In School This Week

We have had several "field days" so far this week. My children have learned:
1 - Horticulture - how to properly plant and water in pecan trees; differences in varieties of trees; proper depth for planting; how to mulch, etc....
2 - Ornithology - found a killdeer nest, marked the location so as not to disturb it, and watching daily for any signs of eggs! Also saw two geese fly over flanking a wounded one - very amazing to see first hand!
3 - Agronomy - the study of soil composition and water tables; decomposition - "Wet clay from down in the hole stinks really bad, Mom! Why??"
4 - Team Teaching - working together to be more efficient and enjoyable
5 - Perseverance - (planting 400+ trees one at a time will do that!!)
6 - Meteorology - they have learned to listen to weather forecasts, study the local conditions and make decisions about how percentages really work (10-20% chance of rain means go ahead and do what you have planned :) !)
7 - Entomology - found several interesting live millipedes and exoskeletons from other "critters" from last summer; chased some grasshoppers; discovered that it only takes 36 warm hours before the local gnats have emerged!
8 - Being neighborly and friendly - a relative and a neighbor both have spent part of the week helping us plant (without any pay) just because they are good friends/neighbors!
9 - Perseverance - did I mention this already??
10 - Hard work is really, really hard work, but is lots more fun when doing it with people you love!