Desert Outdoor Center Field Trip

Finally one of my kids wanted me to go on a field trip with them!  All my boys have been to the Desert Outdoor Center at Lake Pleasant, but this was my first time.

 

 

I had a mild panic attack all day because as the bus was pulling away from the school, I realized that I had left my cell phone in the car and my iPad at home.  I was completely disconnected from the world, but totally connected to the 40 first graders on the bus.  I was ready to run back to the school by the first stop light and ready to poke my own eyes out by the first mile marker.  I wont even write about what I wanted to do to all those noisy kids by the time we actually got to Lake Pleasant.

 

 

The  outdoor center was much better than the bus ride.  The park rangers had 3 sessions set up for the kids to rotate between.  The first station that we went to was called "The Great Impact Monster".  The kids had an introduction to the principles of “minimum impact” and “leave no trace,” students interacted in a fun, role-playing skit known as Impact Monster. This exercise allowed students to discuss the positive and negative effects they have on their environment.about how to leave nature clean and untouched.  They were able to act out a skit that demonstrated what would happen to the Grand Canyon if people littered, took plants or harmed animals.  Jake was a fish in the river.  That was the perfect role for him. 

 

The next session that we went to was "Animal Trackers"  The students used their senses to learn the science of animal tracking. The first part of this class was an indoor discussion of animal signs and track identification. The second part was held in the natural setting, and involved a simulated tracking hunt that will allowed students to practice their newly learned tracking skills.  The most important thing that Jake learned was about "scat" and we have had to talk about it everyday since.  After our classwork, we headed outside and put our knowledge to good use.  

 

Jake had a good time with his buddy Ryland and our group partner Tommy. 

 

The weather was gorgeous and all the kids had fun exploring in the great outdoors and saying the word "scat".

 

Our last session was called Dino Detectives.  Through the eyes of a paleontologist, students learned how fossils form and then got their hands dirty as they made a "dino-mite" discovery of their own in the excavation pit.  The kids were super excited about this class,

 

but even more excited to go out and dig for dinosaur bones.  They were actually about to use the tools to find a huge (planted) fossil.

 

 

 

 

After a fun day of activities, I thought that we might have some tired, quiet kids on the bus ride home.  I was wrong.  It was just as crazy on the return trip so when we got back to the school I ran for my car.  I drove to the peace and quiet of my own home as fast as I could and locked the front door.

 

Mrs. Reyes' class and all the volunteers