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Our primary class chose to study some of the animals found on our campus during the first semester.  They learned about chickens, goats, donkeys, wasps and snakes.  In addition to reading books and articles about each of these creatures, they studied them up close, except for snakes.  We didn't have any actual snake sightings this fall.  One of their projects was the following educational video in which they instruct us all how to stay safe around snakes.  I hope you enjoy it.  They are working on a stop animation video about the water cycle now that we will post here soon. 

One of the great things about having a large natural setting for a school is that the campus is a huge laboratory.  Intermediate students have been
learning about erosion and weathering (5th grade Earth Science TEKS).  Our school building sits atop a steep hill above a flood plain.  We have the amazing ability to bring
these TEKS to life.  Where the septic tanks were placed in the hill there is a rain runoff area from the driveway.   This week the entire student body toured the campus to study the check dams that were constructed on the other side of the campus by Design, Build, Live volunteers summer before last.  Then we began collecting rocks and logs from all over campus to build new check dams.  Kate had one team with the little red wagon hauling rocks from the east side of campus, Rashid's group brought logs up the hill and my group cleared the goat pen of large rocks.  Then we used the wheelbarrow to bring rocks from near the gardens on the southern side of campus. 

We worked together and in about an hour and a half, we built a series of check dams on the hill. The chickens inspected our work and seemed to be satisfied.   Later that day, we did some research into the connection between famous landforms and erosion factors.  Yesterday the kids worked in small groups to create models called "Lentil Land."  Each model featured at least 6 landforms that we had researched. 

Integrating spelling with -ion words like location and erosion, we spent the day making connections and having fun while working together.  After making the models, students created a map of their project complete with compass rose. 

Words like "delta" and "isthmus" come to life when you are having fun. (The Lentil Land  project comes from of TOPS Science, which we highly recommend.)

Meanwhile the primary class made it rain inside by creating a model of the water cycle (2nd grade Earth Science TEKS) on the stove.  You can bet that everyone of them knows a lot about evaporation and condensation now.  They were so excited, you would have thought it was a birthday party!   What is great is that we tied it all together, rain, runoff, erosion.  It made the very cold rainy days we spent earlier in the week inside at the Inside Outside School more relevent. 

This fall the students planted seeds in our garden beds.  It seemed like for a long time that not one seed germinated.  It was dry and hot.  The
conditions were not right.  Then
there were little plants long after we had given up.  I recently moved to a house that has had the septic system replaced.  The property is mostly dirt now, but there was a beautiful lawn when we first became interested in the property.  The property is seeded, but there has
been no rain.  We turned on sprinklers and still nothing.  A wise friend reminded me that the seeds need the right temperature in order to germinate, not just water. 

What do children need in order to begin taking more initiative in their own learning?  I have had parents coming to me in the past week with concerns that they were not impressed with the work of the children in the first semester.  I initially felt anxious about this, but through reflection, I have come to know in my heart and mind that this is part of the process of changing the direction. It takes time for these seeds to germinate.  It takes trial and
error for the students to begin to take ownership of their learning.
In their post reflection if they come to the awareness that they didn’t meet their objectives, and that they want to do a more thorough job of presenting their learning, they learn much more than a C- on a piece of paper would ever tell them.  When you
take away the grades, the student has to work hard for a different reason.  If there is no extrinsic reward, the chance exists for us to work for our own satisfaction. 

Educating for Human Greatness is not an overnight process.  It is a garden that may look fallow for a time.  We are in a drought, but today we will get a lot of rain.  It is a 100% chance, but it is still winter and we cannot think that the rain will turn our campus green this week.  I have faith in what we are
doing at Inside Outside School.  I believe there is a better way to nurture learning than what we are offering children in the USA where high stakes testing pressure is taking the fun out of teaching and learning.  I sit in the library of our school before the first students arrive this morning, surrounded by my favorite children’s books, hearing the rooster crow outside as he leads his flock of hens across the lawn, thankful for another day to be here now and do what I
love.  The Little Engine That Could has been pulled from the shelves in preparation for a new elective class that begins tomorrow.  I think I can! I think I can!