Joys of teaching... with jello

I just finished 2 days of 4th grade Geology camp, and now I can teach about glaciers in my sleep!
One of the really fun things I get to do is to demonstrate glacial action with the use of gummi bears and blue jello.

We are surrounded by glacial features in this glacier-carved valley, but few kids really understand geology because of the large time scale involved.


Around here there are many glacial erratic boulders, and there is one right near these kids' school that often gets painted by rival schools. Last week the rock was yellow, but this week it's blue!
When I ask the students if they have ever seen a glacial erratic boulder, they say "no", unaware how the yellow/blue rock got to where it is now -- what fun it is to tell them about how that rock got there -- this is the kind of thing that makes geology relevant to them. I love to be able to teach "hands-on" science, and the biggest praise I get is when a kid tell me after the lesson "I really get it now!"

For teachers out there -- here's what I do:
1) Before class, I built a mountain-valley landscape on a large tray, using crushed soda cans and the like for the mountains, then covering the whole thing with aluminum foil, and then some clear plastic wrap.
2) In the first part of the lesson I do a demonstration using gravel, carving a U-shaped valley with snow and ice, demonstrating moraines.
3) Then I get out my Aluminum-clad landscape and sprinkle a few gummi worms, telling the kids that they are rocks and boulders.
4) Next, we have us an ice age! I start piling on the blue jello spoonful after spoonful high in the "mountains", while talking about the process of firnification (how snow turns into glacial ice).
5) They watch the jello getting heavier and heavier in the mountains, until gravity starts pushing it downhill -- and the gummi "boulders" start getting pushed down the valley.

Then I have them write a little story of how their school rock got to its present location.
I remind them that the word erratic means "out-of-place", and the rock obviously does not "belong" there, in other word, did not start out there. So while the kids are all quietly writing their stories, I serve up dessert: a bowl-ful of glacier-jello with a few erratics embedded in them...

PCT update and vocab

The PCT gals has made it to Warner Springs (Milepoint 110.6), which is West of the Anza Borrego Desert, East of Hellhole Canyon and Lake Henshaw, in the Cleveland National Forest.
After re-supplying, they will continue North, crossing Highway 74 at 4,900 ft and then climbing the backbone of the San Jacinto Mountains.
The next town will be Idyllwild (PCT Milepoint 178.6), which they will reach next week, approximately May 4th.

As I'm following their progress on daughter's blog, I'm starting to learn the PCT lingo:

PCT = Pacific Crest Trail. Nobody cool ever spells this out!
Thru-hiking= Hiking the entire trail from end to end (CA-Mexico border to Canada, 2650 miles)
Resupply points= towns or post offices where hikers replenish food (from stores or packages shipped to General Delivery)
Bounce-box = Box mailed ahead to next re-supply point, such as chargers for camera, shampoo, etc.
Zero Day = A day spend not hiking: rest day
Slack-packing = not carrying your full load, such as when somebody gives your gear a lift to the next campsite, which must feel heavenly!
Ultra-light = Equipment pared down to lightest weight possible
Trail name = Nickname used while hiking the PCT
Trail magic = when people do nice things for hikers, which apparently happens alot!

And a little fun fact from the PCT website:
It was recently pointed out that fewer people have thru-hiked the PCT than have climbed Mt. Everest! Could it be that a thru-hike is tougher than climbing the tallest mountain on Earth?

Dreaming of the desert flowers...

Spring is in the air, even in Alaska (nevermind that it snowed again just last week) -- and my tulips and rhubarb are up! Vicariously I'm enjoying the desert bloom, since my adventurous daughter on the PCT is currently hiking through the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, and the wildflowers are supposed to still be beautiful, especially after a rainy winter in Southern California.

These photos are obviously not mine (credit goes to the official Anza Borrego website, www.parks.ca.gov).
Many many moons ago, hubby and I did camp and hike there one spring, back when our now nearly-16-year old was still in diapers -- and yes, he did end up with some cactus thorns in his tender behind at one point....

It truly is an amazing thing to see a desert in bloom!

The bears are out!

Started seeing bear prints in the snow last week. I'm definitely carrying bear spray on the job now, but I got the best protection possible: 20+ loud school children behind me... Fat chance of actually seeing one!

...and my daughter is a Valkyrie

My older daughter, the one who's hiking the PCT (see post here) is searching for a trailname -- apparently everybody has one (or gets one), and she's considering "Valkyrie". She's also becoming known for having signed the mile 0 register as, "Looking forward to snacking, napping, and bearded men".

This past weekend was the big "PCT kick-off" at mile 20.8 in Morena, CA.
She and her hiking partner (trailname still t.b.d.), are meeting lots of interesting people! She's blogging from the trail at Kitchensister.blogspot.com

You, dear reader, might be curious about what a valkyrie is or does:
they are female figures from Norse mythology who decide who will die in battle.
All I can say is: Watch out, bearded men!

I'm a Viking!

Conversation overheard behind me as I'm leading 6th graders on a fieldtrip at work yesterday:

Kid#1: She has an accent. I wonder where she's from?
Kid#2: Who? The guide?
Kid#1: Yes, of course. She talks like someone from another country.
Kid#2: You're right. I think she's like ... from Europe, maybe?
Kid#1: I know. She's from one of those countries way up there, in the North.
Kid#2: You mean, like a Viking?
Kid#1: Exactly. She's a Viking.

My daughter is tougher than your daughter!

My daughter, Eldest, is embarking tomorrow on an amazing feat: backpacking 2,650 miles (4,260 km) on the Pacific Crest Trail. It starts at Campo, CA at the border to Mexico, and ends in Manning Park, BC, Canada.

Time for me to get to blogging again (which I have been neglecting lately due to general busy-ness and a few too many good detective novels). But now I get to worry (mother's perogative) & follow my daughter's progress on this daunting task.

What posesses this child of mine, I can't say. Obviously I like nature, hiking, the outdoors, but carrying a big pack and walking 2650 miles!?! That just seems cruel on them poor feet -- but I'm supportive and admit to being very impressed nonetheless.

It's been my daughter's dream for many years, and together with her college roommate she's plotted and planned this for a few years.


Campo: April 20 is Day 0, Mile 0
Campo, CA is a small town east of San Diego (popn 3251, elev 2620 ft)
For the first 110 miles, the PCT passes through Lake Morena County Park and beneath Interstate 8, then climbs through chaparral, scrub oaks, and pines to the rim of the Laguna Mountains. They'll stop at mile 43 in Mt.Laguna, popn 80, elev 6000ft, to resupply.
The trail dips into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park at Scissors Crossing, then winds up, down, and around the San Felipe Hills and lesser mountains of the Cleveland National Forest.
(info from Wikipedia and Forest Service brochure)

Warner Springs, approx.April 30, Mile 110.6
Warner Springs, CA is a small outpost with a very limited store, which is also where my first package will reach them. From Warner Springs, the PCT continues through the Cleveland National Forest before crossing Highway 74 at 4,900’ and climbing the backbone of the San Jacinto Mountains.

For some peace of mind for the poor parents & loved ones, they'll be carrying a SPOT (Satellite Personal Orbital Tracker), which is basically a GPS tracking device. Each day, they plan to press the "I'm ok" button, and then we can follow their progress by going to

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0pnPIct53szAFGaU9KZT6WIlFhT2Vn5Y3

I shall try to keep you posted.
You can also follow her blog, Kitchensister, where she'll be posting her adventures along the PCT.