Session 1 May 26

This morning we started with archery, the Native American game Hoop and Pole and doing the obstacle course. Then we came together for Gratitude Circle. Each explorer shared one thing they are grateful for. After Gratitude Circle, we finished filling in all the missing information collected from each animal classification challenge. They were very interested in flatworms! :) Then we went on a Scavenger hunt looking for specific invasive and native plants. They successfully found all the invasive (ex: creeping charlie, wisteria, japanese honeysuckle, chinese privet) and native (ex: ebony spleenwort, muscadine, virginia creeper, dandelion).

By completing the scavenger hunt they each earned a key. But only one of the keys would unlock the next box. They had to decide if they thought their key might be the right one by looking at the lock and the end of their key. If they thought it might be the right key but it wasn't, they lost a heart. I think we did have three explorers lose a heart at this challenge. However, other explorers who had gained extra hearts shared theirs with them. Everyone still has their original 3 or more hearts!

Once the correct key was chosen and used, the box revealed the steps for weaving a basket from honeysuckle vine. They worked really hard on their baskets and they turned out so cute!

Then we ate lunch and went to a different part of the creek that had yellow and gray clay. It is perfect for making pottery, which the Native Americans would have done. It is also the same clay that potters from the local area come to Little Rose creek to get and spin on their own pottery wheel. Some explorers made bowls, an ice cream cone, an orb and others took theirs home in a ziploc bag to make something later.