Super Sky June Day 1

We started off the morning with the games Eagle Eye and the Name Game. Then we hiked to the schoolhouse. Today we learned about how/why clouds form. We made a cloud in a jar and learned the prefixes and suffixes for the types of clouds (cirrus- high and wispy, strato- layer, cumulo- pile, nimbus- rain, alto- middle). So a cumulonimbus cloud is one that looks like a pile and is raining. We also made a nephoscope (reflective surface with the cardinal directions for cloud observing). However, when it was time to observe and draw clouds there weren't any in the sky! So we will do that part at another time. Then we discussed what causes wind and made some wind paintings. After snack, we played "HitchHiker" (an awareness game) and went to the creek. While there we found a caddisfly cocoon and tried to catch minnows. Delta and Arianna set up a crystal shop to trade rocks at. Some kids played with creek clay and others searched for quartz rocks or crawfish. Then we ate lunch and learned about how tornadoes form and discussed engineering ideas to make a tornado proof home. We split into partners to complete the Tornado Challenge (using paper, tape and 6 jenga blocks design and build a tornado proof building). The building had to keep a paper person safe on the highest setting of the fan for 5 minutes. Our youngest engineers (5 1/2 and 6) ended up designing and building the safest house! We voted to perform a play or have FreeMaker time and unanimously wanted FreeMaker time. Then on our hike to the top of the drive we ate wild blackberries and then caught a couple little frogs to hold for a bit before setting them free.