Field Trip Friday: Driver’s Edge

 

Every 61 minutes, someone is killed by a teen driver.

I don’t know about you, but as a parent of not one, but two teen drivers, those statistics terrify me.

Wouldn’t you like to give your child every advantage possible? I do. That’s why last weekend I drove two hours one way to Nashville, Tennessee so my children could participate in the highly acclaimed, much recommended, Driver’s Edge program which is sponsored by Bridgestone.

The Driver’s Edge program begins with a heartbreaking 9-11 call from an accident that took place in Nevada nearly 12 years ago. A car full of students had left school to grab a bite to eat. On the way back to school, the driver took her eyes off the road momentarily, looked up, saw that she was about to miss a curve in the road, over corrected, lost control of her car and plowed head first into a steel pole, literally breaking the car in pieces and trapping the occupants in a mess of twisted metal. Two of the girls died.  One lost her leg. The others received severe injuries. The father of one of the girls killed was so distraught, he killed himself.

How fast do you think this driver was going?  She wasn’t driving recklessly, she was obeying the speed limit, she was only driving 35 miles an hour! She took her eyes off the road, looked back up and panicked. She made a mistake. Haven’t we all?

The school district reacted by banning students from leaving at lunch. Makes sense, right?  If the kids can’t leave during the day for lunch, they can’t get in accidents and they won’t die. But what happens on the way to school, or after school, or on weekends?

That’s were Driver’s Edge comes in. The minds behind Driver’s Edge knew there is a better way. How about picking up where traditional drivers education programs leave off? How about teaching your children how to handle adverse driving conditions in a controlled environment? How about giving your young driver an edge that one day may say their life or the life of another?

Driver’s Edge teachers your children how to remain cool under pressure and while teaching them evasive driving skills.

Participants learn proper posture for driving, where their hands should be on the steering wheel (9 and 3 for more control and best range of motion),  why it’s so important to wear a seatbelt,  skid control, cornering, proper braking techniques, and steering when your ABS is engaged, and the dangers of drunk driving or driving under the influence. The instructors make use of every minute in this four hour course!

Oh yeah, did I mention that all the instructors are highly recognized in the professional driving arena? Who better to learn from than from those that understand driving better than anyone?

Driver’s Edge also works closely with the State Highway Patrol who demonstrate the effects of driving under the influence with goggles that simulate alcohol consumption.

In Nashville, the state police also brought in a truck that uses hydraulics to roll over. This simulates what happens to the occupants of a vehicle during a roll over; with and without seatbelts. My son didn’t raise his hand when the officer asked who wore seatbelts so he became the example for the rest of the group. The officer is showing him how to wear the seatbelt properly. Doesn’t he look embarrassed? Maybe next time, he’ll raise his hand. 

Next, the class gets a chance to drive and practice steering out of a skid. Don’t you just love the cars they drove? I have to tell you that my boys got really excited for the class after they heard they’d be driving BMWs.   

 One of my guys the first time through.

After the class is over the kida take a another test (the take a pre-test when they arrive) to see how much they’ve learned and then they had an awards ceremony. The kids that completed the 4 hour course each received a certificate- which can be turned in to most insurance agents to save you money on your insurance premiums. (By the way, ours  jumped $2000 this year when we added the boy’s on as drivers…something to keep in mind if you have an up coming driver. )

Each teen driver also receives an emergency roadside kit, a  hat, and a  t-shirt which they can have autographed, if they chose. Not only did my boys each have their shirts autographed, they also asked one of the instructors, a two time Indy race winner to pose for a picture with them. 

As a parent, I thought the instruction my children learned was invaluable. The instructors were incredible and passionate about what they do, you can tell that they really care about the kids.

I have recommended Driver’s Edge to everyone I know and can’t praise the program high enough. If you have the opportunity to go to this FREE program, for the sake of your child and other driver’s on the road, don’t miss it. Just one word of advice,  these courses fill up fast so don’t hesitate! You can find a list of the cities that have arranged for a Driver’s Edge program here. 

If you don’t have a Driver’s Edge in your area, write to them, write to Bridgestone, let them know that you’re interested. They’d like to add more, they just need to know that there  is an interest.

Driver’s Edge also recommends the following driving schools:

Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Mid-Ohio School in Lexington, OH 

Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, AZ

Skip Barber Racing School, various locations throughout the US

Jim Russell Racing Drivers School in Sonoma, CA   

As far as field trips go, I didn’t consider this a field trip until we were headed home and the boys commented that this had been the BEST field trip ever. When I told them I didn’t consider Driver’s Edge a field trip, they asked why not? Didn’t they learn enough? When they put it that way….I guess we could call it a field trip.

Until next month~ Happy Field Trippin’! 

Field Trip Friday: Alabama Constitution Village

When we lived in Ohio, a good part of our field trips were focused around Ohio History. We visited the Ohio State Building, many Ohio Historical sites and local attractions that focused on educating the public regarding local history. What better way to learn than by actually experiencing places of historical significance and hearing about people that had made Ohio great?

When we moved to Alabama, it was only natural that I would decide to enhance our state study with field trips. When we learned about the early inhabitants of the state we visited Oakville Indian Mounds and Russell Cave National Monument. We’ve learned about the early settlers in Alabama, visited some historic towns and buildings, learned about some famous Alabamians, like Helen Keller, and even saw a few quirky sites along the way.

One of our favorite field trips so far has been our visit to the Alabama Constitution Village in Downtown Huntsville, where we were transported back in time by costumed interpreters to the year 1819. Forty-four delegates had gathered from all over the state to draw up a constitution, making Alabama the 22nd state.

We learned many interesting facts and tidbits. Did you know that traveler’s at that time wouldn’t rent an entire room to rest, but rather rented bed space? Just imagine how much sleep you’d get sharing a bed with three other adults on a hot July evening in the South!

The convention met not only to draw up the Constitution, but also to determine if women or slaves could vote and where the state capital would be. Many had hoped that Huntsville would be chosen as capital. People also questioned if voting should be a privilege of the educated. Could you be permitted to vote if you were unable to read the ballot? Who would help you make your selections and how could you be sure that the person helping you was a trustworthy person and not out to further their own agenda?

We visited the Federal Land Surveyor’s office and learned how the State was divided into counties, saw some of the tools that were used at that time to measure the land and learned that the Huntsville Meridian is in Maple Hill Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Huntsville. The meridian is the point by which all of North Alabama is surveyed. Of course it’s on our list of places to discover one of these days.

We also toured the printer’s where we learned how the printing press was operated and we met the sheriff’s wife in his place of residence.

In the post office we discovered that at that time, postage was not paid by those sending letters, but by the recipients, who actually paid for their mail when they picked it up. They were charged per piece of paper so in order to be as frugal as possible, the sender would write across the page normally then turn the page and write on top of the words they’d just written. It was easy enough to decipher if the recipient would lay a piece of plain paper under each line as they were reading.

Throughout our visit we were encouraged to join in the presentation by pretending to be one of the residents or signing the constitution with a quill pen.

Our interest in The Alabama Constitution Village program, Up for Debate, led to an invitation to attend Earlyworks Children’s Museum for the President’s and Patriots program the next day. You can see a list of field trips that are currently offered at Earlyworks, the Alabama Constitution Village and Earlyworks here.

Our experience to The Alabama Constitution Village living history museum was very pleasant and I look forward to more visits in the future. This living history museum is appropriate for a large number of ages but is probably best for mid-elementary age and up if attending as a field trip. Though the walkways are paved, some of the buildings require that you climb stairs (some of which are steep) so this isn’t the best outing for wheelchairs or strollers.

You’ll find more information on their website or by calling 256-564-8100. You’ll find the village at 109 Gates Avenue Huntsville, AL. It is open Tues.-Sat., March through October.

If you want to make a day of it, you may enjoy visiting the Harrison Brothers Hardware Store, which is located right around the corner, or nearby Weeden House.

Have you been on a field trip lately that you really enjoyed? Why not link up to Field Trip Friday and share what you learned? If you’re new here you may want to read the guidelines, otherwise, feel free to jump right in.

Things To Do
Huntsville

Field Trip Friday: A Step Back to the Civil War

It’s time for Field Trip Friday and I have to tell you that this month has been so full of field trips that I had a really hard time determining which one to share! This week alone, we’ve gone ice skating for the first time, toured WAY-FM, a local listener supported Christian radio station and have plans to attend a ballet. I could have shared any of those outings, but this week I decided to transport you back in time, 150 years to the last days of the Civil War.

We didn’t travel to Appomattox Courthouse, but instead to the Earlyworks Children’s Museum in Huntsville*** to listen to a conversation  between Generals Grant and Lee as the Army of Virginia surrendered to the Federal Armies, which set in motion the surrender of the Confederacy.

I have to preface this post by saying that this program was intended for 4th grade students, but I was assured that our teen group would find the material interesting. I was convinced, but you should have seen the looks my children gave me when we stepped into the great hall and all the little kids turned to stare at the big kids. However, once the debate began, my kids were transfixed while the younger kids bounced up and down in their seats.       

We’ve studied the Civil War and visited many battlefields and sites relevant to the war but the debate was also great for those that had no knowledge of that era. Not only did they provide insight into the reasons behind the War between the States, they also spoke candidly about the character of one another, the reasons they fought, the soldiers they’d lost along the way, and the devastation that ensued.

Meet the generals, who graciously allowed me to capture their images with the camera before continuing on their way.

                     General Ulysses S. Grant                    General Robert E. Lee

After we met the Generals, we made our way through the rest of the museum where we met other key figures from the time period which included a female Civil War spy, a Buffalo Soldier and some names that you should readily recognize.

We talked to Harriet Tubman, also known as the conductor of the Underground Railroad. During her lifetime she led thousands of slaves to freedom in Canada. What I didn’t realize is that she also fought for women’s rights and was part of the Woman’s Suffrage movement.

We met Clara Barton as she described gathering bandages and aid for the wounded during the Civil War and later went on to become the founder of the Red Cross.

We listened spellbound as Union General O.M. Mitchel described how he captured the Huntsville Depot without firing a single shot. In April of 1862, General Mitchel and his troops left Shelbyville, Tennessee and began the long 50 mile walk to Huntsville. They crossed over Monte Sano mountain and stepped out of the fog as the sun was rising in the early dawn. The Confederate Army thought they were ghosts and ran.

Finally, we met Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln as she spoke of her girlhood, meeting Honest Abe and eventually becoming his wife, though her family was disappointed that he was only a poor lawyer. She recounted the hardships she encountered as First Lady, during the Civil War when some of her own family members fought for the Confederate States, she shared the heartbreaking loss of several of her children and the anguish she felt as she sat in Ford Theater, clasping her beloved’s hand as a man snuck up behind them and murdered him with a gunshot to the head.    

As we left the steps of Earlyworks, and returned to the year 2011, we were reminded of the hardships of those that have gone before and the words of a humble general who saw too much bloodshed in a battle that he’d rather have not fought.

Farewell to the Army of Northern Virginia

After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.

I need not tell the survivors of so many hard-fought battles who have remained steadfast to the last that I have consented to this result from no distrust of them; but feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the loss that would have attended the continuance of the contest, I determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen. By the terms of the agreement, officers and men can return to their homes and remain until exchanged.

You may take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed, and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his blessing and protection.

With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell.

~ Robert E. Lee

***FYI- Earlyworks is one of the largest children’s museums in the South and though you’d enjoy a visit at anytime, our experience encompassed a special school program so your visit will differ from ours.

Have you been on a field trip lately? You can link up to Field Trip Friday so we can learn right along with you. You’ll find the guidelines here.

Field Trip Friday: Buffalo Soldier Monument

Well, it’s nearly the first Friday of the month which means it’s time for Field Trip Friday. My family has taken our classroom out into the world quite a bit lately.

Last week we attended a special program at Earlyworks in Alabama and traveled back in time to the days just after the Civil War.  We met many well known heroes from history. We also met a Buffalo Soldier, someone we’d not known much about  that encouraged us to spend our week digging a bit deeper. 

After the Civil War, Congress passed a bill to establish a peacetime regiment. The result was four infantry and two Calvary troops of African Americans that came to be known as the Buffalo Soldiers, many of which were freed slaves.

The nickname ‘Buffalo Soldier’ originated from the Comanche and Creek Indians who, though enemies of the Buffalo Soldiers, admired their fearlessness and courage, qualities the Indians believed the roaming buffalo possessed. The name also came because the Indians thought the soldiers’ hair resembled the tuft of hair on the bison’s head.  

After talking briefly to the presenter after his presentation, we learned that the Buffalo Soldiers had actually camped in Huntsville. In fact, there is a memorial erected in their honor. Of course I couldn’t stay away!

Located just off University Drive on the grounds of the Academy for Academics and Arts is displayed one of three Buffalo Soldier memorials in the US—the only memorial East of the Mississippi River.  Other memorials can be found in Junction City and Leavenworth- both in Kansas.

 

At the end of the Spanish American War in 1889 many troops from the 10th Calvary were assigned to Camp Albert G. Force after the city of Huntsville petitioned Congress to allow the troops to station there while recovering from malaria and battle wounds. The location of the camp became known as Calvary Hill.  

The 10 foot tall, 35,000 pound black granite base tells the story of the Buffalo Soldiers. There service was an integral part of the Westward Expansion, as they protected settlers from Indian and bandit attacks while stringing telegraph lines across the West.

The bronze statue depicts the likeness of 10th Calvary Sgt. George Berry riding his horse up Cuba’s San Juan Hill carrying the United States flag.

Though the Buffalo Soldiers often received inferior horses, supplies and living conditions, they received 23 Medals of Honor, a hint of their courage and bravery.

The Buffalo Soldiers remained segregated in service until the late 1940’s when President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order to integrate the armed forces.  

If you happen to find yourself near Huntsville, Alabama you can see the Buffalo Soldier Memorial for yourself at 2800 Poplar Avenue in Huntsville.

Have you been on a field trip lately? You can link up to Field Trip Friday so we can learn right along with you. You’ll find the guidelines here.

If  you’re already familiar to Field Trip Friday you can link up below. Until next time~ Happy Field Trippin’!

Huntsville

Field Trip Friday Reminder

The weather is spring like here in Alabama and as a result, the kids and I have been out exploring once again and taken several field trips, one of which I will be sharing this Friday for the monthly Field Trip Friday. I hope that you’ll consider joining in this fun meme so we can all add to our “Places to Visit” list.

If you’re new to Field Trip Friday, you’ll find the guidelines here.   I’ll have my post added and ready to go by 8pm CST on Thursday so you can stop back and link up.

Can’t wait to see what you’ve all been up to!

The Creation Museum: Field Trip Friday

I wrote this post last month, had it ready to go and somehow lost it. It’s nowhere to be found! Ughh…So bear with me. There is much more that I wanted to share with you, but until I find my notes, it’s just not going to happen.

My husband and I have longed to visit The Creation Museum with our family for years. Our regular trips to and from Ohio nearly take us right past it, and yet we’ve never found the time to stop. With our frequent trips up North coming less and less often, my husband decided that just after Christmas, on our way home to Alabama, we would finally make that visit.

I wish I could tell you that it was a great day from the start- but this was one of those stops that almost didn’t happen. We’d planned to arrive early. We overslept and after a nearly 3 hour drive, we arrived later than anticipated.

It was the middle of Christmas break and it was very crowded. Have I ever mentioned that we don’t like crowds? I know, that sounds entirely selfish to show up and expect to have the place to ourselves, but we are so used to off season travel, that we’ve just kind of gotten accustomed to the lack of people. So we stood in line and waited to purchase our tickets.

I’d really wanted to visit the planetarium but since we were already behind schedule, my husband said no. That made me unhappy because I’ve heard that the planetarium shows at The Creation Museum are incredible. I’m ashamed to admit that it wasn’t the kids or my husband that were being difficult- it was me.

Finally we paid for our tickets and proceeded along our self guided tour through the Walk Through Biblical History. The bulk of our time was spent exploring this exhibit which featured the 7 C’s of History. For those unfamiliar with The Creation Museum or Answers in Genesis, the 7 C’s stand for Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation- all showing Christ’s plan for redemption.       

The video below shows a very brief view of what we saw inside the museum.

I was astounded by how beautiful everything was. Somehow I’d expected things to be a bit “cheesy” –not at all like the stunning exhibits I saw, heard, smelled and experienced.  The museum was clearly well planned to the tiniest detail.

There were a couple areas that concerned me. The Corruption exhibit is pretty straightforward and clear cut, showing much of the trials, diseases and addictions that are present after the fall in black and white. As a parent, I was glad that my children are older because young children could be scared by the images of death and decay that are flashed before their eyes. 

Also, there was a child in front of us in line that was frightened by some of the dinosaurs, so if you have small children you may want to keep that in mind.

I appreciated that many of the exhibits were interactive. After we’d been there for a couple hours, my brain started to get a little fuzzy. You really need to allow an adequate amount of time to go through the museum and we just weren’t afforded that luxury on this trip.

The museum is clearly geared towards Christians, but I do think that non- believers could visit the museum and enjoy it  - especially if they have read the bible- which many people have, even if they only consider it to be great literature. I believe they would still find some merit in going.

If I could plan this visit over again, I’d allow more time. I’d buy that annual membership so we could pop in at The Creation Museum on all our trips to and from Ohio. I’d visit the planetarium. I’d explore the exhibits outside of the museum- though they were offering the free nativity that evening on the day we visited, we just didn’t have time to stick around. I guess it just boils down to this: There is a lot to see at The Creation Museum, make sure you allow yourself enough time to see it all.

We paid $124.75 in admission- without the planetarium. Would I pay that much again? In a heartbeat! It was so worth it- even if we weren’t able to spend as much time at the museum as possible.         

So, what did I think of The Creation Museum?

All I could think of was “I couldn’t  believe we had waited so long to visit!”  The Creation Museum is truly phenomenal. We loved it! All five of us! LOVED it!  To be honest, it didn’t even bother me that we’d missed the planetarium. My husband on the other hand, was just a wee bit disappointed that we didn’t meet Ken Ham- hmmm… maybe next time? 

Don’t forget, if you’d like to visit The Creation Museum and explore for yourself, they are offering an amazing deal to homeschool families this month.

So, where have you been for Field Trip Friday? You can add your link below and tell us all about it- if you’re unfamiliar with Field Trip Friday go here to read the guidelines.

Field Trip Friday: Wheeler Wildlife Refuge

 

This past Monday, the kids and I drove to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, located just outside Decatur in Northern Alabama. Our plan was to meet some of our friends, do some bird watching and take a short hike. We didn’t know that it would turn into a really special treat.

Wheeler Wildlife is the first wildlife refuge to be overlain on a multi-purpose reservoir.  I didn’t know what that meant when I heard it on the movie at the refuge, so I looked it up. A multi- purpose reservoir means that it is a man-made lake that is managed by people for different purposes. According to the website, the area was once plagued by mosquitoes so they began managing the mosquito population by draining the lake during certain times of the year. The result was remarkable. Not only is the land extra fertile in the areas that are sometimes flooded, but it also played a part in becoming a winter habitat for Alabama’s largest duck population.  And yes, it did help to control the mosquitoes.   

Created in 1938, today Wheeler is home to nearly 300 species of birds, not to mention the mammals, amphibians, insects and reptiles that roam the 35,000 acres of land.   

The kids and I arrived earlier than I’d planned, but that was okay. I thought it’d give us plenty of time to ask the Ranger on duty a few questions and snoop around in the small gift shop. We didn’t really have a chance to do either because as soon as we stepped in the door the Ranger informed us that there were two whooping cranes visible from the Observation Buildings, a short walk from the Visitors Center. Not sure how long they would be there, we wasted no time high tailing it down the path and into the building where we were rewarded with a remarkable view of the extremely endangered creatures.

We learned that each Whooping Crane is banded so they know where they are at all times. Sadly, there are only 576 known to be left…in the world!

The Observation Building is wonderful! It has two floors with large windows enabling you to great views of the waterfowl as they fly in and out of the lake and over the fields. On the first floor you’ll find a room with ceiling to floor windows and bleachers, ensuring that even with many visitors, you’ll have a great view. There are also spotting scopes so if you don’t have good binoculars, you can still get an up close look at the birds. You’ll also find many large wooden signs depicting the most commonly spotted species of birds.

We saw hundreds of Sandhill Cranes that can be found nesting at the refuge. Though we saw hundreds, I found it interested that nearly 8,000 call Wheeler home this time of year.

The Observation Building also has speakers that pipe in the sounds from outside. This time of year it’s rather noisy, since November thru February you’ll find many migratory birds. 

We lingered for a bit and tried to take a few photos before heading back to the parking lot to wait for our group to join us.  

After I’d directed all our friends to the Observation Building  to catch a glimpse of the Whooping Cranes  for themselves, we all headed inside to view the indoor exhibits depicting the various habitats found at the refuge and to watch a short 20 minute film that gave a brief history of the refuge, as well as what you can expect to see on your visit.     

On this particular visit, my goal was that the kids would be able to identify some of the waterfowl that we would see. We headed back to the Observation Building once more with simple notebook pages in hand that I’d put together showing some of the birds that we were likely to see this time of year. Though it’s incredibly simple, the point was just to introduce the kids to birds that they may not be familiar with so that they would hopefully be able to name a few of them in the future if they aren’t already able to do so.  This was easy to put together with information that I found on the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge website with pictures that were easily found on the web.

Unfortunately, the day was quite a bit cooler than we’d anticipated and as we ate our packed lunches outside on the metal picnic tables, we nearly froze. I really need to remember that we are from Ohio, so the Alabama winters don’t really feel too bad to us- unlike our friends who have lived in Alabama or warmer climates for quite some time.   

We ended our day with a quick 1/2 mile hike along Atkeson Cypress Trail. It is a scenic hike along a boardwalk though a cypress swamp.

Wheeler Wildlife Refuge is FREE and part of the North Alabama Birding Trail. If you are an avid bird watcher, this is the place to be right now. Though I didn’t set up an organized field trip with the refuge, the staff is more than willing to do that for educator’s and groups. The days and hours that the refuge is open change throughout the year so it is best to check out the website or call (256) 350-6639 to verify hours before your arrival.   You’ll find directions here.

Have you been on any fun field trips lately? Link up and share- even if it’s a field trip you took last summer! The link- up will be up for the next 7 days if you’d like to join in.

Field Trip Friday will be back the first Friday in February for another link-up so don’t forget to mark your calendars and get your posts ready!

Until next time….~Happy Field Trippin”!

Decatur

Field Trip Friday: Our Trip to Bill’s Honey Farm

A couple months ago I heard about a field trip to a Honey Farm. Sounded intriguing and in all our field trips, we somehow never managed to speak to a beekeeper so I signed up. As the day approached, I was beginning to wonder if this would be a field trip that maybe we should have skipped.  Were we in for a surprise!

Bill Mullins, owns Bill’s Honey Farm near Meridianville, Alabama. He has 35 years experience under his belt and is full of knowledge. One of the perks about field trips is that our children (and ourselves) often have the benefit of learning about a subject from someone that is passionate about what they do. Any subject can be fascinating when you are learning from someone who really loves what they do.    

First, we learned about the basics of beekeeping through a lecture style lesson. The setup of the hive, some basic information about the bees, and the benefits for the beekeeper of tending a hive.

One hive may contain as many as 80,000 bees! There are three different honey bees: queens, drones and workers.  Each hive will contain only one queen. She can lay over 1,000 eggs a day. Drones are male bees and exist to mate with the queen. They are driven out of the hive by the worker (female) bees at the end of the summer. Worker bees are the female bees that keep the hive running smoothly. They do all the jobs around and outside the hive. From comb construction, to gathering nectar and pollen and everything in between, you’ll find these bees hard at work.   

Mr. Mullins talked to us in detail about all the products that he collects from his bee hives. He raises queen bees that he sells to other beekeepers. He makes candles from the bees wax he collects. I couldn’t believe  my eyes when I discovered he sells votive candles the exact color of my living room walls! He gathers pollen, which we were permitted to taste, sells the honey that is collected, makes candy with the honey- which we really enjoyed eating, and sells the Propelis- a sticky resin or bee glue that is scraped from the inside of the hive.  He showed us the ball of the Propelis he had on hand. It looks like…well, you can see for yourself what it looks like.  

Since  the group mainly consisted of older kids and everyone was pretty well behaved that day, he took us to his extraction building to show us how the honey is extracted from the honeycomb and the steps it goes through until it is bottled. 

Extracting the honey

Believed to be the only gravity fed honey bottling system in Alabama

Bottling the honey

I just thought this made a fun picture

A Beekeeper in uniform        

While checking out the hives outside on the property, a bee with swollen pollen sacs landed on my arm

This was an amazing field trip. I loved it and the kids loved it. If you have the opportunity to visit a beekeeper in your area, I’d highly recommend it. If you live near Northern Alabama, you may consider setting up a field trip for your own family or homeschool group. You can read more about Mr. Mullins and his honey farm here.

Until this field trip I have to admit that I didn’t fully appreciate all that bees do. Do you realize that 1/3 of our food supply relies upon bees for pollination?

Additional resources:

A FREE unit study on Honey Bees by Marybeth Whalen

If you love lapbooks, and have younger kids, here is a complete Honey Bee Lapbook that is available FREE of charge.

Here’s some good information for older students who may be interested in a beekeeping career.

So, what have you been up to? Have a field trip that you’ve gone on? Link up to Field Trip Friday. And, so you know, our next Field Trip Friday link up will be Friday, January 7th. Until next time…Happy Field Trippin’!  

Field Trip Friday Coming Up!

It’s time to write up those field trip posts!

Field Trip Friday will be back this Friday, December 3rd, but I’ll have it up and ready for link-ups sometime early  Thursday evening. Can’t wait to see what you’ve all been up to!

You can read the guidelines here or find past Field Trip Friday posts here. 

A World in Need: Field Trip Friday

How far would you travel for an incredible field trip?

Two weeks ago my children and I woke up early in the morning and drove nearly three hours away for a field trip to SIFAT (pronounced SEE-Fat) to experience an adventure in their global village.

Though I’d been excited to sign up, as the day approached, I was a little apprehensive that maybe the experience wouldn’t be worth the trip. I needn’t have worried, it turns out that this outing was absolutely incredible.

SIFAT, or Servants in Faith and Technology, operates as a Christian international,  nonprofit organization that provide training to people from all over the world in simple, practical methods to better meet the basic needs (water, food, shelter) of their country by incorporating modern technologies.  Though that may sound pretty complex it could be as simple as teaching participants from Haiti how to purify water using a car battery and salt.  

We traveled to parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America without leaving the campus. Believe me when I tell you it was an eye opening experience for a family that has only dreamed of serving in the mission field.  

Our first stop was to Uganda where we entered a waddle and daub home. In Uganda, manure would have been added to the mixture as a filler to give the walls some shine. The one room structure is designed for shelter only, having no electricity or running water.  Uganda is very poor and living there requires a lot of work. Children begin working at the age of three, often carrying water from the water source back to their homes or tending to the animals as they graze. It is a hard life.     

Next stop…the slums. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, can you imagine living here with your family? 

The structures are made with any found material that will provide relief from the heat, cold and elements. The interiors contained old broken furniture, wood pallets or even boxes to sleep on. I was reminded of how fortunate we are to have a roof over our head.

Do you realize that millions of children die each year from dirty water?

A volunteer  demonstrated three ways to purify water. One method utilized water, salt and a car battery to create a chemical reaction that makes chlorine which will clean the water. Another method consists of filtering water through  layers of sand and various sized gravel while the simplest method is leaving water filled plastic bottles in the sun on a bright sunny day for about six hours. The UV rays will go through the plastic killing 98% of organisms.

 

Soberly, we moved on to Bolivia, which was perhaps my favorite stop in the entire village. The Bolivians in the Southern part of the country live in rock houses with thatched roofs at an elevation of 14,000 feet in the Andes Mountains. The Bolivian people are small in stature because they lack protein in their diets.  Potatoes are a staple crop, but the uneven, mountainous terrain makes it difficult to raise livestock. This is remedied by raising guinea pigs. Since there is no refrigeration, this small creature is just the right size meal for a family with no leftovers.    

SIFAT is showing the people of Bolivia how to identify additional sources of protein in the form of green leafy vegetables such as winter wheat and quail grass which can be dried, crushed and substituted for flour in bread, tortillas and pasta. This will give the children the proper vitamins that they need to grow strong and healthy. The women have even learned to substitute the “green” mixture to make cookies and other treats for their families.

Guatemala was a special treat and we were served homemade tortillas, bean and salsa. Tortillas are served with almost every meal and are made specifically when needed, not in advance which contributes to the 11 1/2 hours every day that the women work to care for their home and families. Have you ever thought of the work that goes into making a tortilla? First, the corn must be grown, tended to, harvested and dried until the kernels are very hard. Next, the kernels are removed and boiled in lime water and ash. Somewhere along the way the outer shell is removed to leave the inside, or hominy, which is then dried and ground to the consistency of flour. I’m probably missing a couple steps, all I could think of is how easy it is for me to go to the grocery store and buy what I need. There is so much that I take for granted.

 

During our lunch break we were able to listen to three international participants in the program.  

 

 

After lunch the kids were able to climb across the rope bridge which is typical to what the people in the Andes region of Bolivia would use. They had fun here and though at first I thought I’d go across, I was too busy snapping pictures. I also met another blogger mom, Tiffany from Sweet Phenomena. I was excited to meet someone in real life that enjoys blogging as much as I do.  You’ll have to stop by and read some of the field trips she’s taken with her daughter.

 

Our journey continued to the Philippines where the homes are constructed of bamboo. Did you know that there are 7,000 islands in the Philippines but only 1,000 are inhabited because the others are under water?    

 

Next, it was time to get dirty! The kids learned how to make bricks that will be used to make fuel efficient cook stoves. The stoves will reduce the amount of smoke that is inhaled because continual smoke inhalation is a leading cause of death to women and children in these poor, underdeveloped nations.  

 

We wrapped up our tour with stops at Liberia and Nigeria. The authentic Nigerian home was recently completed by a Nigerian man who was participating in the SIFAT program. Recognize those bricks? 

This was an incredible field trip that heightened our awareness for all the things that we take for granted. I expect to wake up in the morning in a warm or cool home, depending on the season. Preparing food for my family is as simple as turning on the stove and opening the refrigerator. I don’t have to walk miles to get a bucket of water that could contain parasites that would make my family deathly ill. I don’t even have to boil that water to warm it because it comes out of our faucet hot. I don’t have to work for 11 1/2 hours of the day tending to the basic needs of my family and yet sometimes I’m ungrateful and don’t feel like vacuuming or washing another load of laundry.

SIFAT has gone to great lengths to create an environment to simulate what it would be like to actually spend time in a third world country and they have done a great job.  The kids and I left humbled and aware that beyond this great country of ours lies a world in need.

If you are within a short drive to Lineville, Alabama, I highly recommend this field trip to SIFAT.  There are several programs available, including an overnight experience. SIFAT can be contacted at  (256) 396-2015  or  info@sifat.org. You can also find SIFAT on Facebook.

Until next month…Happy Field Trippin’!  

It’s easy to participate in Field Trip Friday. If you are stopping by or linking up for the first time, you may want to take a peek at the guidelines here. 

The next edition of Field Trip Friday will be the first Friday in December.

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Reminder: Field Trip Friday is Coming Up!

Just wanted to send out a quick reminder to those of you that are interested that Field Trip Friday is coming up this week. I’ll be posting about a field trip that we went on a couple weeks ago that was one of the BEST field trips ever so I hope you’ll stop back to see what we’ve been up to and share your outings as well!

In case you missed it or you’re new to Field Trip Friday you can read the new guidelines here.

Can’t wait to see what you’ve all been up to! Until Friday…Happy Field Trippin’!

Field Trip Friday: Changes Ahead

If you’ve stopped by Live the Adventure anytime during the past two weeks, you probably noticed the polls that I had in my side bar regarding Field Trip Friday. Based on your responses, emails and comments I’ve decided it’s time for some changes.

Personally,  I love sharing field trips that my own family has taken and hopefully you’ll get some ideas of similar places in your area to visit, but honestly, I’ve had a hard time keeping up with the weekly postings lately.

Since some of you indicated that you are interested in participating in Field Trip Friday, but are finding it difficult squeezing in field trips to your regular schedule or may forget to link up entirely, I’ve decided to try something new.

Beginning next week, Field Trip Friday will no longer be a weekly meme, but instead will be offered once a month. To keep it simple, I’ve decided to hold it on the first Friday of the month so you can mark your blogging calendars. I’ll also be sure to offer reminders throughout the month.

So, I hope that you’ll continue to join me or if you’re new to Field Trip Friday that you will consider participating in this fun Field Trip Showcase! You’ll find the guidelines for Field Trip Friday here.

Until next week …

Happy Field Trippin’!