Session 2 June 17

After Gratitude Circle, we began discussing the topic for today: all the different ways we use plants. For thousands of years, from medicine to paper and on and on, humans have used plants to help them survive and prosper. Then in teams, they worked together to match an item with the plant used to make it. When their team got a correct answer, they got to move on the Connect Four board against the other team. Some examples were: Echinacea for snake bites, bamboo for furniture, cotton for a baseball hat and many more.

Then at gardening class, with Ms. Melissa, they planted baby beet plants and covered them with hay to keep the weeds away.

After gardening class, some explorers chose to make a bamboo puppet.Others went on the obstacle course, did archery or played Hoop and Pole.

During lunch break, they played a game about specific medicinal plants that can be used to help heal common ailments. Each explorer rolled the dice and got either a plant card, preparation card or ailment card. Then they worked together to heal the "injured" by combining the necessary plant with the correct type preparation (decoction, fomentation, poultice, etc). They had to work together to heal all the explorers before time ran out.

After lunch, they played at the creek. We saw some dragonflies, minnows, slugs and water beetles. Most continued to barter mud pies for rocks while others cooled off and searched for quartz or critters.

Lastly, we ran through the scenes for their play with costumes but still have to make up the ending!