Learning from the ground up

Can you tell the difference between a possum track and a raccoon track? Can you make your own rope out of natural materials? Explain the difference between a reptile and an amphibian? If not, I know some young people who may be able to help you.

The students at Leepertown Grade School are participating in an after-school 4-H special interest group that meets several times per month. At some meetings, they are learning about physical fitness, nutrition and healthy lifestyles; at others, they are learning about nature and outdoor survival skills.

The Leepertown program is held in collaboration with the school district and the Regional Office of Education’s 21st Century Grant program. Extension is one of the school’s collaborating partners in providing programming for the grant. Extension hopes to use 4-H programming to teach the youth life skills while also encouraging learning and providing positive activities during out-of-school time.

Many people are familiar with Extension’s nutrition and healthy lifestyles programs, but why were outdoor survival skills and nature education also chosen as topics? They have been popular with the Leepertown youth in the past, and the school’s location and surroundings provide for some great lesson material.

The group only began meeting in January, but has already discussed animal tracks and tracking; birds; and reptiles and amphibians. And future topics will include cordage, GPS and compass navigation, letterboxing, Native American and African music, and more. The youth are very excited and enthusiastic about the program, and they enjoy learning new “survival skills” and discovering more about their environment at each meeting. The lessons are also tied to life skills concepts, including wise use of resources, learning to learn, and responsible citizenship.

All of the programs are designed with hands-on components, allowing for active learning to take place. During a tracking lesson, youth explored a local natural area and identified animal tracks and other signs that wildlife had been present in the area. During the reptiles and amphibians lesson, youth experienced life as a frog, trying to catch safe healthy (paper) insects while avoiding “hazards” such as pesticides and drought. While learning about how a bird’s wings can affect flight patterns, youth tested paper airplanes with different wing designs. While some direct instruction and teaching of specific facts is necessary and important to the program, youth are also encouraged to explore and ask questions to help guide the learning. Many of the topics discussed do not have a “right” or “wrong” answer, but rather a variety of responses that can lead to more questions and additional topics of study.