In Science Class . . . Week of 4/19

4th/5th Grade: In class this week, we have started observing living organisms! Our isopods ("rolly pollies") and beetles arrived, and we discussed, observed and contrasted their bodies and behaviors. Over the next few lessons we will be observing how they interact with their environments, and which conditions are preferable for them.  What did the beetles and isopods look like? How are they different? How are they similar? What sort of environmental conditions do you think are best for them?

We also worked on more terrarium observations. Our plants are big, and we'll be taking them home next week as there isn't a lot of space left in our terrariums. If you have a good container for a few plants, please send it it with your students.  A number of students have asked for the "directions" to set up a terrarium at home.  They should know - they did it already! Potting soil, seeds of choice, and a lettuce container are perfect to get you started. Water is needed to get soil moist, and then just place in a sunny location. A lid helps to keep the moisture level high until your plants reach the top of the container, and then you must keep an eye on the wetness of the soil.  Our plants germinated in just a few days and are now 30 cm high after just three weeks! You can insects and isopods from outdoors if you'd like. Voila, a terrarium!

In Science Class . . .Week of 4/12

4/5th Grade: This week, we continued with our terrarium observations, working on choosing the right tools to take measurements. The students learned a little about the metric system, and we practiced using centimeters. We did some test prep, and also watched a video about the ways that seeds naturally travel in various environments (marine, forest, stream, etc). Key questions: How did your terrarium change? What environmental factors influenced the growth of your plants? How? How do seeds travel in an ecosystem and what sort of adaptations do they have to help them?

In Science Class . . . Week of 4/5

This week, we will be setting up our terrariums, which will include soil, water and seeds of radishes, peas and corn. Hopefully we will be seeing sprouts by next week! Keep your fingers crossed! These terrariums are mini-ecosystems and will eventually include beetles and isopods. We will be making observations of changes over the next couple weeks. We also will be starting test prep this week. Our 5th graders will be taking the state test in science in early May, and we'll be looking at released test questions and discussing both content and strategy. Although the 4th graders won't take the test until next year, it's good practice for them as well! Key questions: What were the living and nonliving environmental factors in your terrarium? How did you plant them? What do you predict you will see occur over the next few weeks?