Pathetic fallacy
Today was just one of those days. I didn't sleep well, I woke up before my alarm (but still tired), managed to get out of the house late, and then ran into a dreary, rainy day.
Blech.
We did the lab on rivers today, which is usually everyone's favorite for the semester. They get to make a river and watch the erosional and depositional processes. Then they have to modify the flow using channel restriction (wing dams and closing dams) and later by building dams and levees (or dikes, depending on your local vernacular). The point of the lab is to examine how these different mechanisms work because they were used on the Mississippi River by the Army Corp of Engineers.
It's a lab where you have to get your hands dirty, digging in sand. There are even monopoly hotels and plastic cows for fun. Last year, all the classes really got into it. The loved setting things up, were very curious about the outcome, and littered the area with cows.
Who doesn't like to play in the dirt?!
Not my morning class, apparently. They all just stood there, not wanting to get into it. I think half of them hadn't read the lab because when I gave them the materials, they had no idea how to use them.
And did I mention we also had evaluations today? Yeah, not looking forward to getting those back. There should be a requirement that evals only be given on sunny days. I really do see the difference in everyone's enthusiasm on a sunny day.
Blech.
We did the lab on rivers today, which is usually everyone's favorite for the semester. They get to make a river and watch the erosional and depositional processes. Then they have to modify the flow using channel restriction (wing dams and closing dams) and later by building dams and levees (or dikes, depending on your local vernacular). The point of the lab is to examine how these different mechanisms work because they were used on the Mississippi River by the Army Corp of Engineers.
It's a lab where you have to get your hands dirty, digging in sand. There are even monopoly hotels and plastic cows for fun. Last year, all the classes really got into it. The loved setting things up, were very curious about the outcome, and littered the area with cows.
Who doesn't like to play in the dirt?!
Not my morning class, apparently. They all just stood there, not wanting to get into it. I think half of them hadn't read the lab because when I gave them the materials, they had no idea how to use them.
And did I mention we also had evaluations today? Yeah, not looking forward to getting those back. There should be a requirement that evals only be given on sunny days. I really do see the difference in everyone's enthusiasm on a sunny day.