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I have a running list of ideas that I have had this year. Anyone want to join in and contribute or help plan some great student experiences?
Outdoor Adventures:
Crater Lake day trip - some pre-trip study on how to survive if you find yourself lost in the snow, unique aspects of Crater Lake lessons: volcano, depth, fish, water, snow shoeing, and an a snow shelter building competition
Table Rock with a history component - I have a lot of ideas for this and perhaps it could be a series of day trips. There is a Table Rock museum somewhere around our area that we could make part of the trip. I'd like to teach kids the history of the Table Rocks: what people have tried to use it for, etc. the unique nature features (Dwarf Wooly Foam, etc.) and how those discoveries led to it being a protected site (what that means, etc.) as well as the Takelma tribal history there. I would love to incorporate some Native history study into this experience. As an optional bonus, I could arrange for my husband (a pilot) to take groups of 3 up for flights to see the mountains from the air. I would like to have the kids all help to put together a children's book about Table Rock as a product to come out of the experience. They can do their own individual books or work together in their areas of interest. Then, the books could be displayed at the local libraries or the Table Rock Museum for a period of time.
Lower Rogue River Trail from Galice to Agness - 4 day overnight trip - For Christian schools/groups, I would love to see this experience be something that the teachers/chaperones took hold of as an opportunity for spiritual growth and added in elements in the "off time"
Illinois River - rock and mineral identification, understanding water sources (where does the water come from and go?), mapping, habitat plus snorkeling - would need to be a summer excursion, and if so, perhaps a camp trip would be great. Or early Sept or June.
A trip to a reservation - I have no ideas here. I just feel like there is value here and I want to learn myself.
Place based habitat discovery - I would like to allow kids to explore their own surroundings to find out what lives there, how they live, what our impact on them might be, etc. What trees are there? How old are they? Soil samples, water samples, etc. Using microscopes, finding good resources for research, etc. so that kids could go home or to a new place and have the skills to learn about that environment as well.
Southern Oregon Wilderness Survival - Day, multi-day or overnight trips to give kids hands on experience building shelters, making fires, foraging for food, tracking, using maps, and more. Recognizing poisonous plants and animals, what to do if you get hurt, nature’s anecdotes to poisonous plants, etc.
Sasquatch Studies - Fact or Fiction? Hear the stories, see the evidence. You decide. - Doug Thomas
The Herb Pharm with optional project - Herb Pharm tour + tincture processing site tour. Lessons to include farming, regenerative farming, plants, harvesting (hands-on), processing (hands-on), machinery and inventions, medicinal use, etc. plus business lessons. Projects: grow calendula from seed, lavender from clippings, and wood boettner from __, harvest them and make personal use products (salve from calendula, eye pillow or “warmie” with lavender, tincture from wood bettner) and could also make them for gifts or a student shop.
3 Mile Farm - Taste and see the farm stand fruits and vegetables. Explore the Adventure Garden through secret tunnels, a Gourd Gauntlet, and find treasure chests! Take home a gourd lesson plans on how to use them to create a musical instrument, piece of art, vase or lantern.
Alexandre Family Farms - Farm Stay, America’s first certified regenerative dairy on the coast at the border of Oregon and California incorporating farming, science, research and development, hospitality, food production industry, oceanography, and ecology. They are a Christian company and choose to steward this land for God. This is an amazing opportunity to see God working in nature but also in business, in people, and in stewardship.
Cooking classes. Students cook (maybe even budget and shop) together and eat meals together. Bonus: Manners lessons - possibly project video tutorials that everyone can see on silverware, cutting food, etc. - dress really fancy fun option?
Baking.
Cake Decorating.
The Law Series - Police car ride-along and tours of youth/adult jails (local) and courthouse. Mock trial (with Rene?)
Retirement Home Outreach 1: Traveling talent show - retirement homes - service, communications, presentation
Retirement Home Outreach 2: Students choose a brain activity game, build it, and take it to a retirement home to play with the people there. (20+) Facebook
Robotics Road Trip - A three-part experience: a local university robotics lab workshop and career presentation; a new human-centric robot factory; The Oregon Robotics Tournament for K-12 students.
Disaster prep - a series of presentations and hands on projects that would actually be useful in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency. food prep (drying and reconstituting), self-sustaining (regrowing plants, etc.), gardening projects etc. projects - hands on projects, could make the a family event.
Trade Careers Series - Walking Tall trade mentorship guest speakers at the school and Adventist School hands on heavy equipment field trip.
Woodshop with Brent (who does the class with Tribe) - 3-5 students - can offer Woodshop 1, 2 and 3. Safety, power tool skills including planer, band saw, circular saws and sanders, etc., 3 hr lessons once a week. His hourly rate is $50/hr plus materials
STEAM:
The more connections to standards we can provide, the easier it will be for teachers and homeschool parents to opt into our trips because they don't have to be added on to their lesson, but replace some of it.