecosystem, the whole system is impacted.

After lunch, we took a hike around the lake so that we could see the animals that live in and around the lake. We got the chance to see a turtle, some frogs, some small fish, some ducks, and collect seeds from some of the plants that grow around the edge of the lake. Back at the nature center, we had a short time to learn more about animals like the beaver and the red-earred slider who live in this habitat.

It was a very good day.

Field Trip -- Caldwell Nature Preserve

We spent Thursday at the Caldwell Nature Preserve, studying plants, pollination, photosynthesis and the life cycle of trees. It was a bright and sunny day, and we had a great time in a truly beautiful setting. We had a chance to learn some of the science we've been studying from our text book, "up close" in the woods, and really explore what grows right here in our own area. The naturalists that led our tours were wonderful and the whole day turned out to be a very positive experience.