If you climb into the saddle, be ready to ride!
Well, we rode the hair right off of March and we are riding hard into April!
Spring time is always very busy, Jo and I recognize that our students have way more to do than just read, write, and arithmetic. Many of our students are busy calving out their cows and getting horses in shape for the upcoming rodeo season. With the days getting nicer let’s face it, being at a study table is not where the students want to be.
Good thing Jo and I are veteran teachers, we understand the spring flee from schooling. We hit things really hard last fall and through the winter so our students would be winding their curricular requirements down by March. Does this mean they are done learning? Oh, NO! But they have checked off many of the boxes which are required by the state of Montana. Now we can focus on what is really important, the world around us. We can get outside and learn.
What are we doing for science you ask? Well, one student assisted and videoed a cow having a C-section. Other students are learning about AI, embryo planting, and seeding cows. Yet others are calving out their herd. All hands on, working with the experts in their fields.
Students are calving out cows and heifers which they own, making sure they are getting the shots and other needs met. Most are getting their horses ready for the summer season. Working with the vets to get the teeth checked, spring shots administered, and most importantly getting horses back into shape which is a science in and of itself.
A wildlife biologist from the SKC Tribe lined up to give hands on instruction about water fowl and wetland habitat for one trip. Another trip is planned to the National Bison Range to talk about wildlife management, and how the Bison Range came to be.
We are kicking off our Montana History study this spring with a visit to Fort Missoula, and we will continue the study next year with visits to other historical places. We live in an area which it is easy to relive the history, we do not have to read about it in a book.
Having fun is a big part of our program. For St. Patrick’s Day we cooked corn beef and cabbage; had an egg launch; and made salsa and plum cobbler. Funny thing, farm fresh eggs, provided by one of the students, do not break.
This adventure started with the idea of having an egg drop. However, the mud was so deep in the area we were going to drop, nothing was going to break. So we did what every kid dreams of, we improvised. We found bungee cords and made a sling shot. Again, the eggs did not break when they were shot in the containers the students made for them. What did we do you asked? We took them out of the container and saw who could throw their egg the farthest. Again, the eggs did not break. So what started as an egg drop, turned into a competition to see how many times one could throw an egg without it breaking. Five. Most eggs were thrown five times before they broke. Farm fresh eggs are tough!
To end the month we took the kids bowling and swimming. They had a blast until I mentioned they should find the mean to determine which team won the bowling game. I heard a lot of groaning and then they said they were just playing for fun.
Please check back next month for more adventures with Have Books Will Travel!
March 2022
It all begins with an idea.
““Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”
- Arthur Ashe”
Have Books Will Travel has started the year off with a bang! We went skiing at Lookout Ski Area three times and skated at Glacier Ice Rink four times. The students were getting good at both sports by the end of the winter season.
For Black History Month, each student researched a person or group of people and we came together to discuss the findings. Our kids are very interested in the western life style and are patriotic. We had colorful stories from the past, and learned about segregation.
Looking forward to March, we have planned an egg launch competition, where each student will design an egg cage and we will launch them sling shot style and see who comes up with the best design without breaking their egg. St Patrick’s Day will be busy with egg launching; cooking and eating corn beef and cabbage; and cooking with fall harvest fruits: plum crisp and spaghetti sauce.
We will also start hitting the practice arena for the upcoming rodeo season. Everyone is welcome to come and learn about the sport and try out the different events which we practice.. A bowling, swimming, and pizza party has also been planned for March.
Please stay tuned for our April update!