Homeschool Junior Ecologist Class Visits Westcave

JET visited Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center for a guided tour this week called Water: The Lifeblood of the Earth.

Parents and kids were all blown away by the amount of information given, as well as the way it was presented. Our tour guides were great with kids, and answered parents’ questions too. Our Junior Ecologists learned about limestone formations while exploring a grotto and cave formations. We saw stalagmites and stalactites up close while imagining how it would be to work as a Speleologist (someone who studies caves). 

Students also had opportunities to make water-related hypotheses and test them. First, which landscape allows aquifers to recharge and which causes a lot of runoff with little water absorbed into ground? Second, can we see a plant breathe?

Our tour guide placed a small ziploc on a few leaves of a tree in the sun at the beginning of our tour. Would we see a lot of water, a few dew drops, or a completely dry bag? When we returned from the canyon, everyone made their observations and thought about their original ideas.

 

Not only did we all learn something new about our aquatic ecosystems, but other topics were included as well. It’s hard to go outside and only focus on one aspect of such a beautiful landscape.

We saw: millipedes, lizards, frogs, fish, birds, examples of erosion, compared seeds from trees, even solar calendars and more. It was an amazing experience for everyone who participated.

Comments are closed.