Al-humdulilah the students had a good time on Friday's fieldtrip even considering the weather was a little rainy. As the day went on, it warmed up and the sun even came out as well.
When we arrived at the centre which is run by the Ottawa Carleton District School Board certified teachers we were greeted by our guide Karen. She brought the students to a nice wood caben that was heated with a wood stove. There we discussed what animals need to survive and also what we were going to be doing. Students had a snack and a chance to use the outhouse (outdoor toilet) which was a new experience for many students.
We then had a chance to plant some milk weed seeds. Milk weed is one of the main sources of food for butterflies so we also talked about the life cycle of the butterfly. We then visited the pond and used nets to collect various specimens. Students use charts to find the names of the different insects and organisms they found. Students enjoyed this, some finding water scorpions and beetles.
After this we played a outdoor game (rabbits and foxes) and then we had lunch. After lunch we then went on a forest exploration and students had to be very quiet to observe and find the things that did not belong in the forest. Various animal toys (cow, wolf) had been placed around the forest and students found this quite funny to find these animals out of place.
Then students enjoyed making their own birds nest using all sorts of different natural materials. They then played a competitive game where they had to find and collect food using only their beaks (close pins) and guard their nest from predators. They also were given eggs for their nest. Lastly they played an outdoor Bingo game where they had to find various things throughout the forest which they also really enjoyed.
A big jazakalakhair to all parents and volunteers who helped make this trip a success.
Tr. A'isha
