Our second meeting - Animals

Opening with the handshake and welcoming of the club, the meeting got underway with the "Planetary Checkup" or "Check la Planete" in french (our group is actually 100% french speaking).  I discussed the following news items:

• Out of Peru, the plant that tackles toothache
• Hungary recyles old bricks of money to heat the poor
• Success for James Cameron's expedition to the deep sea
• A dam in Nigeria is being built that will displace millions of people
• Interesting fact; they've invested a silk worm that produces spider silk:
• Human hair 1cm thick can hold up 1 elephant
• Steel wire 1cm thick holds up 3 elephants
• Spider silk 1 cm holds up 8 elephants

Note that the news items are intentionally skewed towards positive and constructive news items. The last thing I want to do is inundate the youth with the endless number of serious issues our planet faces. My goal is to stimulate and energize the kids, not depress them!

External observation was nice because spring was coming so we took the time to close our eyes and hear the melting snow dripping and the sounds of birds chirping. The warm spring wind caressing our cheeks and the smell of spring was wonderful to tune in to.

Coming back inside we played a True/False game based on various environmental trivia I gathered up. Here were the questions (translated from french by google translate):

• Between 1820 and 1889, nearly 60 million buffalo were slaughtered in North America - T
• It takes 6.9 pounds of grain to produce 1 kilo of pork - T
• Poachers kill rhinos for their legs - F
• The St. Lawrence beluga is the least contaminated mammal on the planet - F
• Many farmers give antibiotics to livestock to make grow faster - T
• In Africa, about one third of agricultural production is fed to livestock - T
• There are more than 3 billion cows and sheep on Earth - T
• With global warming, mosquitoes that carry diseases will diminish - F
• One species of fish in three endangered - F
• 98% of the genes gorillas are identical to those of humans - T
• The ivory trade is banned-T

We then discussed a number of local animals that are endangered (and discussed what it means to be endangered) and how an ecosystem is impacted when animals disappear. And finally we touched on circus like Circo Mondo because they happen to be in town. We discussed how animals are better left to be 'animals' than human entertainment and how often circus don't treat the animals properly so most often it's better to seek out circus experiences that are human based like Cirque du Soleil.

The song of the month was La Corrida by Francis Cabrel, a song that speaks to the plight of bulls who are the victims of a gruesome form of entertainment in Spain (bull fighting). The song made waves when it was released and is beautifully written and performed. I had carefully selected pictures of bulls in the corrida (not too bloody or gory) and explained how the 'game' worked. The translated words can be found at the end of this post.

Closing things off we played La Machine. It's a simple game that kids like. You pick someone to start in the middle. That person starts a movement and a sound, like a piece of a complex machine. Next person connects to the first and adds his/her own repetitive movement and sound. As as each kid attaches that gets louder and more complex until it breaks and all falls apart. The kids love it and its fun to watch and listen to as its different every time. A secret handshake to wrap things up and that was it!

La Corrida de Francis Cabrel

Since the time I patient In the darkroom I mean we have fun and we sing At the end of the corridor; Someone touched the lock And I dove to the big day I saw bands, barriers And the people around In the first moments I thought Need only defend But this place is hopeless I begin to understand They closed behind me They were afraid that I fell I'll just end up having This dancer ridiculous ... Is what this world is serious? I remember Andalusia Grasslands lined with cactus I will not tremble before This puppet, minus this! I'll catch him and his hat Rotate them like a sun Tonight the wife of the bullfighter Sleep soundly Is what this world is serious? I continued ghosts Almost touched their ballerinas They hit hard in my neck I bow to They go out where the acrobats Paper with their costumes? I never learned to fight Against dolls Feel the sand under my head It's amazing how it can be good I prayed that everything stops I remember Andalusia I hear them laughing as I rattle I see dance as I succumb I did not much we can Play around a grave Is what this world is serious? x2 If so hombre, hombre Baila, baila Hay que bailar de nuevo Y otros mataremos Otras vidas, otros toros Y otros mataremos Venga, venga a bailar ... Y otros mataremos