SAND Club studies St. Croix Valley Fish & Birds

January was a month to study native birds and fish for the SAND Club. We kicked off our studies with a great field trip to the Bell Museum of Natural History. After exploring the dioramas of bird characteristics and fish behaviors, we spent a long time in the Touch room. Here are some shots of the kids exploring and having fun!





While in the Touch room, a Bell Museum staff member educated the kids on sharks. No, not a St. Croix Valley fish (thank goodness!) but the kids seemed really engaged nonetheless.



The second week two of our dads educated us. Chris H. taught the kids all about birds, and took the kids on a bird walk. Steve H. took the second half of the class and passed around cool lures for fish while telling us all about the interesting fish we can find close to home.

The third week we did a variety of fish and bird related games projects, including Fish coloring pages, Bird Bingo, Fish Memory, a Cross-fish puzzle, Japanese fish printing (gyotaku) and making pinecone bird feeders! Whew! We ran out of time (literally) when we discovered that the batteries in our clock had run out, causing us to run overtime! Oops!

Time Travelers Study the Apostles in January

January was a month for in-depth study of the apostles. We kicked off our study with a VERY fun trip to Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis to get the experience of being in a place with many cultures, as the apostles experienced on their many travels. Some of the kids wanted Viking swords and helmets. (These will no doubt be reappearing later when we actually study the Vikings!) Of course, the kids' favorite part was the indoor playground!






We read many stories of the apostles' journeys and finished up our unit by starting to make hand puppets of each of the apostles.