field trip

Field Work Friday – Eating Egyptian

July 18, 2014 by Amy

Whenever we study a specific culture or country, I try to find a place where we can eat something with the particular spices or preparations from that place.

Finding Egyptian food wasn’t exactly easy, but we found a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Raleigh called Shish Kabob. Since Egypt is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, we thought they might have something Egyptian-like to offer – and at the very least, it would be a new food experience for us.

We weren’t mistaken.

We chose to order two different dishes and share them among us. (I didn’t think to take pictures until after I had divided the dishes. The original portions were much larger.)

Our marinated and flame-grilled beef kabobs came served with spiced rice, a sauce, and warm pita.

A falafel was a very new dish to me. It was served in a long hoagie-style roll with lettuce, tomato, and tzatziki sauce.

While the basic ingredients weren’t too foreign to us, we weren’t sure exactly what spices were in things or what the sauces might be like, and so we had lots of questions. The man at the counter was very patient with us and answered all of our questions. He even gave us a stuffed grape leaf for free so that we could try it! We appreciated his kindness – and the opportunity to try something we might not have otherwise.

Shish Kabob is a carry-out restaurant at the downtown Raleigh location, but the weather was beautiful and there are lots of tables just outside, so we enjoyed a picnic dinner with friends. I divided our food among us and we dug in.

The kids loved the kebobs. It was straight-up delicious meat, tender and flavorful. They loved it.

They thought the rice was okay. I thought it was rather exotic. We were all curious to know what spices it contained, as it had a very unique flavor, but when we asked, we were told “seven.” I guess it’s their secret blend!

I particularly enjoyed the falafel. Rather like a vegetarian meatball, it was crunchy on the outside but warm and soft on the inside. It had a surprising kick of spice to it, which I liked a lot – but the kids didn’t. It was too much for them.

Their favorite item was the pita. It was soft and warm, and both kids wanted extra. It was definitely an exciting find.

We don’t have a Shish Kabob location near us, so it isn’t a place we’ll be able to visit too often. Our dinner was so yummy, though, that we’ll definitely be back.

Have you ever eaten Egyptian food?

Field Work Friday – Scavenger Hunts at Duke Gardens

July 18, 2014 by Amy

This week we ventured to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, part of Duke University. I planned several scavenger hunt sheets so that our children, who usually range in age from 1 to 8, could all participate in some way.

Because the temperature was supposed to get into the mid-90s, we met at 9 AM. After arranging our meeting places and picking up maps, we headed out into the 50+ acre garden.

While I was excited about searching out different items with My Little Man and then discussing them with the group as a whole over a picnic lunch, I was very excited to introduce my friend Noelle to our group.

Noelle has been honing her photography skills for years and agreed to take pictures of our children while we hunted throughout the garden. Because this particular garden is so diverse and has so many fountains and special features, it makes the perfect place for special pictures.

(If you would live in our neck of the woods and would like fabulous pictures of your children or next event, you can check out Noelle’s blog. Contact her for more information!)

We’ll have Noelle’s pictures back soon, but you can see some of the topics for the various scavenger hunts. We didn’t do all of these, but we found pieces of them all ….

For those of us doing the number hunt, we found a plant with ONE main base.

For those people doing the color search, we found an animal with RED wings.

We found a rock that could be used like a chair, just as Jessie did in The Boxcar Children, for those people doing the literature hunt.

We found SPHERICAL flowers, a shape needed on the shape hunt.

Of course, all that hunting made us very hot and thirsty ..

It was tempting to just step right off those stones …

but we stuck to our water bottles, instead.

If you would like to take these scavenger hunts outside yourself, you can find copies of them here.

Have you done an old-fashioned scavenger hunt lately? What interesting things can you find in your backyard or local park?

Field Work Friday – Duke Chapel

July 18, 2014 by Amy

This week we ventured somewhere a bit different: Duke Chapel on the Duke University Campus in Durham, North Carolina.

Knowing only that it’s a beautiful church, we were anxious to see what it looks like – and we weren’t disappointed!

We parked in a nearby parking garage and walked up to the Chapel from the side.

Doesn’t it look old and Gothic?

We learned from our fabulous tour guide Betty that it’s neither. In true Gothic architecture, the tower is over the altar or on either side of it, but the people who commissioned this building wanted it to stand out – so they had a large tower built over the Narthex.

The stone for this enormous building came from nearby Hillsborough.

Wow.

The detail work in this building is amazing. Everything is hand-carved from wood or stone. As you walk through the large oak doors into the Narthex, six statues stand on either side. I must confess that I can’t remember who all of these men were, but Martin Luther stands on the left of the doorway and in the above picture, Robert E. Lee is in the middle.

The ceiling of the Narthex is a very long ways up – and even that is incredibly detailed.

Much of the detail work in the Chapel centers around the number three, symbolizing the Trinity. You can see it in this front-door window …

and carved into the archway above every door.

After entering the Navis, or Nave, the main part of the sanctuary, one must trek 291 feet to the altar. Must be awful for nervous brides!

There are 77 windows in the Nave consisting of over 1 million pieces of stained glass in two tiers. The upper windows feature scenes from the Old Testament, while the lower windows feature New Testament stories.

The Chapel has two organs – one in front and one in back. The one in the back is the bigger of the two and is played for an hour each day. It is absolutely enormous – and it creates very beautiful music.

Over 1500 people can attend services at this church at one time. The choir seats 150, and this area also features lots of amazing carvings.

A small chapel off to the left of the altar has a much homier feel, still with extravagantly beautiful windows …

and three sarcophagi carved from Italian marble.

Downstairs the windows are simpler …

and there’s a children’s play area, though I don’t know if I could get used to having my children attend Sunday School in a crypt. Not sure about that.

Heading back upstairs …

we looked for some of the funny quirks that the carvers created as they worked. Can you find the mouse they carved into this column?

Duke Chapel is an amazing building full of history and beauty. It’s open every weekday and for services on Sunday, so if you’re ever in the area, stop in and check it out! You won’t be sorry.

Our everyday surroundings quickly become routine and we miss the special beauty all around us. What fun attractions and architecture might be fun to explore with your child?

Field Work Friday – Visiting DOT Headquarters

July 18, 2014 by Amy

Visiting a construction site was high on my list of things-to-do, but how could our little ones get up-close-and-personal to a working dump truck? I was stumped for a bit, and finally called the local government office in charge of road repairs. I was referred several times, but finally sent to our local DOT headquarters (I didn’t even know we had one!) where the man in charge generously agreed to all an unknown number of preschoolers visit.

When I arrived at headquarters on DOT day, I was amazed to find 12 little ones. How wonderful! Two great tour guides greeted us and escorted us out to the yard, where they had lined up about five trucks of different types. They began to tell us about each one and then, to my surprise, they helped each eager child to climb on. Imagine our surprise when they actually started up each truck and allowed the children to raise and lower booms, honk horns, and push all sorts of buttons! Several of the little ones were afraid of the noise (who knew a dump truck had such a LOUD horn??) but most were fascinated.

My son – so shy! – loves wheels. We had to take a picture of him with one. Look at how large they are!

These boys were just fascinated with the asphalt lying near one of the vehicles. They had never seen it in loose form before – and because the day was so hot, it was even a bit sticky!

As we prepared to leave, our wonderful tour guides handed each child a real construction vest. Have you ever seen such a great-looking group of construction workers??

All in all, we had a FANTASTIC visit to the DOT headquarters. I definitely recommend this as a place to check out!

Field Work Friday – Dental Hygiene

July 18, 2014 by Amy

This week we were visited by Pat, a dental hygienist for a local pediatric dentist. That might not sound too exciting, but Pat brought along Ally the Alligator and shared lots of good tips for caring for your teeth.

Pat talked to us about how important it was to brush our teeth each morning and before bedtime, and that taking care of our gums is crucial. She told us that dentists recommend that children spend 6 minutes each evening on dental hygiene, both brushing and flossing, and that parents should be involved until age 10. Pat also showed us how to brush in small circles, not scrubbing, on each tooth, and then brushing downwards three times while singing, “Wiggle, jiggle, wiggle, jiggle, 1, 2, 3” and then moving on to the next one. She let each child practice on Ally – though Luke was a big shy of her big smile.

After Pat left we concluded a science project to demonstrate just how important it is to brush.

Start with a jar (I’d recommend a wide-mouth one), an egg, a tube of toothpaste, and some vinegar. I’ve used both cider and white for this – both work fine.

Squeeze out the tube of toothpaste into the jar. Try not to get any on the sides. I realize that this seems like a lot, but it takes a lot for this to work – and it’s a very visual demo of why brushing and toothpaste is important.

Next, nestle the egg into the toothpaste nest at the bottom. Bury half of the egg in the toothpaste and let the other half sticking out, hopefully toothpaste-free (this is why a wide-mouth jar is important – my hand didn’t fit in there well!).

Using the egg as a target so that none of the toothpaste washes away, slowly pour vinegar into the jar on top of the egg. Fill the jar to about an inch past the top of the egg.

Let the jar sit for 2-5 days. I wouldn’t wait much longer than that, but it will take a few days for the magic to happen. When the egg is ready, you should see that lovely cloud of bubbles at the top of the egg. Again, be sure to wait a few days! Just set it on a shelf somewhere and watch what happens while the vinegar works.

When it’s time, pour out the vinegar and rescue the egg. Holding it carefully, wipe away or wash under a gentle spray of water to remove excess toothpaste.

Your egg will now look like this! The vinegar, an acid, has eaten away at the shell of the egg, which is made of protein.

If you consider the eggshell to be like the enamel on your teeth, you can see what plague will do to the finish of your teeth. Be sure to carefully tap your fingernail on the white shell – see how hard and firm it still is? Didn’t the toothpaste do a great job of protecting it from the tough plague germs?

Then try to tap the soft brown top. The shell is gone, leaving only the outer membrane. Pushing gently, you can actually push into the egg – it’s that soft. Who wants a tooth that looks like this?!! I think I’ll brush!

Disclaimer: As this entire project is done with a raw egg, dispose of egg carefully when finished. I’ve never broken one in nearly 10 years of doing this project, so the eggs are tougher than they look – but I’m sure it’s still possible, and I know they won’t smell pretty if they break. 🙂

Field Trip Friday – Play Ball!

July 18, 2014 by Amy

You can find a lesson in everything. Today, we found all sorts of lessons at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The Durham Bulls are a AAA-affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, and a few times each season, they hold a special Education Day.

Now, financially speaking, this is a great deal. All teachers get in free – so for a home school group like ours, that meant that fully half of our group didn’t pay for a ticket. You have the option of buying a boxed lunch for only $3.50, and there’s also a baseball-related curriculum that’s available for download. Several kid-friendly booths were set up in the concourse area, with things like Smokey the Bear, Bobber the Water Dog, and the Durham Museum of Life and Science. The museum staff brought along snakes and other animals for the students to touch and check out.

Educationally speaking, the curriculum is great. It’s written for students in grades 2 through 8, and it’s written specifically using the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The plans are detailed and very applicable to real life, and although none of the kids who went with us today are ready to use those plans, it is very possible to alter them to our students’ levels.

Practically speaking, a day at the ball park is just plain FUN! If you have one in your area and you haven’t been, you should definitely check it out.

We go a few times each year, and my Little Man was quite excited to be back.

Of course, if your children don’t know the basic positions and rules of baseball, you could always talk about that. No matter what your focus, you must watch the game – you never when a pop fly will come heading your way!

Sometimes, even the players have to pow-wow!

Keeping score, track of batting averages, hits, runs, strikes, outs, and balls is all math. Complicate it a bit by tracking and graphing it before and/or after the game to get an idea of how your team is doing over a given period of time. Or, you could learn about other jobs related to baseball. For example, at the DBAP, the numbers on the scoreboard are changed manually.

One of the great things about this type of event is that it’s a real bonding experience. For our family, it’s something that we enjoy doing together several times each season. There’s just something about the roar of the crowds and cheering for your favorite players together that you can’t recreate in front of a TV!

With the cheering goes the eating. We personally prefer the refillable monster tubs of popcorn – we can munch through the whole game, and if our little hands spill a little, we can always request more! (And at ballpark prices, you can teach some great economics lessons right there.)

I somehow doubt that all of these people turned out just for the game, though. Watching the actual players was not exactly my favorite thing when we first started going, either. I preferred …

the giant sumo matches held between the innings.

My Little Man’s personal favorite is watching the team mascot, Wool E. Bull, race around the field in his little blue sports car.

Celebrating home runs and winning scores with the Bull is always fun!

If none of these float your boat, I suppose you could always get a haircut!

The Durham Bulls do an exceptional job of making a trip to their field fun for the whole family, and it really is educational, too.

Have you spent a day at the ballpark learning??

Field Work Friday – Dance

July 18, 2014 by Amy

Today we visited a Christi’s Dance Center to learn what dance is all about.

We started out by learning about the different types of dance that Christi teaches and the kinds of shoes worn for each one.

Christi, the studio owner, taught our class. She had everyone begin basic stretches …

of many different kinds.

The kids loved these!

After getting really warmed up, Christi taught the children about the basic positions of classical ballet. The children enjoyed trying to copy Christi’s feet and arms!

Christi also showed the children a variety of ways to move across the floor based on different styles of dance.

My son had never been exposed to formal dance or exercise before. He loved trying to follow the moves and did well until the need to run won out. We’ll definitely be doing more specific exercises around here, though, and if you’ve never checked out a dance studio … find one near you and check it out!

Do your kids take dance??

Field Work Friday – The Conservators’ Center

July 18, 2014 by Amy

Yesterday our group visited The Conservators’ Center, a non-profit rescue organization that helps animals in need. They are located in outside Mebane, North Carolina, and have an absolutely wonderful website.

Upon arrival, head animal keeper Janine began our tour.

First we saw servals. These cats are originally from the African grasslands and were fascinating to watch.

I must admit, I can’t remember the name of this cat. She just kept pacing and pacing throughout part of her cage as we stood, watching, and learning about her. I felt so bad for making her nervous that I missed hearing anything else!

I’ve never heard of a binturong before. These Asian animals are banana crazy and imperative for keeping the rainforest alive and well. This one in particular showed off for us by climbing all over his habitat, including showing us how to climb down a tree head first!

Everyone seemed fascinated with the wolves, and this arctic-timber wolf in particular stayed right near us for quite some time.

We didn’t faze this tiger. He just hung out in the corner of his pen and watched us all. He was one cool cucumber!

Some of the lions and tigers were born around the same time and have been raised together. There was something awesome about watching these two species of cats play together.

They rested atop this towering play structure in their area, too. I’d love to know what they’re thinking!

My most favorite animal, however, was Arthur, the white tiger. He may be part snow tiger, or his coloring may be due to the abuse he suffered as a baby; but either way, his stripes are very faint and are most prominent on his tail.

We didn’t seem to bother Arthur, either, and were able to catch him playing hide-and-seek with his friend …

and then, amazingly, he went seeking while we were still there! I’ve only seen these types of animals in the zoo, before, when the most action you can hope for is a lazy tail flick as they sleep. To see such strong and mighty animals roughhousing only a few feet away was incredible.

The kids took their own kiddie cameras along and took hundreds of pictures – literally – so we’ll be editing those tomorrow. They were both fascinated with the animals, but also with the new friends that they’ve made today. Isn’t it funny how experiencing something amazing with someone else draws you together?

After a picnic lunch in the Conservators’ Center’s new pavilion, we headed home, full of stories of lions and tigers and … bobcats and lemurs and wolves and all sorts of wonderful animals.

If you’ve never been to The Conservators’ Center and you live in the area, be sure to check it out. It’s definitely worth a visit. If you live far away, be sure to check out what kind of animal resources are in your backyard. You won’t be sorry.

Field Work Friday – Visiting a Civil War Camp

July 18, 2014 by Amy

While we were visiting my hometown in Pennsylvania a few months ago, we heard about a Civil War camp and re-enactment happening in a local park. We knew the kids would want to check it out.

It was a warm afternoon in early May, but although we missed a gun battle, we caught a few stations still set up – like a field hospital and mess tent.

As we watched, the stations ended and the re-enactors went about their normal lives. This man settled into his tent for a good read.

These men immediately retreated to a tent to clean their weapons. When we approached, they explained what they were doing and showed us their tools.

My Big Helper was playing journalist with her camera and wanted to know more about what their tents contained. This nice man walked the few feet away to his tent and showed her the items the soldiers would’ve had access to – a simple cot, blanket, etc. He also pointed out his largest weapon and showed how it functioned. Both kids loved this, and my Big Helper even had a chance to feel its heft! Weighing in at nine pounds, this was both heavy and awkward for her, especially in such a tiny space.

We were excited to see these actors stirring a kettle of chicken corn soup. This is a staple where I come from, and it was fun to see that it was eaten even back then.

The best part of the affair for us girls was the ball. That night the camp held an old-fashioned ball in a pavilion, and many of the re-enactors came in full regalia. My Big Helper especially liked this gown, one of the fanciest there.

She was brave enough to ask her for pictures, and we were then surprised by a kind offer from the actress: she asked my daughter to dance with her!

This kind girl assumed the role of the man so that she could guide my Big Helper around the dance floor. See her there in the back? She was having a … well, a ball! This meant a lot to her, and she talked about it for days.

Both kids are now super excited to study the Civil War. We don’t have any plans to add in a unit for that in the near future, but we might venture out to more Civil War re-enactments.

You’ll never know what you might find.

Do you like living history? What’s your favorite era?

Field Work Friday – Cinco de Mayo

July 18, 2014 by Amy

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we visited a local Mexican restaurant for lunch. Many of the people who were there are from Mexico, and the manager agreed to speak to us about the significance of the holiday.

We ate at Torero’s, a local place with bright decor, flat-screens mounted near the ceilings throughout, and a very yummy menu. (Well, the food is good, not the menu itself, but you know what I mean.)

This is my chair. See what I mean? The whole place is like this – tables, chairs, wall hangings, etc. It’s very bright, but there’s lots to look at, and my kids love to go there – because they can eat chips while they wait for their meals, and so they can talk about all the things carved into our table. It’s just fun.

First, we ate, with my kids really getting into the Mexican theme. My Little Man with his ‘matoes, nuggets, and rice …

and My Big Helper with her cheeseburger. Oh, well! (Most of the rest of us did actually eat Mexican food – but I must admit, they do have good burgers!)

While we finished our meal, the fabulous manager David brought over one of his staff members to tell us about the history of Cinco de Mayo. Basically, we learned that the holiday is a celebration of a Mexican defeat over Spain back in the 1800s, and that the holiday carries with it no special foods or traditional means of celebration. Whatever the case, we certainly celebrated with an abundance of chips, salsa, and chicken nuggets!

David and his staff were very kind in sharing a bit of their heritage with us. Are there any restaurants near you where you could visit and learn a bit of another culture?