Molly Ockett and New Suncook First and Second Grade Landform Field Trips:
Connecting kids to nature is one of the greatest gifts we can offer. And here at the Greater Lovell Land Trust, we love spending time exploring with them. Their eagle eyes always spy things we overlook no matter how intentional our focus. They ask questions, process what they experience, and come away with fresh learnings. So do we.
Our intention in working with local youth is not to reject technology (after all, I’m writing this blog post on a computer and you are reading it), but rather to balance that virtual world with what’s really happening outside the door, whether it be at one of our properties, another local location, or even the school yard.
When Rhonda Poliquin, principal of New Suncook Elementary School, contacted me a month ago about offering three field trips related to Landforms to first and second graders from Molly Ockett School in Fryeburg and her school in Lovell, I said yes. Then I panicked for a moment. But . . . in my back pocket were a few friends who just happen to be retired elementary school teachers. And a docent who enjoys learning from others about how to work with kids. Thanks to volunteers Kathy McGreavy, Sarah Otterson, Trish Curtis, and docent Alice Goodwin for helping me develop the plan for the trips and being flexible as each one provided its own set of opportunities.
On October 3, at 8:30am, we met a large group of Molly Ockett first graders at Pleasant Point Beach on Kezar Lake. Another large group of second graders joined us at noon for their trip. And the final group was a mix of first and second graders from New Suncook, who joined us in the morning of October 7.
The first day was one of those perfect autumn days and the lake provided a mirror image of the surrounding mountains.
The second day dawned misty and only a few hills were visible.
The students began by sitting or . . .
standing silently as they listened, noticed and sketched the land that surrounded them.
After discussing their observations, they dug in creating the world beyond in the sand below.
It was teamwork all the way around to build mountains and dig bodies of water.
Despite some raindrops on the 7th, no one complained.
Their next task: gather materials to create boats.
Boats built, they needed to be launched.
After watching the boats float from east to west and realizing that was the way the wind was blowing, it was time for a snack below the tree that had given them a better understanding of erosion.
From the lake, the bus took the group to Kezar River Reserve across from the Wicked Good Store on Route 5 in Lovell.
By the kiosk, we reviewed what they’d learned about mountains, lakes, and erosion, then led them along the Storybook Trail, which featured an apropos story of kids damming up a stream and creating a pond.
We'd planned to take the students into a deeper ravine, but either time or rain prevented that. They did, however, gain an understanding of the term "ravine" as we walked down the “roadway” to the boat launch to finish the story and look at the current in the river.
Our hope is that back in their classrooms they'll recall what they experienced as they learn more about landforms with their teachers.