The Free Range School - No Child Left Inside

Here are some good examples of what we do:

Slide Mountain and Racehorse Falls in Deming

September 21- 30, 2009

Math:  We calculated the rate of flow for Racehorse creek by dropping a tennis ball into the stream and timing it for one-hundred yards about five times.  We calculated the average speed and the average depth and width of the stream.  We also began delving into long-division through this project.

Culture:  We studied the first people of the area, specifically the Nooksack through ethnobotany.   We imagined spending hours collecting fire-weed fluff to weave into blankets, stripping cedar bark to make clothing and foraging for various medicinal and food plants of the area.  We even made licorice fern root tea, just as native people have done for centuries.  Also, we wove crowns from autumn foliage and held a ceremony to honor past people, express gratitude and the celebrate the coming of Fall.

Geography/Geology:  We got to know the layout of area mountains by studying an atlas as we drove to Slide Mountain.  Students can now identify Squalicum Mt., Steward Mt., Sumas Mt. and Slide Mountain from the freeway.  While staring down the landslide at Slide Mountain we imagined immense glaciers carving their way to form the rugged landscape we enjoy today.  In addition we scoured the area studying ancient fossils and imagining the area as a sub-tropical forest of palm trees.  We also identified the mud-stone, sandstone, coal and shale that scatters Racehorse creek.

Language Arts:  We read some local creative non-fiction that paid homage to the Nooksack River.  We practiced writing our own creative non-fiction pieces based on our experiences at Racehorse Falls.  We also read some Mary Oliver and Pablo Neruda poetry and wrote some fall poetry.

Science/Botany:  We identified several native plants, took notes and sketched them in our journals.  We learned about how the tilt of the earth is responsible for the variety of seasons we enjoy on earth.

Whatcom Waterfront Hatchery, Bellingham Library, Coleman Glacier

October 5-7

Math/Geology:  We worked on pattern identification by flipping through a book that displayed an array of various land and water forms that had surprisingly similar patterns and discussing possible causes for the similarities.

Geography:  We worked on creating a relief map of Washington by applying clay to a board.  We discussed the rain-shadow effect.  We visited Sehome tower to get a layout of Bellingham from above.  We hiked the Heliotrope Ridge trail at Mt. Baker and got an up-close perspective on Coleman Glacier.

Science:  We visited Whatcom Park and watched the Salmon spawning.  We spoke with an area fisher about the processes of catch and release including which species are released and how the fish are sorted.  We collected leaves and learned about various tree species, soil conditions, and pine-cone fertilization.  We also dissected and sketched the parts of a flower.  We learned first hand about the bold grey-jay as it landed inour outstreched hands and on our head to receive the peanuts we offered.  In addition, we learned about the importance of fungi in the eco-system. We picked some wild chanterelles and enjoyed our first taste of this delicacy sauteed in butter.

Language Arts:  We read a story from Kipling’s Just So Stories and practiced writing our own myth in a similar style.

Geneva Pond, Sudden Valley and Stimpson Nature Reserve

Math:  We learned how to determine the height of a tree by measuring our shadow and height and then measuring the tree’s shadow.  We learned the function of an equation by solving for the height of the tree using proportions.

Geography:  We visited Stimpson Family Reserve and learned about the cycle of a wetland.  We also identified area mountains such as Look Out Mt. and Steward Mt.

Geology:  We identified boulders that were transported by glaciers during the most recent ice-age.

Science:  We were privileged to view a family of beavers playing and foraging at Geneva Pond.  We were careful to stay out of sight and used binoculars to observe their behavior.  We also checked out some books about beavers at the library and took notes and drew sketches in our journals while cozying up to a fire.

Cultural:  We were fortunate to discover a letter-box.  We researched this historical hobby and became excited about participating.  We carved our own rubber stamps and began our collection of other stamps with our first discovery of the letterbox at Stimpson Reserve.  We also went kayaking and imagined the first people canoeing through Lake Whatcom.