The Tower of London is a historic castle along the river Thames. Construction began in the 11th century, and its role through history has been significant. It served as a fortress, a royal palace, a prison, and currently houses the crown jewels.
For over 600 years, the Tower of London was also home to a collection of exotic beasts gifted to the royal family by foreign rulers or added through conquest. The Royal Menagerie, a sign of power, included lions, tigers, a polar bear, monkeys, zebras, kangaroos, alligators, and elephants. At its peak, the menagerie included 60 different species and nearly 300 animals. Because keepers did not have an understanding of animal biology or the knowledge of how to properly care for these animals, many did not survive, and public visitors were hurt due to the lack of safety protocols. Care for the animals did improve but the menagerie was permanently closed in the early nineteenth century. The study of these animals led to the advancement of veterinary science and the establishment of modern zoos. Read more here.
If you visit the Tower of London, be sure to stop by the interactive exhibits.
The only animals that remain at the tower today are ravens. A legend states that if the ravens ever leave the tower, the monarchy will fall. A ravenmaster cares for the ravens.
My son-in-law is a fan of the Baltimore Ravens, a team in the NFL. I may need to gift my granddaughter this board book, inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, The Raven.
The trickster side of ravens is explored in this number book. The illustrations are especially beautiful!
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Luke 12:24
Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. Genesis 8:6-7
Pumpkins can be studied through Thanksgiving, so it’s not too late to try some of these investigations.
There are many ways to integrate math standards with your study of pumpkins. Estimate the weight of your pumpkin(s), then weigh them on a scale. What is the circumference of the pumpkin? Wrap a piece of yarn around the middle and lay it beside a yard stick to find out. Of course, you can estimate and then count the seeds. Place them in groups of ten. How many ribs (lines) are on the rind? Do all pumpkins have the same number?
If you are not going to carve a small pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern, cut it in half, so you can easily observe the pulp, fibrous strands, and seeds inside.
After observing your pumpkins (carved or not), leave them outside in a natural area through the winter months to see what happens. Make predictions. Pumpkin Jack and Mousekin’s Golden House both explore this part of the life cycle.
Watch this descriptive woodland story full screen here.
Enjoy Too Many Pumpkins, a science inspired fiction book, full screen here. This story is a great springboard for cooking with pumpkins. I like making pumpkin pancakes with children. Watch the liquid batter become a solid and observe the solid butter on your pancakes melt into a liquid. So, heat turns one into a solid and the other a liquid. Why?
Related Posts These were two of my favorite labs-simple, fun, and filled with learning!
I am always cautious of bumping into spider webs when I walk out onto my deck in the early morning hours. I was surprised to encounter this beautiful, but rather creepy, marbled orb weaver. With its orange legs, it’s the perfect October spider! Because of its enlarged abdomen, it is even referred to as the pumpkin spider.
They are usually nocturnal. Their bite is not dangerous for humans but may feel like a bee sting. They can be found throughout North America.
Unlike some other orb weavers, it hides to the side of the web at the end of the signal thread. When prey hit the web, the signal thread alerts the spider.
When some pine needles fell into its web, I watched the spider travel along the web, inspect the object, and then toss the needles from the web.
While I was vacationing in Italy, we took a day trip to Pompeii, an ancient Roman city near Naples. I discovered that many of my previous understandings of Pompeii were incorrect or incomplete.
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius, a stratovolcano, erupted. It had not erupted for hundreds of years, but there had been a major earthquake six years prior to the eruption which caused considerable damage.
After the volcano erupted, small pebbles tumbled down on the city, and then a large cloud of volcanic ash and pumice (surge) blanketed the city with up to 20 feet of ashes. Extremely hot toxic gases were released, but lava did not reach the city.
It is now believed that some or possibly many of the estimated 10 to 12,000 residents (one-third of which were slaves) may have escaped before the devastation. Pompeii was a commercial port close to the sea of Naples, but the eruption changed the landscape forever. Herculaneum, a city closer to the base of the volcano, was also destroyed.
Much of the city was preserved under the ashes and therefore provides insights into the life of the Roman Empire, only a short time after Jesus was crucified. It was a prosperous city where wealthy Romans vacationed, and Nero was believed to have visited.
The city was forgotten until archeologists rediscovered and began excavations in the 1700s. Without the knowledge we have today, mistakes occurred during excavation. The city was also looted. During World War ll, the Allies bombed the city which resulted in considerable damage. Today, excavation continues, and it is estimated that up to one-third of the city has not yet been unearthed. What else will be found?
As evident in the photos below, much of Pompeii is intact. Remains include frescoes, mosaics, fountains, graffiti, lead pipes which were part of the plumbing system, weapons, and daily utensils. I was surprised at how large an area (over three-square kilometers)) the sprawling city covers. Our tour included villas, restaurants, shops, temples, statues, public baths, and a large amphitheater.
Stepping Stones across the Streets
Learn more about volcanoes in this Scholastic Study Jam here. A quiz is included.
My husband had a flat tire on our bike tour in Tuscany. While our guide repaired the tire, I observed a flock of sheep who proved to be quite entertaining.
The sheep moved in unison together as a single unit. A sheep never wandered away from the group. This is a defense mechanism, as it is easier for a predator to prey on a sheep if it is isolated.
As I moved around taking photos, a head or two would pop up as if acting as a lookout.
Facts About Sheep:
Sheep were one of the first domesticated animals.
Sheep are social creatures who have excellent memories. They can recognize the faces of humans and other members of their flock.
The hooves of sheep are cloven or split into two toes, like those of goats and cattle, as well as camels, antelopes, and giraffes.
Sheep have horizontal pupils, like goats. They can see almost all the way around them which makes it easier to spot predators.
Sheep eat plants, grass, and seeds and are therefore classified as herbivores.
Sheep are ruminants which means they have stomachs with multiple chambers, like cows and deer.
Rams and ewes mate in the fall and lambs are born five months later in the spring. Lambs can keep up with the flock because they walk almost immediately.
Watch full screen here. Look for non-fiction text features.
I like balance and order which is probably why I am drawn to symmetry. Use the study of symmetry to meaningfully integrate several disciplines, such as math, art, and science, as demonstrated in the related posts section below.
These photos are examples of bilateral (reflective) symmetry. Can you find the line of symmetry? Is it possible for objects to have more than one line of symmetry?
Snowflakes, starfish, and some flowers have rotational symmetry.
Go on a symmetry walk with your children or students. Take photos and make a book. You will find many examples of symmetry in architecture. I snapped these photos on our recent trip to Europe.
Check out a preview for the book, Seeking Symmetry. Watch full screen here.
Sundials are one of the first ways mankind measured time and I have always found them interesting. I discovered the following one near the London Bridge on a recent trip. Unfortunately, the day was cloudy.
The gnomon is the part of the sundial that casts the shadow.
We recently explored animal feet. Now, let’s examine the diversity of animal tails. Take a moment and wonder why animals have different sorts of tails.
The role of animal tails varies and includes balance, propulsion, communication, grasping, swatting flies, warmth, and defense. How does each animal below use its tail? Go here to view full screen.
Watch What if You Had an Animal Tail? full screen here.
