Outdoor Classroom Page 2


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			Honey Creek Outdoor Classroom Year 2001 Welcome to Honey Creek State Natural Area Offer a 6th grade interdisciplinary outdoor curriculum that will meet the guidelines of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and include reading, writing, math, social studies and science activities that will improve the students opportunity to do well on the state mandated TAAS. Expand 6th grade program to Comal, Kendall and Bexar county students. Increase service to 1,000 6th graders in 2001. To responsibility utilize the pristine, environmentally sensitive and, culturally/historically significant resources of Honey Creek State Natural Area. Provide students the opportunity to gain an appreciation of the outdoors through environmental education. Teach students the importance of natural and cultural resource conservation. Demonstrate to students the effects human activities have on the natural environment. Provide the opportunity for students who otherwise would not be enrolled in this type of educational program by family or due to any number of reasons such as financial status, time and transportation constraints, etc. Upon arrival, students receive a brief welcome and orientation. Then they are tested on the days studies, to see what they already know. At the end of the day the students are tested to document what they have learned at Honey Creek Outdoor Classroom. Nature Walk - Poetry Writing Students will visit the most beautiful and fragile area of Honey Creek. There will be a brief introduction to the flora and fauna in the riparian zone. Contrasts will be drawn to the dry uplands as the watershed is described. Then the students will have time to write a cinquain poem which helps them observe, listen and feel the living canyon. Students read their poems aloud, or if they are shy, a friend reads for them. With few exceptions, all poems are shared. The Poetry writing and Nature Walk is the favorite activity of the day for many of the students. As this quiet and relaxed session takes place on the banks of Honey Creek, it is easy to understand why. Testing and Biomonitoring Students learn how to determine the water quality of Honey Creek by using scientific tests. They perform Ph Tests, determine total dissolved solids/conductivity and take air, water and humidity readings. The favorite part of the activity is the study of the macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects) and making observations of their data. Ground water and surface waters are explained. The geology and source of Honey Creek is discussed and its role in completing the watershed. Previous Page / Next Page (P. 2)