Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
~Albert Einstein
~Albert Einstein
“SNAKES!!! THERE ARE SNAKES IN THE SCHOOLYARD!!” thought the teacher as she began to shake in her boots. How is that possible with the snow still around? Sure there are puddles everywhere, but isn’t it too cold out? After all, it is the middle of April not to mention the longest winter on record for Alberta.
That didn’t stop seven kindergarten students from pursuing this snake in a local watering hole. Some bravely entered the water while others went fishing. Rods moved in and out of the water. Lucky for the teacher, they caught seaweed and not the snake! “Ah!” shrieked a participant, “Something happened to my stick!” “THAT’S A SNAKE!” shouted another. “That’s probably a snake bite,” he remarked a bit calmer. Maybe there truly is a snake. Soon the lure of the water pulled a few students in. If the snake appeared, the command came and everyone ran for the cover on the snow bank. Those brave souls who entered the water sometimes found themselves sitting in it. One student in particular fell in a number of times. The usual tears were replaced by a lighthearted response today. What a surprise! This led to a greater degree of risk that eventually caught up with her when her boot got stuck. Pulling this way and that way did not budge the boot. Plop, in the water she landed, again. Eventually, freedom came. There was one student who, though in the midst of the fray, stood in disbelief. It took quite a while before she had the gumption to interject her ideas about the adventure. The information from the tracks field guide, the black garbage bag she pulled out of the water, and her understanding of snakes did not seem to jive with the events unfolding before her. Even when she told her fellow participants about her thoughts, she got brushed off as another sighting occurred; this time complete with a chewed up stick. When the final set of students showed up to get in on the action, a participant promptly stated, “You guys, there actually is a snake in here.” “No there isn’t,” came the response from the doubter. One of the new arrivals provided a little confidence when he added, “If it was a snake it would bite….” Other facts about snakes came forth from the newcomers, but still the snake finding continued. Eventually, the main group moved to a subsidiary water hole near by and then left altogether to pursue their track finding mission. Thankfully, the snake has left the area. This meant that the newcomers at the site experimented to see who could make the biggest splashes in the water. Snow chunks became airborne, as did the water! Did the snake really leave the site? Just when the teacher thought she was in the clear, the snake hunters came upon a marking in the snow that appeared to be made by a snake. Out came the tracking book to make a comparison of the snake track with what was on the ground. No zigzag, no snake. Phew! Like magic, zigzags popped out of the landscape over here and over there! Will this mysterious snake turn up to scare the teacher out of her skin? Comments are closed.
|
Evansview Kindergarten
We're a deep-thinking, problem-solving bunch. Join us on our ride through Kindergarten. Archives
September 2018
Categories |