Week 1 Day 1 of Night and Day

We began the morning with a Name game to learn each others’ name. Then we discussed bioluminescence, how it occurs and looked at some bioluminescent jellyfish, worms and fungi local to Georgia (for example the Hawkinsville Glow Worm, Jack O’ Lantern mushrooms and Appalachian glow worms). Then they made their own scratch art over a glow in the dark page. Once it has dried, they will etch a design of their choosing which will glow in the dark. Then we discussed a few local nocturnal pollinators (such as Click beetles, June bugs, the Common Eastern Firefly, Giant Leopard Moth and more). Then we took a snack break and played Moth Mania. Some kids were flowers and others were moths. The flowers were hiding in the forest with tokens that represented nectar and had symbols painted in uv paint on them. The moths had to use their UV sight (uv flashlight) to find their specific nectar symbol and collect as many as they could in the given time. Meanwhile Moths exchanged pollen puff balls with the flowers who were hoping to collect enough from the moths to get pollinated. Then they switched roles. After the game, we went to the obstacle course where there are slack lines, ziplines, hammocks, balance beams and more. Once back at the outdoor classroom, we explored “What creatures are making all those sounds we hear at night in the summertime?” focusing on the 3 loudest nocturnal insects: the tree cricket, mole cricket and katydids. A lot of people think the cicadas would be one of the loudest nocturnal insects in Georgia but they typically sing during the day, so nighttime buzzing usually means they are disturbed, experiencing extreme heat, or are tricked by artificial lights (streetlights/floodlights) into thinking it is daytime. 

Then we discussed how these insects make such loud sounds by rubbing their wings together and I showed them a Guiro instrument to demonstrate the rubbing of a file and scraper similar to how insects make their songs. Next they took gourds, cleaned them out, used a file to make grooves and decorated their own Guiros to take  home on Friday. Then we had lunch and started writing their original play to be performed Friday.

Next we hiked to explore and play at the creek. We saw a friendly, non-venomous brown water snake and a large turtle (in the pics below)! Finally, during dismissal they choose 4 square volleyball, spikeball, baseball, football, soccer and more while waiting to be picked up.