Thinking outside the box

Trip Start Jul 01, 2007
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16
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Trip End Aug 17, 2009


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Flag of Jamaica  ,
Friday, April 3, 2009

Hello All

I hope that everyone is well and that the recession hasn't affected you ( badly). My time on this island is winding down, my work is slowing down but I'm still thinking outside the box when it comes to activities to do with my students and the general community.

Children + Animals= Trouble
My Green Club  held and Educational Zoo on January 26, 2009. The Educational  Zoo started off as a petting zoo in order to raise money for Green Club but then as I was planning it, I thought to take it a step further. I did not want the students to just pet animals but also to learn about animal abuse, which animals make good pets and the proper upkeep of their pets hence the name Educational Zoo. I contacted Jamaica's SPCA and Serenity Park asking them to bring some of their animals to the school and talk to the students about the above mentioned topics. They agreed and on the day of the Educational Zoo the organizations brought with them puppies, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and a snake. The principal allowed me to make a full day of the event. We broke the students up by grades first and second grade went in the morning, third and fourth after lunch and fifth and sixth at the end of the school day. For a small price (this was still a fundraiser) the students heard from the speakers, petted the animals and for an even smaller price the students got to take pictures with the animals. The Educational Zoo was so much work to put together and you can imagine the chaos that comes when you mix rowdy children with animals but at the end of the day, I thought everything went well.  I think that the students really learned a lot  and the club raised an impressive amount of money, all of which was spent  to pay for club t-shirts and environmental projects at the school. Money really does go like water. I have attached some pictures for your viewing. The snake was the most popular of the animals. Almost all the children wanted to take a picture with the snake. Even the children that are scared of snakes were able to control their screams until after the picture was taken (myself included).

Hunting for Crocodiles
I took my Green Club and other students on the Black River Safari, a popular tourist spot to learn about various species of animals and plant life along the Black River. We took an hour boat ride along the Black River where we got to see crocodiles, the safari's biggest attraction. I know that the children enjoyed it and I think that they learned as well. From the Safari we went to Y.S. Falls another popular tourist site. At the Falls, we had lunch, viewed the Falls and swam (well the kids and the teachers that came on the trip swam, the water was cold, I was not getting in). The day started at 6 a.m. and I did not get home until 8 p.m. I was so exhausted. I am planning the next field trip. The students graduate this June and I'm planning on taking them on one last big field trip before they graduate. Most of my club members are sixth graders so they will graduate from primary school and enter high school in the fall. I'm leaving, they're graduating.Exciting times for both.
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Comments

pcvgirl
pcvgirl on Apr 5, 2009 at 06:50PM

fun
Still, despite everything, it looks and sounds like you all had a BLAST! Those kids with the snake are brave. ;)

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