School on the range

Students leave classroom to learn on area ranch

This article is provided with permission from the San Angelo Standard Times.
By Matt Phinney

Paint Rock - Underground hydrology just makes more sense with ice cream.

Allan Lange, manager of the Lipan-Kickapoo Water Conservation District, explained the relationship of underground water, gravel, land, grass, pollution and a water well with 7-Up, gummy bears, ice cream, green sprinkles, chocolate syrup and a straw.

The students didn't miss a word.

''What is this?'' he said, pointing to the soft drink in the cup.

''Water,'' they replied, in an uninspired tone.

''C'mon. What is it?''

''Water,'' they screamed in unison.

Lange's was one of eight stations at the 5th Grade Natural Resource Day on Fred and Kay Campbell's ranch just north of Paint Rock, which is about 35 miles east of San Angelo in Concho County. The day is designed as a ''classroom in a pasture'' field day in which Concho and Runnels county fifth-graders learn about livestock, sheep shearing, water quality, crop production and other agriculture topics.

''We're trying to get kids interested in conservation and out of the school room and into the outdoors,'' said Kay Mansell, district technician with the Runnels County Soil and Water Conservation District.

''I really think it's a great thing for the kids to be able to come out here and learn about this.''

The field day has been held for about 15 years, and the past three have been on the Campbells' ranch, which is famous for Indian pictographs on a cliff face there.

Ronnie Vanicek, who described wildlife calls for the students, praised the Campbells for hosting the event.

''It's fantastic,'' he said. ''We're trying to teach them milk doesn't come from a can and that pants are made from a plant that grows out in a field.''

Cathy Oliver, a Winters fifth-grade teacher, said science topics of the field day such as conservation and soil erosion are covered on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests.

She said it's good for the students to see in real life what they are being taught in school. ''A lot of the kids never get in a setting like this,'' she said. ''We think they get to see animals like this all the time, but they don't. Even kids from small towns are sometimes confined to that town.''

Her students agreed.

Jennifer Huddleston, 11; Andrew New, 10; Dylan Day, 12 and Matthew Taylor, 10, all Winters fifth-graders, said learning about livestock and hearing how animals communicate were their favorite parts of the field day.

But did they like being outside?

''Yes'' they screamed together.

They didn't have to be asked twice.

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