Welcome, Tuesday Class!

We're off to a great start!

During our Farm Fusion class, the kids learned the ropes with a farm tour and chore groups.  Each small group had an experienced farm helper to show them the correct feed to use, how much to give, etc.  We talked about herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, and applied that to the different feeds and animals here on the farm.  It's important to give the right thing to the right animal!

Our bottle calf will only be on the bottle for a few more weeks, so we will begin this year by rotating out the chore groups weekly.  This will give everyone a chance to feed Bean the calf before she's weaned!  We have to wean Bean!  Ha!

I know everyone has been cooped up since March, so we made sure to give the kids a lot of breaks to run and play.  The weather was perfect!  After snack, the class learned about the different food groups. 

This was our intro to the dairy lesson.  The kids learned about the udders and teats of both goats and cows.  Then, they learned the technique of hand-milking.  We started out of non-latex gloves this week, but after some practice on the gloves, the kids will try milking the goats next week!

The class also worked a little in the garden with Ms. Miranda.  They helped to prep the beds and plant some beets.  We will be talking about fall vs. spring/summer crops soon.

After lunch, we began academic lessons with Ms. Christi.  The class learned a song to help them remember the continents, talked about the equator, and found the continents on maps.  The kids listened as Ms. Christi read the story, Albert.  This book is about two cardinals who built a nest in an unusual place.  

Then, each student was given a baggie of items they could use to construct their own nest.  They could get creative, making a nest that was sturdy, but tall.  They even were given a little pull-ball "chick" at the end that must stay put in the nest.  At the end, the kids discussed ways that worked and didn't work.  Ms. Christi talked about how success isn't about getting things right the first time!  Scientists and engineers must constantly troubleshoot and solve problems that arise!