Magnificent Magical Mud

by Mary Ann Burke

INTRODUCTION: GenParenting bloggers will periodically feature select children’s stories with educational and social-emotional growth themes. Magnificent Magical Mud was written to support second grade learners. Students will complete mud science projects and research online informational text to write a mud report.

Why do I love mud?

I have loved mud since I was three years old. I liked the way it squished through my fingers. It was fun to smush my feet in sticky, muddy puddles. Mud was my favorite ingredient for pies and sloshy rock leaf soup. My favorite activity was slinging mud balls at my irritating older brother. Maybe I liked mud because my mom hated mud. Perhaps it was because our backyard became flooded with lots of muddy puddles that I played in whenever it rained. Then my mom would make me change out of my muddy clothes before I stepped into the house.

What is mud?

I was excited when our teacher, Mrs. Hecklebee, asked our class, “What is mud and how do you make it?”

We learned that you can make different types of mud when you mix water with various types of soil. Clay soil is heavy, sticky when wet, and has very fine mineral specks. Sandy soil consists of small pieces of weathered rock and is light and crumbly. Loamy soil has clay, sand silt, and dead plants in it. I was amazed that there were different types of soil that could make mud. I must have used clay soil for great mud pies when I played in my backyard.

Sophia excitedly asked our teacher, “What is the difference between sandy mud and clay mud?”

Then Manuel exclaimed, “Does one type of mud take more water to make? Can you add leaves and branches to make the mud thick?”

My teacher responded to our questions by having us make a quart of clay mud. First, we scooped 4 cups of clay soil into a bucket. Second, we mixed it with a few cups of water to make it stick to our fingers. Finally, we added lots more water to make the mud roll off our fingers.

SIDEBAR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

Experiment with different types of soil at home. Write down your answers to the following questions:

What type of soil did you use for your experiment?
Measure out 1 cup of soil. How many measuring cups of water did you need to make mud that stuck to your fingers?
How many measuring cups of water did you need to make sloshy mud that rolled off of your hands?
Did you try this experiment with other types of soil? If yes, what were the differences when using each type of soil?

How do you build a house with mud?

The next day our teacher read us a story about how the Toas Pueblo in New Mexico was constructed using adobe mud bricks.

Mrs. Hecklebee explained, “The brick makers created an adobe mud mixture of sand and clay that was mixed with water and other natural materials for binding, like straw or dung. Then they poured the mixture into large molds. Some workers added cement, asphalt, or other substances to make the bricks stronger. Adobe bricks were dried by the sun, heat, or fire. After the bricks dried, they were removed from the molds. Then the workers laid the bricks with cement mixed with sand on the foundation. Wooden inserts were set between the bricks to hold the frames for windows and doors.”

Our teacher added, “Today’s homes can still use adobe bricks. I recently visited Peru and toured an adobe home in the countryside. Other countries with adobe homes include Costa Rica, Nicaragua, San Salvador, Ireland, and the United States. Adobe homes do not melt away when it rains and are cool to live in due to their insulated composition.”

Mrs. Hecklebee stated, “Different animal and insects might also live in mud houses. For example, mud dauber wasps may build their mud nests on the side of homes. Other living creatures with mud homes include mason bees, American Flamingos, Black-billed Magpies, and mud crabs.”

SIDEBAR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

Think about different living creatures that might also live in mud houses. Then complete the following activities:

Draw a picture of the creature living in their mud home.
Write a sentence describing what the mud home looks like.

Is mud play a sport?

After talking about mud houses, our teacher explained, “Some people like to participate in different types of mud sports. For example, there are obstacle races where people run, crawl, or slide through mud pits, and race onto balance beams or over inflated objects in the mud.”

Sophia eagerly described how her brother participated in a mud wrestling event and said, “He and his friends fought in a mud pit and slipped and slid in the mud as they wrestled with each other. It was so much fun to watch this sport!”

Manuel added, “My dad loves to participate in off road mudding. He drives his 4 x 4 truck with my older brother off the road on muddy mountain trails. Our truck becomes filthy with layers of dried mud.”

I excitedly exclaimed, “Our family likes to ride our mountain bikes after a rain storm. We will speed down a sloshy muddy hill. It is so much fun! My dad has taught me how to relax while pedaling evenly. I must brake early while I steer my bike through a slippery, muddy trail. I have a mud flap on my bike to keep the mud off my face so I can see the trail ahead.”

SIDEBAR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

Research a mud sport to complete the following project:

Make a poster about the sport.
Write a rule to keep people safe when participating in the mud sport.

How do people use mud to take care of their bodies?

I thought that mud was an amazing substance. Not only was it fun to play in and build with, but it was actually good for my health.

During a class discussion, Sonia explained, “My dad used mud packs for aches and pains after running in marathons.”

Jasmine exclaimed, “My mom had a calming spa treatment. She actually put a mud paste on her face to get rid of wrinkles and soaked in a mud bath!”

Manuel added, “My parents went to a Calistoga hot spring in California. They relaxed in a mud bath for about 10 minutes. Then they took a shower and enjoyed a warm mineral water soak.”

Mrs. Hecklebee stated, “Mud therapy can also improve digestion when applying a layer of mud around your stomach. Mud can also cool down the body from heat. It will relax you and can get rid of stress.”

I was surprised to learn that mud used for health purposes is sanitized or cleaned before people use it so that they do not get sick.

SIDEBAR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

Talk with your parents about how mud is made and its importance in your daily life.

Ask your parents if they have changed their understanding or their attitude about mud after this discussion.
Report to your teacher and friends if your parents changed their opinions about the importance of mud.

That night I had a talk with my mom about my mud assignment. The next morning, I ran into the classroom.

I excitedly reported, “After seven years of having my mom yell at me about my muddy messes, she hugged me after our discussion about mud. My mother also reassured me that she now understood how important mud was to my health, happiness, and creativity. Mud truly was a magnificent magical substance!”

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Nurturing Our Kids’ Health and Spiritual Growth

It is important to guide children in their healthy growth by helping them select a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and protein foods each day. Parents can model healthy meal preparations that can have a significant impact on children’s health, academic performance, and sense of well-being throughout life. Parents must take the time to ensure that their children have time for outside daily play for healthy growth and development. Children can play at parks and participate in afterschool sports, recreational activities, and performing arts activities.

Teaching Kids About Nutrition

From an early age, parents try and provide their children with a balanced diet. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, children should eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, and protein plus a side order of dairy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for snacks. By using a plate for portion control, fruits and vegetables should take up half the plate while grains and protein each take up one fourth of the plate. Parents can encourage their children to plan and prepare nutritional meals by having them help when preparing a nutritional meal. They can:

Organize the kitchen before cooking by wiping down counters, setting up a recycle bin, and placing recipe ingredients and utensils on the counter for a recipe.
Assemble recipes and adjust the quantities of ingredients for a larger or smaller family.
Pick vegetables and fruits from the family vegetable garden or a neighborhood community garden.
Wash fruits and vegetables and slice them in salads and for cooking as a side dish.
Help prepare meat for grilling, baking, or mixing into a recipe.
Clean up the kitchen as the meal is prepared.
Set the table while the meal is cooking.
Clean up after dinner by washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, and recycling.

Training Kids as Meal Planners

As students enter middle school, they can shop and plan for nutritional meals while using a budget. High school students can prepare nutritional meals for the family one night a week.

Added heathy living includes sharing quality time with your children each day. Activities may include outside play, a family dinner, homework time, family recreational time, time for reading, and talking to individual children each night before they go to bed. Most children cherish these times to share their personal growth successes and fears. Some families share these successes and challenges during the family dinner each night as a daily check-in activity. Families can celebrate successes and help each other problem-solve challenging situations.

Nurturing Family Recreation and Physical Fitness Activities

Family recreation and physical activities can include park days, family hiking days, and cultural experiences. Families can plan mini getaways that include camping, hiking, bicycling, and nature explorations. Middle school and high school kids can plan the family’s annual vacation by:

Researching various destinations while considering the costs for lodging, meals, and activities within a specified budget and timeline
Reviewing travel options and selecting an option when considering the budget, driving requirements, and road maps to the destination
Creating a schedule of daily activities that meets the needs of family members

Providing Moral and Spiritual Guidance

As children venture into the world of school, playdates, and community activities, they will meet children and families with different moral and ethical values. It is important that parents clarify their family values and help their children problem-solve when introduced to moral and ethical challenges. A family can identify their values by:

Convening a family meeting to discuss expectations for daily life with each family member
Having each family member share what they think are the important values for their family
Making a list of what each family member has shared and voting on four values
Creating a family symbol that artistically represents the four values that received the most votes
Framing and displaying the family values symbol in a prominent location at home

Reinforcing Family Values

Families can review their list of values weekly at family meetings and when trying to decide on activities that the family will participate in that may reinforce these values. Families can consider adding or changing values over time. For example, families wanting to raise culturally sensitive children will encourage their children to invite friends from various cultures to their home for dinner. These families may participate in a cultural exchange program while their children attend high school and host a student from another country in their home for part of the school year. Spending quality time with grandparents and seniors can provide children with expanded exposure to different lifestyles, values, and activities.

Applying Family Values to Safety Concerns

As family members share their values, they can also discuss safety concerns regarding personal care, conflict resolution, sex, drug abuse, and alcohol use and abuse. Children can learn how to respond to situations that may not be safe. The chapter describes various case studies with worksheets on how family members might respond when exposed to challenging situations. For example, some families have a policy of having their children phone home for a ride if they feel uncomfortable at a party or a friend’s home. They can have an agreement that no questions will be asked when a child phones home for a ride to leave a party early.

Modeling Spiritual Growth through Community Services

Families can model spiritual growth and their love and care for others in need through church related activities, community service days, and school service-learning days. Community service and service-learning activities help children learn about different needs of families in their communities. Activities can include:

Making cards and blankets for seniors
Creating dog toys
Collecting books, clothes, and toys for families in need
Adopting a family or senior during the winter holidays
Creating community garden decorations

May you treasure your shared healthy and spiritual growth activities with your family.

Mary Ann

Guiding Our Kids’ Decision Making Independence

As children gain the social and emotional skills to manage their daily responsibilities, they slowly learn how to become more independent in their decision-making skills at home and at school. Initially, they learn how to play responsibly in their home and in their backyard. They will eventually learn how to play in their front yard. Depending on traffic and the location of their neighborhood, primary grade students must learn how to cross busy streets to visit friends and travel to school. Independent decision making skills with predetermined consequences expand as children enter middle school and start socializing with their friends at public places while taking public transportation.

The path to becoming independent is slow and continuous. During children’s early years in school, parents can help their children identify how they can complete their daily responsibilities. Some parents and teachers create an expanded list of activities that must be completed daily. This “star chart” can help each child identify specific responsibilities that must be completed daily. The list can include how each child will manage their personal care, household chores, and school homework and preparations.

Expanding Independence

As children are able to manage their daily lives, they can expand their independence within their home and outside. When playing outside, primary age school children can visit neighborhood friends with a predetermined plan of when they need to check-in for accountability. Some children need to check-in hourly. Others can complete a two-hour playdate and be home by 5 p.m. for homework and chores. It is important to agree on how children will communicate with their parents when playing in the neighborhood. Most parents have their children periodically come home while others ask their children to phone them at a specific time.

Middle School Growth Opportunities

As children enter the middle school years, their need for independence is critical for personal growth. Today’s parents are challenged with safety concerns that include inappropriate television options, internet crimes, addictive gaming, and community safety issues. Parents and their middle school children must structure afterschool and summer days to balance their children’s need for independence while staying safe and accountable.

Managing Schedules

As parents help their children structure their days, the kids can create an expand calendared that lists each daily activity and an appropriate timeline for completing various tasks. Parents can also evaluate their own use of time using a worksheet. These accountability worksheets help parents determine how and when their children are ready for more independence. Parents can also help their children by:

Monitoring safety within specific neighborhoods and communities
Becoming active in neighborhood watches
Learning about community policing activities
Providing added help to families who need extended childcare support
Preparing for neighborhood disaster relief support

Modeling Effective Problem-Solving and Resiliency Skills

When children start school, it is essential to learn healthy resiliency skills to ensure that they can care for themselves and learn independently at school. Parents must model and teach their children how to self-regulate their frustrations, anger, and disappointments in healthy ways. It is important to reinforce effective problem-solving strategies and teach children how to negotiate and problem-solve when conflicts occur. Basic skills for effective problem-solving include:

Take the time to listen with care and concern. Show empathy.
Coach and guide children to consider the various perspectives of a problem.
Have them identify possible solutions and consider or list the benefits or limits of each situation.
Identify their best solution for a specific situation.
Encourage them to try out the solution.
Ask them to report back on how the solution worked for them.
Consider other options or have children modify a solution if needed.
Reflect back what was learned about effective problem-solving and resiliency skill development.

Managing Challenges

As children develop effective problem-solving skills, they can also learn how to stay calm as they trouble shoot challenging situations. Parents can model and coach them to learn how to overcome difficult times by using the following strategies:

Be compassionate.
Focus on the big picture of life and consider the many times life is satisfying.
Use humor when appropriate and a warm and loving attitude.
Build in breaks and relief support for balance and reduced stress.
Journal feelings and consider various outcomes.
Get help.
Talk, read, sing, and play to reinforce positive feelings.

Respectful Consequences for Conflicts

There must also be consequences for misbehaviors and aggressive reactions to conflict. These may include:

Clarify natural and logical consequences.
Offer choices with boundaries.
Provide timeouts as needed for self-regulating emotions.
Encourage journaling feelings and reflective discussions.
Brainstorm solutions.
Make a plan for a logical consequence when appropriate.
Follow up and adjust a corrective action as needed.

These problem-solving strategies can be used for resolving conflicts and building resiliency in children. They can also guide parents in a specific problem solution process.

Much success as you and your child partner together as you nurture their independence and resolve conflicts through effective problem-solving strategies.

Mary Ann

How We Can Help Each Other in Our Community

We are only in our first weeks of school and students are already prepared to give back to their communities during the ongoing Covid health and wildfire challenges. Many of our students continue to educate each other on what they should do to stay safe during the ongoing pandemic. They are very careful in wearing their masks, sanitizing their hands, and staying a safe distance from each other in the classroom and while playing outside. Many of my students have made posters of safe health practices for their homes and communities.

Community Services

Other students have been active through their church communities and continue to collect food and clothing at distribution sites for fire victims and families who have lost jobs during the pandemic. Other students have collected money through their church and community support agencies. And others volunteer by helping their siblings and friends with homework, child care, and playing on community sports teams.

Students Become Leaders

Our students learn that by being helpful and learning community leadership skills, they are able to overcome daily challenges that prepare them to effectively cope with uncertain times. Their self-esteem increases as they become capable community supporters in their schools and their neighborhoods.

What can you do to support your children in helping in your school, neighborhood, and community?

Much gratitude,

Mary Ann

How Students Support Success at School

My first days back at school were incredible as I watched students help each other overcome their daily challenges. Although students have had limited time to be with others this past year, the kindness and compassion I witnessed with the students each day was overwhelming. When a student was sad or frustrated, many students expressed concern and tried to talk with the frustrated student to help her calm down. Other students will take the time to be a mini tutor and help their classmates when they were having trouble completing an assignment. And many students love to help me as the substitute teacher by providing me guidance on what I should be doing at a given time or where I can find a specific supply for teaching. I have learned more from students on how to use a piece of technological equipment even after I passed a competency exam on various software computer applications. And finally, the gratitude the students have expressed for my teaching efforts has been overwhelming. I have received many thank you notes and handmade gifts as expressions of love and support.

How Teachers Help Students Succeed

When I consider what makes my substitute teaching experiences so successful, I find that an effective temporary teacher must:

Be prepared with an engaging lesson plan that has been coordinated with the full-time teacher and complement the teacher’s overall lesson plans.
Be compassionate and patient with the students and view them as the experts as to how their classroom is managed and how they can best learn.
Engage the students in relevant project-based learning activities that ensure that they have gained new skills during this short duration.
Encourage students to reflect daily on what they have learned and how they will apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to their daily lives and other lessons.
Meet and debrief with the regular classroom teacher to ensure increased continuity and learning successes.

May your children benefit from a variety of talented educational leaders this school year!

Mary Ann