Back to Blog
2 min read

We went to a Strawberry Farm!

By Hero's Journey Academy

In this article

Iowa Testing!

We started out the week with the Iowa testing! Standardized tests fail to measure what we care the most about: grit, perseverance, warmheartedness, tough-mindedness and the attributes of self-management and self-governance that make our studios hum with energy and learning.

Children sit at tables taking Iowa testing in a classroom with shelves, screens, and string lights

While we aren’t fans of standardized tests, it’s still reassuring to see how well a learner driven community can perform, even when there’s no teaching to the test, because there’s far more important learning afoot.

We had real detectives come in!

We want to give a huge thank you to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit for spending the day at our school!

Learners sit on a rug in a classroom while a guide speaks near tables and shelves
Guide shows children crime scene tools laid out on a table during a detective visit
Heroes and a guide stand around a glowing display in a dark blue-lit room
Children and adults gather around a table with display boards under a green canopy
Children and two adults gather at an Ascension Parish Sheriff's crime scene unit truck during a school visit
Children and a guide talk beside an Ascension Parish Sheriff's Crime Scene Unit trailer
Learners and a guide stand inside a farm trailer near the open door
Children and a guide stand at an outdoor table under a canopy during a strawberry farm visit
A guide helps two learners examine an item at a crime scene activity table
A guide helps a hero handle a small item at an outdoor table with a Delsym box nearby
A guide and several learners gather around a laptop at a table in a classroom

The Eagles had SO much fun learning about fluorescent fingerprints, different types of casts, 3D scanners, etc. The Eagles got a tour of the detective’s van to see all of their equipment! As a souvenir, each Eagle got to take home a fingerprint that they dusted and lifted with the detectives!

Site building and preparation!

This week the Eagles are working on building their planter to start planting their seeds! We have so many seeds we want to plant, but where will we grow it?

Three children kneel around a wooden planter frame on grass, working outdoors
Children outdoors holding a wooden planter frame together on the grass at the strawberry farm
Three children and a guide work together to build a wooden planter on grass
Child stands on grass beside a wooden berry crate at a sunny strawberry farm
Two children build a wooden planter outdoors on the grass
Two children kneel on grass beside a wooden board and orange crate at the strawberry farm
A child fills a raised planter bed with soil beside a chain-link fence
Five children wave in front of a fenced field with a bulldozer in the background

This year, we are trying out square foot gardening. A square foot garden is, generally, a raised bed garden divided into 1 square foot sections. Seeds and plants of different kinds are planted in each square instead of in rows like a traditional garden. This allows gardeners to maximize their space.

Illustrations as Inspiration

In Writers’ Workshop, we read two stories: Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Suess and The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers.The Eagles were asked:Which style of art do you prefer? Why? Which style of writing do you prefer? Why?

Children sit on a rug in a classroom watching a presentation on a wall-mounted screen
A child in a blue shirt uses a laptop at a table
A child in a pink shirt uses a laptop at a white table
Two girls work on laptops at a white table in a lounge with a black couch behind them

Which book demonstrates more skilled artistry? Which demonstrates more skilled writing?After our discussion between the two books, we revisited the sub-skills of word choice:

  • The author uses adjectives that are thoughtful and fit the descriptions.
  • The author chose verbs that both show and tell the reader information.
  • The author’s specific use of nouns makes details more memorable.
  • Figurative language (such as similes and metaphors) feels natural.
  • The author takes risks with words and doesn’t just use predictable ones.

Strawberry Field Trip!

For our Community Garden Quest, we decided to take the Eagles to the Landry-Poche Strawberry Farm! The Eagles had a blast picking strawberries and eating them, each Eagle got to take a bucket of strawberries home.

Two children pick strawberries in a sunny field, one holding a white bucket
Girl smiling and holding a strawberry in a strawberry field
Boy in a yellow jacket holds up a strawberry in a strawberry field with other people behind him
A child in a strawberry field holds up two strawberries for a selfie
A smiling boy in a green hoodie stands in a strawberry field holding a white bucket
Two children hold up strawberries in a sunny strawberry field
Eagles and a guide sit at picnic tables under trees during the strawberry farm field trip
Eagles and a guide load freshly picked strawberries into bins at Landry-Poche Strawberry Farm

The owner of the farm talked about strawberry irrigation, a combination of drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers to improve strawberry production. This combination has become a proven irrigation method for staying on schedule and delivering a high-yield, high-quality crop. The Eagles learned about how the weather had an impact on how the strawberries grow. This experience will help the Eagles on their journey with the garden quest!

Eagles sit at a restaurant table, looking at menus and a strawberry farm brochure

After a long day at the farm, we stopped by Kevin’s Cajun Seafood where the Eagles all ordered their own food!

Recent Posts

Welcome Back Heroes

Welcome Back Heroes

What an exciting start to the new school year! The past two weeks have been filled with laughter, creativity, collaboration, and plenty of opportunities for…

Hero's Journey Academy Read more

Begin your Family's Journey

Get your Parent Guide