In this lesson, the children defined “habitat” for themselves and began to explore how the different elements within a habitat (food, water, shelter) could affect the size of the population living there. We started by having the kids draw their own “habitat” that included their life requirements (food, water, shelter). we then compared their life requirements to those of animals to show that we aren't that different. Then we learned that those “life requirements” and their availability within a habitat are the limiting factors that determine population size. Using a game called “Oh Deer” we saw how deer population size changed when the availability of food, water and shelter fluctuated. We ended by discussing how humans can have an effect on the availability of resources in an animal's habitat through pollution, erosion and a variety of other man-made factors.
I was absolutely floored by what an incredible experience this turned out to be. I started the week a bit nervous to lead a lesson and unsure if my material was going to be effective. I felt that some of the concepts that were being covered in my lesson were a little complex and I would loose some of the kids. But I found that having a couple of days to watch my teammates and see how well they held the classrooms attention helped me to feel confident when my lesson came around. I was also concerned that my nerves would make me blow through the lesson very quickly and I wouldn't be able to fill up the 50 minute class period. This was not the case at all, I ended up having to change some of the curriculum on the spot to make sure we got through everything before they had to leave. In the end It was an incredible and (not to be cliche) life changing experience. I have been on the fence about pursuing teaching after college and this was the push I needed. I loved interacting with the kids, seeing them understand hard concepts, see them engage and have fun with the material. I will certainly participate next year and I hope to go back to castle rock.
I felt very welcomed and invited by the community of Castle Rock. Our homestay families were incredibly accommodating and hospitable. It was wonderful to stay in a place that was very different from Seattle in many ways. Many of the kids mentioned owning livestock or using wells on their land and it gave me an appreciation for the work that goes into living in a more rural area. I didn't realize what a beautiful and historically significant place Castle Rock is until visiting. Visiting Mt. St. Helens was enlightening and gave me an appreciation for how resilient the community of castle rock has been since the 1980 eruption.
-Emi Schwartz