Cowboy Day is here!

This Wednesday is the big day: our field trip to the Eagle River Center to ride horses, swing ropes, pet a bunch of critters, and watch exciting equestrian feats. The 7th graders will be gaining eye witness access to a topic they are studying for their debate and persuasive writing unit: treatment of rodeo/ranching livestock. The 6th graders will use the experience to help them in their endeavors to compare and contrast North American rodeos with Mexican charreadas. And of course, we're all going to have a lot of fun! Someone from the Vail Daily is even going to show up to capture the excitement. I have Scott Jones of Colorado River Ranch donating time, horses, and cattle. He and his crew will conduct a mock branding to help students visualize how it is done. Alecz of One Spirit is bringing a couple of her horses for kids to ride while she gives pointers. Also, I have several parents who have volunteered either to chaperone a group of students or lead one of the horses. I have asked all of the volunteers to bring any extra equipment or cowboy gear they have so that students can check it out up close and take pictures of themselves dressed up as cowboys/girls. For my ESL students this experience will be very effective at drumming up their background knowledge and serving as a motivator to continue studying this subset of American culture.