Last Thursday, our three fourth-grade classes spent the night at Shaw Nature Reserve for the annual fourth-grade overnight. At the reserve, managed by the Missouri Botanical Garden and located in Gray Summit, they immersed themselves in learning about ecosystems, the eclipse, birds, and nocturnal animal life. This unique experience is a wonderful opportunity for the classes to connect with one another and explore a new world of learning.
Students enjoyed learning about ecosystems as they hiked around the grounds of the reserve. They split up into groups for rotating centers. Throughout the rotations, our fourth graders went on a nature scavenger hunt, played team-building games, and made up their own cabin cheer which they shared with the whole group after dinner. Students also played board games and enjoyed outdoor sports.
Our fourth-grade Rams also prepared for the solar eclipse with our two moon-related experiences. First, they worked together to model the scale of the moon, Earth, and sun. Using models, they traveled the appropriate distance from the sun and were able to use a scaled Earth and moon string model to look back at the sun and gather perspective of both scale and distance.
Next, the fourth graders also used Ozobots and coding skills to program an ozobot to orbit the Earth. While orbiting, the moon’s shadow was cast on the Earth which simulated the upcoming solar eclipse. Students learned about the umbra, the fully shaded inner region of the shadow cast by the moon covering the sun, and penumbra, the partially-shaded region. These were great lessons to learn prior to Monday’s partial solar eclipse.
Focusing back on Earth, in three groups, students participated in a fantastic night hike where they got to experience the incredible life of nocturnal animals. “We witnessed the noise of the spring peepers at night as we sat silently near the wetland. One group even got to experience the sound of a beaver slapping its tail on the water, which was certainly a favorite,” described Laura Pupillo, Lower School Science Teacher. “We didn’t use flashlights and were able to observe how well our eyes could adapt to darkness.”
Additionally, students learned a lot about bird calls and how to look for birds in the wild. In four separate groups, students planned their own bird-watching hike. “This was such a great way to conclude our time at Shaw Nature Reserve,” shared Pupillo.
An overnight at Shaw Nature Reserve isn’t complete without the camp-style food and chatter in cabins. “We enjoyed eating meals together, sharing our favorite parts of the year and the overnight, and loved our cabins!” Pupillo said. “And, we can’t forget about s’mores. It was too windy for a fire, so we enjoyed oven s’mores.”