Outdoor Education with my Grade 5 Science class

My Grade 5 science class was able to have a once-in-a lifetime experience: for the past 3 days they lived and learned at SEEK (Suba Environmental Education for Kenya), where I am privileged to live. The instruction and various activities were focused on the environment, but were also integrated with related areas of science, and used English and math skills.  Morning devotions were done in Kiswahili, as well as some discussion of their science learning.  Translating what they learned into Kiswahili was not only a good language exercise, but it also made them think harder about what they had learned in science!

Our main teachers from SEEK: left to right: Maxwell (head gardener), Hezron (children's ministries and environmental clubs), David (environmental clubs in local schools), Don (the Pro... the one who, years ago, developed a cross-curricular educational program for 6th grade in South Africa, getting students out of the classroom and into God's Creation to learn and use all academic areas, and who co-founded SEEK and CGA with his wife, Nancy), Nick (office manager and 'go-to guy' for almost everyone who comes to SEEK).

 The next 3 photos show some 'group-building' games. Behind the students in the first 2 photos, is the camp's wonderful, giant sycamore fig tree, and the cabins for the students.
[Reminder: girls as well as boys are encouraged to keep their heads closely shaven; so, these are not all boys... there are 7 girls in the class!] 

The games move to the beach 

Now the work begins....

In small groups, students examine the animal life in a 10 cm x 10 cm square plot...  each group observing and recording their findings from a different part of the SEEK grounds. 

Don is teaching about habitats, and getting us ready to examine the array of plant and animal life in the micro-habitat of this giant sycamore fig tree.

Now on the beach, again in small groups, group members work together to investigate and record animal life in the sand and in the lake water. This engaging activity is a great reinforcement and review of our study of invertebrates and vertebrates... 

But:  With a school system focused on rote learning, on their all-important End-Term exams which begin tomorrow, will they be able to connect and use what they are learning in this fun activity when they take their Science Exam??

Julius and Stephen encourage another group's progress on the task.

Another review for our science exam...  examining the parts and functions of a plant, from the roots all the way up to the flower!

Nick led a valuable debriefing session before the children left yesterday.  He invited students to share their likes and dislikes about the camp.  I was not surprised at the results...  they had had 3 days in this beautiful environment, surrounded by adults who were interested in what they thought, eating generous quantities of delicious food! There was only 1 dislike: insect bites. Topping the list of 'likes' was 'meals'!  These contented, happy children continued volunteering their 'likes' : showers; games; experiments; comfortable cabins with electricity [solar power for 1 compact fluorescent bulb]; learning, including discussions and a video of "Planet Earth"; campfire Friday night; the breeze from the lake; watching the monkeys and other animals; the teachers; the environment; the absence of manual labor (i.e., the chores they do daily at home).  Yea for this last item; aren't kids honest? They really tell it like it is! 

[Note: my own children, as well as most Illinois students, very much enjoyed their 3-day Outdoor Education adventure 'roughing it', ie, getting out into nature and doing without the conveniences and ease of home. But for these students, this 'camping' experience and Outdoor Education was truly 'living in luxury', a wonderful treat away from the hardship and chores of their daily lives!!]