We had some great play on Friday outside because the kids had fresh snow, about 3 inches at 9:45 a.m. and we able to make snow people and mosh around happily. By afternoon the north playground was a mushy and terrific mess-perfect for reenacting the ginormous Glacial Lake Missoula Flood from 18,000 years ago. 17 total kids participated in this spontaneous fun. First they used the 'dots' to collect the water behind a dam they created. After carefully constructing the ice dam, there was conversation about how to float it to make the ice break into big 'bergs'.
Once the dam broke apart, the water moved quickly toward the drain where several yelled," Dry Falls!!!!" They dashed to the grate watching the waterfall. Someone spoke up loudly, "Down it goes to the Columbia and out to the Pacific!" They were immensely immersed.
Feeling very pleased with connecting to the content of the expedition!!!
Below is an example of me scribing at the whiteboard as the kids found good choices of quotes from Dr. Alt's book,
Glacial Lake Missoula, to support ideas they were writing about in their creative nonfiction narratives. The thinking they did on this work was sent to Mark Buser, the president of the Ice Age Floods Institute because at the end of the month he will be meeting with the the NorthWest Congressional Delegation in D.C. to work on getting funding for the geologic trail that follows the path of the flood through the scablands and to Portland.
Being able to weave text quotes into their own writing was a very effective way for them to express their knowledge about all the have learned.
Sphere in the Headlights has been a great expedition!!
