Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the Lab

On Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, the Lower School Science Lab was full of activity as the 4th grade students and their grandparents and special friends visited for a very special hands-on, inquiry-based lab. The children and adults investigated the principles of buoyancy and density by making their own Cartesian divers. The diver is named after a French scientist and philosopher, Rene Descartes. The traditional Cartesian divers have been made out of glass medicine droppers or delicate glass ampules. The students used safe, plastic medicine droppers, or pipettes, weighted with a metal hex nut. When the students and grandparents properly adjusted the buoyancy, the diver would sink when pressure was applied to the outside of a 1 liter bottle, and would float when that pressure was released. The students noticed that the water level and air pocket size inside the diver changed when pressure was applied and released. Using the formula Density=Mass/Volume, the students could state that as more water entered the pipette, the mass changed, and the diver became less buoyant and sank. Then students realized that when the pressure outside the bottle was released, the compressed air inside the diver expanded (took up more space), and pushed some of the water back out. As the water level dropped inside the diver, it became more buoyant and floated to the top.

At the end of the lab, the students and grandparents/special friends were asked this question, "What would happen if we sealed the end of the diver with a drop of glue so no water could enter or leave the pipette? Would the diver still work?" I hope everyone puzzled over this during the Thanksgiving break. Maybe someone gave it a try while they were resting from eating all that turkey!

"How do you know what an owl eats if we can't see the owl hunt?" This question was posed to the 4th graders today as they began their investigation of the "owl pellet". The pellet is formed from the undigestible materials of the owl's prey, like bones, fur, and even feathers. The owl regurgitates this undigestible material in the form of a pellet. When the lab is completed, the students will be able to describe the food web that has the owl as its "apex predator". Students will also be constructing a skeleton of one of the owl's prey from the bones collected during the lab.

The 4th graders had an enjoyable morning at Discovery World in downtown Milwaukee on Wed. Nov. 3rd. They had a "Behind-the-Scenes" tour where they got a chance to see the aquariums from the other side, and learn how Discovery World manages to care for so many fish. They also had a chance to go aboard the "Challenge", a replica of a Great Lakes schooner and see how sailors lived and worked aboard ship. The students also saw and explored a much larger model of the Great Lakes. They finished their visit with a lab in which they learned about the water cycle, ground water, and aquifers.

Today the 4th graders were asked, "How well do you know the Great Lakes?" They could name the lakes, knew they were sometimes called "inland seas", and also knew that they contained 20% of all the fresh water on the planet. What they didn't know was what volume of water they contained, how long the shorelines were in miles, where most of the human population lived, and how many pounds of fish are harvested commercially. So, they were given a few resources, and asked to create a model showing all these factors. Being 4th graders, they were ready for the task. They created a model showing all the Great Lakes in relation to each other, filled them with water (using blue paper squares), located where most of the people live (using red and white squares), and showed where the majority of the fish come from (yellow squares). The students did a fantastic job, and I believe they can answer the question posed to them very well. This activity helps the students understand the value of these lakes, and also prepares them to better understand the models of the Great Lakes they will see when they visit Discovery World next week.

Our Visiting Scientists

Today was a very special day for the 4th graders. They got to meet and work with two researcher/scientists from the Great Lakes Water Institute, Dr. Russell Cuhel and Dr. Carmen Aguilar. The students and scientists talked about the invasion of quagga and zebra mussels in Lake Michigan, what voracious eaters they are (the mussels),how their shells are formed, how and why the mussels have have to be strong, and the various career opportunities there are in science. The students got to do some lab experiments with the scientists to see first-hand how the mussels filter feed, how strong the shells are, and even how different types water conduct electrical currents. Check out the photos here on the blog, and also on the portal.

The Lower School Science Lab was visited today by a combined group of student scientists from Mrs. Bogiorno's and Ms. Bair's rooms under the guidance of Mrs. Konik and Mrs. DeTorre. The students were investigating the zebra and quagga mussel invasion in Lake Michigan, and collecting data about these aliens. Using scientific tools such as digital calipers, digital balances, and simple hand lenses, they collected and recorded data about these invasive species, icluding shell size, shape, and biomass. They are trying to discover how these invasive species adapted to live in Lake Michigan. Mrs. Konik's and Mrs. DeTorre's classes will also be investigating in the lab later this week. We are hoping to follow up the investigation here with a visit from two Great Lakes Water Institute scientists whose focused research is on the quagga mussel invasion and their influences on other living organisms in Lake Michigan. Stay tuned for more updates.

The 3rd grade has completed their seed walks and seed dispersal lab. They tested several different seeds to determine how far they might travel, and which ones were best designed for wind dispersal. Students also looked at seeds that hitchhike, are carried by an animal, float in the water, and might pop out. Another thing students noticed on the seed walk was a special, odd-looking growth on the stems of the goldenrod. At first they thought it was a seed, but then found out it was a gall, which is the home to the gall wasp larvae. They were pretty amazed when they saw the larvae coming out of the egg inside the gall.

The JK completed their fall walks using their powers of observation as we walked through the woods and open fields. Students saw and heard geese, gulls, crows, a woodpecker, and a very special bird, the Eastern Bluebird. We watched as the parent bluebirds were getting the family ready to migrate. The JK students also noticed the galls on the plants and couldn't believe that an insect could live inside of it.

Here is a link that I think everyone would enjoy visiting. It is all about the monarch butterfly which the SK students have been studying since the beginning of school.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/monarch-butterfly/

This was a busy week in the Lower School Science Lab. The 2nd graders learned about the process of photosynthesis, and discovered the reasons why leaves change color in the fall. They did a lab called "Hidden Treasure" where they found out thatcolors can be covered up or "hidden" by other colors. The 3rd graders finished their study of leaves by testing the toughness of leaves using a tool called a "penetrometer". They were back for a second lab where they looked at roots and compared and contrasted tap roots and fibrous roots. The 4th grade classes are beginning their study of "Alien Invaders" in Lake Michigan.

Welcome to 2010-11 Lower School Science

Welcome to the Lower School Science blog. First let me say a big "Thank You" to all who made the new science lab possible. What an absolutely gorgeous space to work and teach in, and I have windows!!!! We are also utilizing much of our outdoor space too as we study habitats, go on "bug" hunts, and take our fall season walks. Junior Kindergarten will be heading out for their fall walk and observations during the first week in October. Senior Kindergarten classes are studying insects and collecting some live specimens for further observations. First Grade is making weather observations and soon will be coming to the lab for a safety lesson and ther first weather-related lab activity. Second grade is studying ants, not only as insects, but as social creatures too. Also, they are reading a story called "Henry and Mudge" for literature, and we are tying in the concept of fall leaf color changes in the science lab. They will be up in the lab next week for several visits to learn the how and why of "Why Leaves Change Color in the Fall". Third grade is working hard on their plant studies and have been in the lab several times already. They just completed a lab on chromatography where they extracted the chlorophyll from green leaves and found that there are other colors in the leaf too. They are also using the stereoscopes and Motic software to capture live images of their leaf specimens. Fourth grade is starting their year with a study of habitats , and an exploration of the various habitats here at USM. We will focus on Lake Michigan, and its inhabitants and invaders. The 4th grade will follow the work and research of two local scientists from the Great Lakes water Institute, Dr. Russell Cuhel, and Dr. Carmen Aguilar.

Please check the Lower School Science blog regularly. This is an exciting year of wonder and discovery ahead for the students here at USM.