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.