Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current, June 28, 2017, Image 7

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Newspaper Page TextAppeal Tribune Wednesday, June 28, 2017 3B CANYON VIEWS Explore the outdoors, explore learning Outdoors and Outer Space CAITLAN FREESE Even though many kids think of summer as a “time off” from school, there are still countless opportunities for hands- on learning across Ore- gon. The warmer weather makes it a per- fect time for families to explore Ore- gon’s great outdoors and explore learn- ing, whether it’s hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or harvesting fruit at a u-pick farm. According to the National Summer Learning Association, children can lose up to two months of essential math and reading skills during the summer months. Keeping children engaged in learning over the summer break helps them hold onto important knowledge from the prior school year and prepare them for the new school year. The Asso- ciation sponsors National Summer Learning Day, July 13, to raise aware- ness about the importance of learning experiences over the summer. Learning can be even more effective during the summer when students have real-world outdoor experiences. Re- searchers and educators say there are many benefits for children just by spending time outside, including en- hanced creativity, self-confidence, and relationship skills. The trick is to get children out of the house, doing some- thing fun, and keeping their brains ac- tive all at the same time. Fortunately, there are plenty of enjoy- able outdoor adventures all over the state for families to share. It’s been said that nature is one of our greatest teach- ers. Regardless of whether you venture into a National Forest, or stick to your own backyard, there are educational op- portunities just about everywhere you look. Here are a few ideas to spark your student’s appreciation for our natural surroundings while blending in key aca- demic skills. Most millennial parents weren’t alive the last time a total solar eclipse touched the United States 38 years ago, so when this cosmic event happens again on the morning of August 21 it could be a galac- tic learning experience for the whole family. Oregon is lucky to be the first state in the country to see one of nature’s most exciting phenomena as the moon’s shadow makes landfall completely cov- ering the sun around 10:15 am. Leading up to the eclipse, ask your students to research the phases of the moon, understanding how and why it will end up blocking all of the sun for approx- imately two minutes on the big day. NASA has a website (eclipse2017.nasa.gov) dedicated to the solar eclipse, with lots of educational materials about the sun’s electromagnet- ic fields, space weather, and more. After your budding astronomers have done their homework, decide on a loca- tion to watch the main event. There are a ton of eclipse watching parties going on around the state, just make sure to use the special glasses to protect your eyes while watching this special eclipse. Parks and Rec Whether it’s your local municipal parks department, state or federal parks agency, it seems like there is an endless variety of outdoor learning adventures available. The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department has a fun pro- gram called “Let’s Go” (oregonstate- parks.org) which offers several topics families can learn about from State Park Rangers. Everything from navigating the water in a canoe, to making the most of your hiking adventure, is available to explore alongside outdoor experts. Camping is a summertime favorite of mine, even when I was a kid and my folks let us pitch a tent in the backyard. If your family can get away on a camping trip, there are abundant learning opportuni- ties, from building a fire, to tracing the history of the campground location. Try camping unplugged, leaving most elec- tronic devices at home, and instead tell stories around the campfire for enter- tainment. Now that will be a learning ex- perience! High Tech Treasure Hunt What do you get when you combine technology, learning, going outdoors, and physical activity? Geocaching! Basically, this family- friendly outdoor activity involves using a smartphone mobile app or a hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) loca- tion device to find hidden containers, "caches”, across the world. Not only do kids love to solve puzzles, but this high-tech treasure hunt can en- hance math skills, map-reading abilities and of course geography skills, the source of “geo”! The website geoca- ching.com contains great information, including maps and instructions on how to play the game. Geocaching is similar to “Pokémon Go” but instead of tracking virtual char- acters, players are pinpointing real world stashes of objects and replacing a trinket for the next person to discover. In fact, in 2000 a Beavercreek man was the first to establish a “geocache”, putting a black bucket of items in the woods near his house for others to find. Garden of Knowledge Sometimes it’s good for kids to go out and get their hands dirty – especially when it comes with teachable moments. Gardening is one of the best hands-on learning activities your students can do over summer vacation and it doesn’t take much space. Even a corner of the yard, or just a couple of pots of soil, will work for your garden. Let your children decide if they want to plant flowers, vegetables, or some- thing else. Teach them the importance of water and sunlight, which of course in- volves science. Your students will utilize math and measurement skills too as they create a garden plot and space plants into straight rows. The national non- profit KidsGardening.org is a good re- source for novice gardeners who really want to dig into this outdoor activity. As an educator at a virtual public school like Oregon Connections Acad- emy, our families are learning outside of the traditional school walls on a daily ba- sis. They often incorporate class work when they visit a neighborhood park or take laptops on road trips to supplement this experiential learning. There are sev- eral ways you can enhance any learning experience for your children: Reading and Writing: Before your students head out into the wilderness, they should read up about their destination or consider research- ing a new outdoor hobby like geocach- ing. Reading is an essential skill to main- tain year-round. Encourage young writers by having your students keep a journal or establish their own blog about their summer activ- ities. Creative Crafts Pictures are one of the best ways to capture memories from summer learn- ing. Have your children collect elements from nature to make into crafts, such as pine cones, leaves, or sea shells. Your children can get creative when they use these items to make a collage, or glue them onto a wooden picture frame to hold a great family photo. Caitlan Freese of Portland is Oregon Connections Academy's high school spe- cial education coordinator. She can be reached through ORCA at www.Oregon- ConnectionsAcademy.com, (800) 382- 6010. House vote to repeal tax credit angers GOP KRISTENA HANSEN ASSOCIATED PRESS PORTLAND - After a fiery three-hour debate that capped a contentious week in Salem, the Oregon House approved a partial repeal of a 2013 “Grand Bargain” business tax credit in a 31-28 vote Friday with three Democrats joining Republi- cans’ opposition. Republicans and businesses through- out the state are vehemently opposed House Bill 2060, which Democrats ad- vanced out of a House committee by sur- prise two days earlier. It may also face a legal challenge, op- ponents say, if it passes its final hurdle in the Senate. “House Dems just proved they don’t need to follow the Constitution for reve- nue votes as they raise taxes,” said Sen- ate Republican Minority Leader Ted Fer- rioli, referring to the supermajority re- quirement for tax hikes that House Dem- ocrats and the Legislature’s non-partisan legal counsel say doesn’t apply in this in- stance. “(House Speaker Tina Kotek) is holding up the education budget, threat- ening to derail a transportation package and killing the credibility of the Legisla- ture.” HB 2060 would raise an extra $200 million for the 2017-19 biennium — an amount some lawmakers have been try- ing to cobble together for the record-$8.2 billion K-12 education budget that’s up for final vote Tuesday in the House. That’s less than half the extra revenue they could’ve raised, about $500 million, by boosting the existing corporate in- come tax — a last-minute plan pitched Monday by Senate Democrats that might’ve held sway with enough Repub- licans to pass on a supermajority and boost funds for schools. Hass’s plan excluded a Measure 97- like gross-receipts tax, which voters re- jected and Republicans opposed, so House Democrats advanced HB 2060 out of committee Wednesday. The bill partially repeals a tax credit for so-called “pass-through” entities, meaning LLCs, S-corporations and part- nerships commonly formed by small businesses. These entities are exempt from the federal corporate income tax, so profits and losses are taxed through the per- sonal incomes of the owners, partners or shareholders. House Democrats like Rep. Rob Nosse rallied support for the measure by calling it a “cost containment” bill that would “reign in” a “runaway” tax break that benefits mostly wealthy doctors and lawyers rather than modest mom-and- pops. “The projections are that this tax break could end up costing $300 million,” said Democratic Rep. Phil Barnhart. “We should make smart, sensible re- forms to this policy now, before it spirals out of control.” Kotek stepped away from her podium to give her own floor speech about the 2013 tax credit, saying it’s “not having the targeted impact we wanted it to have.” Those comments further exasperated GOP caucus members such as Rep. Julie Parrish, who noted the Legislature is ending another session without address- ing the state’s rising pension and health care costs that are projected to continue rising faster than revenues. “My trust in the leadership in this building is gone after today,” Parrish said. 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