Challenging Ourselves and More

It isn’t even dinner time yet and the fifth graders have packed so much in so far. At pond ecology, one group saw over 12 frogs (super fast and uncatchable), 2 snakes, and perhaps a turtle. Some Robin Hoods stood out at archery. During many of the first ecology hikes many young scientists collected his or her plant sample and voucher, which will be analyzed at a UNR lab and we will be part of the analysis at a later date. The challenge course seemed to be what students were excited the most about today. Starting out on the forest floor, students learned what a safety team is all about. Next, the group moved on to low ropes courses where they worked on their team safety as one student worked through the challenge. Other times, challenges were while group and required discussions and how best to approach the challenge. If the approach didn’t work, they had to listen to each other present alternative ideas. Most groups had time to make it to the famous Alpine Tower. Each student set a goal for where he or she wanted to make it to on the climb up. This beast is impressive!  I’m so proud of all the students!