KIDS ON the LAND 69 Ranch program
KIDS ON the LAND taught 282 students from Blackwell, Highland and Roscoe elementary schools at the 69 Ranch in Nolan County.
Our children are so focused on today’s technology in the electronic age that they are growing up without the land ethic that is necessary to protect our planet and our culture. Children are our future leaders and decision makers. How will their decisions be influenced, if they have no personal memories, appreciation, and connection to our natural world? KOL has a common sense approach for solving these problems. Our STEM environmental program encompasses independent thinking and outdoor classrooms where students participating get a chance to partake in true STEM activities.
The officers of FFA Colorado City worked with us on our LINKS training day so that they can teach elementary school kids. Expanding our reach!!
Third Grade Students learn “All About Insects”. They get to participate in a ladybug release, collect insects in the field and learn how insects move, eat, see, and use chemical signals for communications (pheromones).
During Plant Scene Investigation (PSI), 4th grade students learn all about native plants. They make seed balls, create a nature journal, and go on a nature walk.
One of the 5th grade activities is visiting a modern wind turbine and learning about the process of converting of wind energy to mechanical energy and then to electrical energy. They also learn about electrical grids. This unit also teaches the students about windmills used for pumping water giving them a hands on experience by allowing them to practice pumping the water themselves.
During a soil monitoring activity 5th grade students gain experience using probability and fractions with assessing ground cover within a hula hoop.
5th grade fossil investigation where students learn the about the ancient sea that covered Texas and the fossils left behind. Math plays an important role in the KOL program, during a local stream activity students practice algebra skills by converting temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius to determine water quality.
Executive Director, Peggy Maddox, kept all of the students engaged with stories all week.
Sixth graders in the Rolling Plains eco-region participate in a KOL program presented at the Buzzi Unicem plant. During this program, students get an up close view of the inner workings of the cement plant and the natural resources utilized in the creation of their products. The students are taught how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) along with these natural resources are all utilized to make production possible. In addition, the sixth grade students learn about the different forms of energy used to run the plant.