In front of Sabino Dam.
Above Sabino Dam
Pointing to a Cooper’s hawk nest.
Kenne with a fellow naturalist, Dave showing five 3rd grade girls how to pan — Images by Darcy McCue (Parent)
Low hanging clouds still draped the canyon.
Overnight rains had ended.
Cold temperatures chilled the morning air.
Excited third-graders walk to Sabino Canyon Center.
No busing from the nearby school.
Gestured to a group of five girls to tag along.
Teachable moments abound the mile and a half to Sabino Creek.
Questions increase over the creek activity, “Strike It Rich.”
The teacher had prepared the students well.
First, nature walk near the creek.
Examined the five minerals found in Catalina Gneiss —
Quartz, feldspar, garnet, magnetite, and mica.
Using the mineral’s colors, began jiving —
“Two white, one red, one black, one shiny.”
After the nature walk, a brief geology lesson —
What made the canyon what it is today.
Lesson done, it was time for panning.
Students were sure they would find gold.
Not so in “them there mountains.”
Panning for sand rubies (garnets) was the game.
Activity completed with no cold, wet feet —
Only cold parents standing watch.
Another fun day in Sabino Canyon.
(Moral: Don’t expect cold, wet weather to dampen the spirits of 3rd graders in the canyon.)
— kenne
Looks like great fun, it is always nice to get outside and experience nature first hand and to be able to share knowledge about it with young minds.
Yes, great fun — thanks for the comment.
Reblogged this on Myblog's Blog.
Reblogged this on Becoming is Superior to Being and commented:
This posting first appeared on December 7, 2013, and is one of my favorite SCVN programs, “Strite It Rich.” The program is designed to teach children about the Catalina Mountains, how they were formed, and the types of material, rocks and minerals, in the mountains. — kenne