Join the Tuesday Slice of Life
Students perch near the water for inspiration.
Reflections on Lake Peigneur
The purpose of our field trip was to introduce our students to a natural place where water is integral to its survival. We will be working with these students once a month for the school year on a project of their choice about water. At Jefferson Island, we learned some history, discussed questions, and enjoyed the beauty around us.
I led the students in a writing exercise from Georgia Heard’s book Awakening the Heart. The pre-writing exercise asks students to use an image. (In this case, the images were all around us.) There are 6 rooms, or divisions on the paper. Each room serves a purpose, such as “describe the image,” “what sounds do you hear,” or “describe the light.” Each room leads the writer to a deeper understanding of the image and often leads to a creative poem. We sent the students off to different areas of choice with a teacher. Teachers wrote, too.
Sharing time
Out at Jefferson Island, among the oaks, bamboo, and palmettos, we became a community of writers and explorers. We set the tone for the project yet to come and generally had a grand time.
Bamboo Poem
by DustynTall, arching, stalks of bamboo,
Bright and beautiful skies of blue,
Huge structures where flowers bloom,
Trees towering over you,
It relaxes me to feel the bamboo, so smooth,
And I’ll bet you’ll feel the same way too.
Writing in the bamboo forest
Rip Van Winkle Gardens
by RhyanWe are in a mysterious land,
An enchanted garden,
Where the butterflies roam,
and the dock hangs over the lake.
The lake is screaming “I am a wonderful lake and I shall not be destroyed.”
But now it is silent.
The only sounds are rustling leaves and chirping birds.
Wait, what was that?
Are those the loud blades of a propeller?
Does this man know he is destroying nature?
Eventually this wonderful land will be gone.
Reflections on the Teche 
Goodness, what an unforgettable way in which to immerse yourselves in nature and celebrate it with poetry. I especially love the photograph of the children beneath the bamboo – so intent on their task. They will never forget this experience.
Such beautiful words. I loved the way Dustyn described the bamboo. He clearly studied it closely.
It must have been a wonderful day, Margaret. Thank you for the photos and the poems. From those examples, it sounds very much like they were so inspired. I spent time on Cumberland Island and some others when on a sailing trip with my students a few years ago-terrific experience. And I love those rooms of Georgia Heard. They help students focus don’t they? Thank you!
What a greta trip. Thanks for sharing the resource, too. I don’t know Heard’s book, but based on your description of how it works with these students, I should get my hands on a copy.
Margaret,
This trip with the children sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing what you experienced there along with some of their work. I miss reading your slices-sorry I have been away from the slice scene in full force for a while…
I love this! We don’t take many field trips with our gifted students, but this one sounds amazing. I’d love to be able to just settle in with my kids and write.
What a wonderful slice to read this morning, so full of peace and the contentment that comes from doing something special with special people. As we sit on the tense edge of our seats waiting for the storm here in the Northeast, your post was a peaceful interlude of remembering I can always hunkerdown and write!
So wonderful to know that this magical experience can still continue even with the reductions to creative activities in schools. BRAVO!
I love the Georgia Heard activity…and wow…great results. It feels so tranquil compared to the craziness lately. I love field exploration. xo nanc
Thank you for sharing a special day with your students. I am curious to know how a student gets chosen to be in the gifted program.
Pam,
In our state, the qualifications are pretty strict. The students must make high scores on an intelligence test and on academic testing. The scores are plotted on a matrix. The student must get at least 6 points on the matrix. In the last few years our numbers have been dwindling. I wish we had a broader definition.