That is exactly what happed at the first annual 6th Grade School Out of The Doors (the change in name is because of the slight misunderstanding of our accents). We left at 6AM last Saturday, headed to the Serengeti, and entered the park around 7:30. Our first stop was the swinging bridge above the huge Nile Crocodiles (there were 3 people too scared to cross). We had breakfast and ventured to the middle of the park, where, after lunch and a short stop at the gas station, we got word there was a leopard in a tree right by the road. So, we rushed from the visitor center where we were eating and learning about the history of the Serengeti, and headed to the leopard tree. We were extremely lucky, and caught the leopard in the tree, laying right next to his dinner, Mr. Antelope. It was an incredible sight, and yet another educational experience for our students.
When we arrived at the campsite, we had a short lesson on tent building and spent about half-an-hour writing reflections on the day and answering a worksheet full of questions (when the students proposed this “educational experience” I don’t think they thought there would be any education involved). We started dinner, the campfire, and talked about what we had seen, what we learned, and played a variety of games. In our conversations, we learned that only 6 of the 29 students had ever been to the Serengeti, and only our JBFC girls had ever been camping!
Overall, it was an extremely successful trip (minus the two flat tires), and our students walked away having a greater understanding of the Serengeti, their nation, and what wildlife is. As we continue to better our school, giving our students a more hands-on curriculum, we hope to be able to provide more and more experiences just like the School Out Of The Doors.
