Every year when I taught, I took my students camping on one of the Boston Harbor islands, Grape Island.  This book is intended to be an introduction for students who will be going on the trip.
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A Trip to Grape Island

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Before you go on the camping trip, you will be asked to pack one bag according to a packing list.  It will be very important that you bring everything on the list.  If there is something on the list that you don't have, please let your teacher know, and we will let you borrow anything you need.

 Click here to see the packing list:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d8m5r6q_138c5vr8xqb

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It will be important that you learn how to set up a tent before we get to Grape Island.  When we get there, it might be raining, and you don't want to set up a tent for the very first time in the rain!  So we will practice setting up tents in the park before you go.

 

Click here to see your tent assignments

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d8m5r6q_145hc9p5zfc


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We will be taking a bus to Fan Pier in downtown Boston, and we will catch the boat to Grape Island from there.  First, we will load all of the gear onto the bus at the school.  Once we get to the Pier, we will unload all of the gear from off of the bus and then load it onto the boat.  Once we get to Grape Island, we will take everything off of the boat and onto the island.  Loading and unloading gear will take some signficant time and effort.  We will practice ways to make this process more efficient, so that we can maximize our time on the island.
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Once you get to the island, there will be plenty to do. The next few pages will show you just a few of those activities.  We will do much more than you see here, but this should give you a basic idea of what to expect.  Our goal is to fill the days with interesting and varied experiences.  You will have plenty of time to be with your friends, enjoy the outdoors and explore the island.   

 

Click here for a more detailed schedule:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d8m5r6q_143dsft97d5

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Students choose all of the food for the trip, and they cook it all too!  There are special ways to cook when you're camping, because there is no electricity for plugging in a microwave or an electric stove.  Look at the picture.  How are students cooking?  If you have been camping before, how did you cook?

 

Here are some ideas:

http://camping.about.com/od/campingrecipes/u/recipes.htm

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This is one of the very favorite activities of students who go camping.  What do you think they are doing?

Click here to see someone who is quite good at this activity:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KPbbkZePkQ&feature=related

Click here to learn more about how to do it yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LepEw8C_g9k

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You will keep a journal while you are camping.  You will have plenty to write about after long days full of learning experiences.  Your journal is a great place to reflect on what you have learned, and to write down some important moments so you don't forget them.  We will also focus on using poetry and other writing styles to record memories and take note of important discoveries.  Most students keep their journals for a long time and go back to them to remind themselves of their trip.  Some students use ideas they came up with on the trip to inspire writing projects back at school.
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Grape Island is small enough that you can walk all the way around it.  It takes almost half of a day, and there is plenty to see along the way.  You'll get a chance to tidepool, collect shells, climb on large boulders and wade in the water.  There are usually lobster traps and other human-made items that have washed up on the beach that are interesting to look at and collect.  The walk around the island is many students' favorite part of the trip.
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Before we go back to our tents for the night, we will gather around the campfire.  It is a tradition to sing, share stories, eat s'mores and spend time together to end each night.  In preparation for the trip, you might memorize a poem or a story or think about a song that might work well as a campfire song.  Everyone will have a chance to share something.
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By the time we have taken the boat back to Fan Pier, unloaded all of the gear and are on the bus back to school, we know that you will have had a lot of fun.  And we know that you will be tired.  Sleeping on the bus is allowed! 

We can't wait to see you on the trip!  

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