Grade Five finished their four day trip to McCall today. The kids have been at the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) which is a program of the University of Idaho on the shores of Payette Lake. The program is designed to get kids fired up about science in an outdoor, experiential setting – perfect for Riverstone!
Last night, as the kids settled into their cabins for their final night, it was apparent how tired they were. They began the week on Tuesday with group activities designed to create bonds between them and their Field Instructors. Our kids fell right into that activity without hesitation. On Wednesday, they awoke to the sound of the bell being run at 7:15 AM, the same sound they would hear every morning. A bell marked the end of every evening, with lights out at 9:00 PM.
Wednesday was spent in small groups with our Field Instructors – all of whom are graduate students and members of Americorps. The instructors were incredibly fun, engaging and intelligent. Students and kids went into the woods of Ponderosa State Park to conduct experiments on the snow pack – they investigated snow layers noting water content, crystallization, and temperature. The kids also learned about and investigated animal tracks and winter habitat. It was wonderful to see the kids imitating bounding animals!
On Wednesday evening, after dinner, the kids worked in groups to develop a position statement on the use of water resources from the perspective of ranchers, recreationists, average citizens, environmentalists, and other community stakeholders. The groups included middle school students from Foothills School of Arts and Sciences and our Fifth Graders. It was amazing to see the confidence, as well as the willingness to participate and to lead that our Riverstone kids displayed.
Thursday was another full day in which students brainstormed, developed hypotheses for group experiments, and collected, interpreted, and analyzed data while traveling by snowshoes in the forests around Payette Lake. Again, it was apparent that our students had been prepared for this sort of activity – they quickly outlined the information to be presented, divided tasks, and then discussed the results. They gave their presentations on Friday after breakfast.
This has been an incredibly valuable, collaborative, inquiry-based learning opportunity for the kids. They feel a great sense of accomplishment and developed an even stronger bond with classmates.
Thank you MOSS for hosting us! And thank you to Heather Webster for sharing her photos!
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