The Amazing (6th Grade) Race!

Three weeks ago today, I was sitting in the sun with a group of students and chaperones watching the Parade of the Wagons.  It was the middle of our Experiential Learning Week, a week set aside for learning outside the confines of the classroom walls.  ELW is one of the highlights of the school year, as students try new things and explore new places as a class.  So much has happened since ELW that I haven't had time to share about the week!

The sixth grade theme for the week was "Amazing Race," based on the popular television show, in which contestants complete challenges in various locations around the world.

Monday:  The first event of the week was international cooking with four women from the BFA community who are from or have lived in other countries.  Students "flew" to Armenia, Morocco, Pakistan, and Japan to cook different dishes native to those countries.  Of course, the best part was tasting the cuisine!

In the afternoon, they had a presentation about translating the Bible and even got to try their hands at translating or transcribing Greek!  To end the day, their passports went "missing," so they had to complete a CSI lab to find the culprit. 

Tuesday:  The students learned some invaluable outdoor skills, including identifying plants, constructing a shelter out of limited materials, and building a fire.  They also completed a belayed tree climb and a rope climb (pictured below), which were probably their favorite experiences of the week!

On Tuesday afternoon, we headed over to the nearby elementary school (where I used to teach) to perform a skit about butterflies and read with the younger students.  It was fun to be in the second, third, and fourth grade classrooms!

Wednesday:  We explored the Ecomusee d'Alsace, a living museum about life in the Alsace region of France - similar to Colonial Williamsburg, but on a smaller scale.

 Friday:  I missed Friday's activities because I was in Chicago with my family, but thankfully these pictures capture the fun of my students' adventures.  They returned to the Alsace region on Friday for a field trip to the Electropolis museum.  One lucky student had her hair stand on end from the static electricity!  The students had time to play outside and eat a picnic lunch before returning to Germany.

In the afternoon, the class visited the nearby recording studio (where I took the elementary chapel band last year) to learn about microphones and audio editing.  They even got to record clapping that will go onto a real track to be released soon!

Finally, the group visited a nearby BFA dorm where one of the 6th graders lives.  His parents (the dorm parents at this dorm) led the kids in some indoor games, one of which is pictured below.

Phew!  It took a lot of planning to coordinate drivers, budget money, print Amazing Race clue cards, and organize the activities.  With everyone's help, it was a great week - to God be the glory!