Language Arts

Today's class came to me with a terrific teacher who is doing a great job of connecting these 6th graders to Language Arts.  (Here is another teacher sharing the love of the written word.). Many people think that a Narure's Classroom trip is all about the science.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I connect our activities with math, science, reading, language arts, history, and art wherever I can.  They are all connected. Without great writers and passionate debaters, we would never have the environntal laws or the public lands in place to protect these habitats.  These kids even knew that Teddy Roosevelt was a "Wilderness Warrior!"

Because this class had a super Language Arts teacher, they were proud of knowing the "big boy words" as they called them. We emphasized the use of the prefix "omni-" as in omnivore (eating both meat and plants, or all), as well as omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing). We talked about the aviary (place where birds are kept) in terms of the words aviation, aviator, aviatrix, and avion (utilizing both English and Spanish). We learned that the opposite of nocturnal is diurnal, connecting to the word dia (day) and diary. 

The kids had two new words for me and it was fun interjecting them into class; fodder (readily available but of little value) and kerfuffle (a commotion or fuss).  The best part of the day, though was during orienteering, when they were learning how to use the compass, and I asked them what it mean to (figuratively, the teacher added) "do a 180."  When they realized it meant to change direction to the complete opposite, they came up with great examples. One of the boys told us about Tony Stark, the fictional character in the comic book and movie "Iron Man", and how he turned from making weapons of destruction to making a machine (the Iron Man suit) for good.  Another student brought up a popular male singer (formerly known for his hair) who seems to have turned from good to bad as he has been in the news due to the trouble he has been in. They allude connections!

It was a great class today, and we shared favorite books, too.  My favorite story (non-fiction) of all time is "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing, about the failed attempt of Sir Ernest Shalckleton's expedition to the South Pole in 1914.  One of the boys in the class had read the first half of "A Land Remembered", by Patrick S. Smith and we talked about the trip I had made on horseback across the state last month to reenact that time.  (See my blog at mkspence.blogspot.com) for that adventure!  Another student carried the book "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer around with her all day. I think I will have to read that one.

It seems the kids really like this blog, so I will continue!  Here is a note from a recent student; "Thanks for being an awesome guide on our Journey!  We learned so much from you. You made the experience very fun!  It was very interesting!  I loved all the cool facts. We did a lot of stuff that I love doing like fishing and I learned more about it. The animals were SO cute; especially the chicks!  Keep us updated on your blog!"

Yes, I think I will keep this blog going. Thanks for making a kerfuffle over of my blog so that I know it's not just fodder!

Beauty Berry (Callicarpa dichotoma) in several stages of bloom on the same stalk. Berries will be purple in the fall. 

Photo by Mary Spence