Seeds on the Move

Third graders have been very busy collecting seeds from the USM campus and then determining how these seeds were "dispersed". Ask any 3rd grader what "dispersal" means and they will tell you it is the process of spreading from one place to another. Students collected samples that might: be carried by the wind; be hitchhikers; attract animals; float on water; or pop or shoot out. Students also observed any specialized structures the seeds might have in order to disperse in their special way. Then back in the lab, the students selected several samples from the wind category and tested them to see how far they would travel. They used seeds like the dandelion, thistle, and milkweed. Seeds were tested 3 times and then an average was taken. Using the average distance, students were then able to rank order the seeds from longest distance traveled to shortest distance. By the end of the seed walk and dispersal labs, students were able to describe different ways that plants can get their seeds to new places, and why it is impertant for a plant to disperse, or move, its seeds around.

Owl Pellet Reconstruction

The 4th grade classes have just completed the dissection of the owl pellet and made some exciting discoveries. After using reference materials, they determined some of the prey species that were in the pellet and now are in the process of reconstructing the skeleton of this animal. They are also able to describe the food chain that brings the energy to the owl. Soon these skeletons and information will be on display in the 4th grade hallways.

Convection

"What will happen when you mix cold water with warm water?" This was the investigative question that the first graders explored in their weather lab this week. The investigation started with the students watching a beaker of boiling water. OK, we all know that "a watched pot never boils", but this time there were colored dots of paper in the water and the students observed an up and down, or circular motion happening in the water. Then the students observed a glass fishbowl with room temperature water in it. A blue ice cube was gently placed in the bowl and the students observed several things. First, the ice cube floated. Second, they noticed that as the ice cube melted blue-colored water sank to the bottom of the bowl and formed a blue layer across the bottom. Using the SmartBoard, we looked at how water molecules pack closely and tightly together when they are cold, and that this makes them more dense.

Next, some hot, red-colored water was gently poured into the bowl. Immediately, the students noticed the red water tried to go down but was pushed right back to the top. Here it formed a distinct layer across the top of the bowl. Using the SmartBoard once again, the water molecules were spread out, so students could see that they were farther apart and that made them less dense or lighter. Now the students could see 3 distinct layers in the fishbowl, a cold, blue bottom layer; a clear, room-temperature layer; and a warm, red layer across the top.

We spent several minutes discussing the observations, and then decided to try someting else to help answer the question. Now students took a cut-off 2 liter bottle filled with chilled water, and a baby food jar filled with warm, red water and placed the baby food jar into the container of cold water. The students poked two holes in the aluminum foil cover on the small jar while it was inside the big container. What do you think happened? Ask your first grader to explain what they saw happening and what "convection" is.

(Mrs. Friedlander's class and Mrs. Oemichen's class will be doing this next week.)

Where are the Seeds?

The 3rd grade is continuing their study of plants by looking at seeds. In the "Fruits and Seeds" lab, students learned what a fruit is and why seeds are so important to the plant. The students have to include a scientific drawing of the outside and the inside of their fruit, and also a drawing, including measurements of a seed. Students should now understand why something they once thought of as a vegetable technically is a fruit.

Apex Predator

To understand the energy flow within an ecosystem, the students are studying the feeding behavior of an owl. The owl, as an apex predator on land, reveals part of its most recent meals, naturally. Owls ingest whole large chunks of their prey. Later, they cough up undigested matter in a type of "fur ball", called a pellet. Within the pellet, the students have discovered the skeletal remains of animals eaten by the owl. By analyzing the contents of the pellet, and with careful detective work to identify the bones, students reconstruct a skeleton of one of the owl's prey. Knowing what the owl eats helps the students understand more about the ecosystem in which the owl lives. What can you infer about the role of the apex predator and its impact on the ecosystem?

A Sense of Place continued

Our last JK group completed the "A Sense of Place" activity and wanted to share their map of their nature walk. Each child had a picture of an object to find as they walked, and then they had to place the picture on the map in the correct location. This activity helped the children develop their sense of direction and honed in on their observation skills. They wanted to share their completed map with everyone. Good job, JK friends!

SK Bug Hunt

Ms. Jeffers' SK class did something we have never done before at USM. They went on an "indoor bug hunt". Now, before you get too worried, we don't have any infestations in our Lower School. The children were looking for pictures of different insects that were located in the hallways of the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Lower School. The insects were camouflaged against the walls, and bulletin boards and other good hiding places. But our SK detectives were able to find them and capture the insects in their nets. After each student captured a "bug", we went into the science lab,and sketched what their insect looked like. It was a great activity for the children, and gave them the experience of observing closely, even though we couldn't go outside because of all the rain and high winds. Good job, SK Bug Hunters!

A Sense of Place

"A Sense of Place" is an activity I did with the JK classrooms. The objective of the activity was for the children to become familiar with the purpose of maps as models of larger areas. The walking field trip helped our children build a mental and visual map of the school grounds while they were looking for familiar sights. We used photographs that were matched to the actual objects while on the walk. When they discovered their object, they placed it on a large map in the order it was encountered. The activity was fun and exciting, and we found some things that weren't on the map too, like deer tracks. The children examined the tracks and were able to determine the direction that the deer was moving in. Lastly, it was a gorgeous fall day with mild temeperature and little wind. It was perfect!