Trip to the Outdoor Discovery Center

 We are so very happy we were allowed the opportunity to visit the Outdoor Discovery Center for a REAL field trip today!  We want to thank our administration for taking measures to ensure our safety during these Covid times!   We had so much fun, and the kids were VERY excited, but still so well-behaved while we were there!  Miss Andrea taught us a LOT about the animals and plants at the Outdoor Discovery Center, and invited the kids to return with their families to do the other fun things they have there!

We began our morning by going over the 'rules'.  Miss Andrea had three rules for us:  Be SAFE: stay on the path, stay behind her, listen to her directions.   Be RESPECTFUL:  leave all nature at the ODC, be a good listener, be a good friend to others.  Be ADVENTUROUS:  Ask questions, make comments about what you are learning, have FUN!

Our first stop was at the Birds of Prey area!  We were allowed to walk around to view the many birds they have there.  Each bird is at the ODC because it is not able to survive on its own in the wild.  Miss Andrea told us that most of the birds had been hit by cars, and their wings were broken or damaged to badly, that they would not be able to hunt, so the ODC gives them a great home.  She even brought out a Great Horned Owl to show us!  She taught us many interesting facts about birds - specifically the Great Horned Owl.  They are able to turn their heads 270 degrees around.  We had a demonstration with our own Annie as a volunteer.  We watched Annie go around the bird, and observed how the owl would follow her around the circle by turning it's head!  When the head could not turn any further, it quickly spun around to continue watching her!  We also learned that birds are very light, because their bones are hollow, and their feathers are light.  They LOOK big, but we saw that most of their size is made up of puffy feathers, and their body is not that big!

Our next area to visit was the woods, followed by the pond.  We saw animal footprints, little fish, lots of seaweed, touched the water, and more!

On our way back to the picnic area, we stopped in the meadow to look for and discuss nature there.  We talked about animals and plants we might find there.

Once we got back to the picnic area, Miss Andrea showed us three LIVING animals.  We first learned about toads.  They have three defenses against predators:  They are toxic to animals if eaten, so animals learn not to bother them.  They also pee on, or sometimes emit water from their bodies to make themselves seem yucky to predators.  And finally, they puff their bodies up to make themselves bigger, so that animals won't try to eat them!  We also learned that only the males make noise (to find a girlfriend), and if you gently hold them up under their armpits, they might make a noise (if they are male).

Next, we learned about turtles and saw a Painted Turtle!  We learned that you can count the 'rings' on their shell to figure out how old they are.  We also learned that their shell is the same material as our fingernails.  We learned that their shell grows with them, and their backbone is attached to the shell, so they cannot leave their shell.

Our final animal was a garter snake!  We learned that they are cold-blooded (as are the toad and turtle), and get their bodies warm from the sun.  They are in TORPOR (forced sleep) in the winter, and will gather in big groups to keep each other warm during this time.  We learned that garter snakes (also called garden or gardener snakes sometimes) are NOT picky eaters, and will eat anything that they can get their mouth around!  We found out that when we touched the back, snakes are NOT slimy, and are pretty cool!

 After two hours at the ODC, we learned a LOT about nature!  We had so much fun, and enjoyed our learning time away from school!  I took an outside class photo. One with masks, one without (for only 10 seconds).

If you want copies of the photos, try copying them from the blog.  If that does not work, and you'd like me to email you any, just let me know!

Kaeleigh

 

This is Kaeleigh.  She is our Student of the Week for May 6-10.  Kaeleigh loves the colors PURPLE and PINK the best. She loves to eat her dad's pancakes.  Kaeleigh likes to watch Woody the Woodpecker on television.  She has two dogs and a turtle for pets.  Kaeleigh loves gymnastics and can do a cartwheel and a handstand by the wall.  She loves to visit her Grandma whenever she can.  Kaeleigh likes to read Henry and Mudge books.  When she grows up, Kaeleigh would like to be a teacher and teach little kids. Kaeleigh is special because she knows how to roller skate, but the VERY BEST THING about Kaeleigh is her pretty hair!

Connor

 

Here is Connor.  He is our Student of the Week for April 29-May3.  Connor loves the color RED.   He would like to visit North Carolina with his family.  Connor likes to read books about rocks.  He likes to watch The Flash on television.  Connor has two dogs and two cats at home.  When he grows up, Connor would like to be a mechanic.  His very favorite sport is basketball.  Connor likes to eat cheese cake.  Connor is special because his family loves him, but the VERY BEST THING about Connor is that he knows a LOT about rocks!

Wesley

 

Here is Wesley!  He is our Student of the Week for April 22-26.  Wesley loves to eat ice cream - especially Superman flavor.  His favorite sport is football.  When Wesley grows up, he would like to be an astronaut.  He has a LOT of pets:  two dogs, three cats, two chickens and a fish!  Wesley likes to watch Fear Factor on television.  His favorite book to read is "Muddy Paws".  Someday, Wesley would like to visit Ireland.  His favorite color is ORANGE.  Wesley is special because his family loves him, but the VERY BEST THING about him is the fact that he is silly!

Noah

Here is Noah!  He is our Student of the Week for April 15-19.  Noah loves the colors BLUE and YELLOW!    He would someday like to visit Disneyland in California with his family.  Noah likes to read a book called "Not and Ordinary Dragon."  His favorite thing to watch is Toy Story 3.  Noah has a dog named Clementine, who he loves so much.  When he grows up, Noah would like to be an artist.  His favorite sport to play is football.  Noah loves to eat chocolate waffles!  Noah is special because God made him, but the VERY BEST THING about Noah is the fact that his family loves him very much!