5th Grade - Muddy Sneakers Session 2

You will remember from a few weeks ago that our 5th grade students participate in Muddy Sneakers each year. The Muddy Sneakers program exists to enrich the standard course of study through experiential education in an outdoor setting where students connect with the land, become more active, and gain self-confidence while improving science aptitude. Muddy Sneakers began as a pilot program in the spring of 2007 with Brevard and Pisgah Forest Elementary Schools in Transylvania County and has grown each year to now serve 36 schools across 12 counties and 13 school districts in the Carolinas.

For the second Muddy Sneakers session, students learned about force and motion. They threw "bear bags" into trees like one would do when camping and needing to store their food to keep bears away. This activity was a hands-on example to learn about force. Students discussed how much force it took to lift the heavy bag as well as tools to make the job easier. Students have a whole new appreciation for pulleys now! Also, students ran a measured distance twice - once without a backpack and then again with a heavy backpack. They measured which way was faster and easier and learned about force and motion as a result.