Tierra Nuestra

For the last two days, I went on an overnight trip with my fifth graders to an estancia (ranch) called Mamborei, which is about two and a half hours outside of Asuncion. The goal of the trip is team building and nature appreciation. The group that runs the activities is called Tierra Nuestra, which means our earth. They do team building activities for schools that can afford it to fund their other environmental programs in poorer neighborhoods and schools. The group was great, and my students really enjoyed their time. The highlight of the trip is the campfire and the night games, which include two Guarani myths, the Pora and the Pombero. Both are spirits that cause bad things to happen. The Pora is a white spirit, that will capture those who are alone at night; the Pombero is a spirit that does naughty things, like lift women's skirts or steal babies. During the night games, the students tried to stay away from the Pora while catching the Pombero.

I didn't take any pictures this year, but I did with last year's group, so here's the link http://wanderingwisconsinite.blogspot.com/2010/06/tierra-nuestra.html

Some of the activities were different this year than last year: the students tie-dyed shirts, tried passing water balloons without they breaking using tarps, made campfire skits. My personal favorite activity from both years is the nature hike where the students learn about the native plants and animals of Paraguay. It never fails to surprise me how little the students know about their own country.