January 25

Frog Dissection

Third grade biologists observed Jabba, our largest tree frog, up close and watched him eat some crickets. We learned the characteristics of amphibians, how to distinguish between frogs and toads and then in conjunction with our vertebrate unit, third grade scientists used an app to dissect a frog. Vocabulary included scalpel, forceps, and incision. There are also other interactive activities and videos on this app.


January 22

Magnet Investigations

First grade scientists completed three magnet investigations in this lab. We used our knowledge of attract and repel to make the cars push and pull. (It was a western wear dress down day.)





We made a temporary magnet by rubbing a nail in the same direction, at least 50 times, alongside a bar magnet. Afterwards, we were able to attract paperclips with our nails. Rubbing the nail lines up the molecules.



During our last lab, we discovered that the magnetic force can move through solids and today we learned that the force can also move through liquids. The challenge was to pull all of the paperclips out of the water-filled jar without touching the water.

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January 20

Igloo

Pre-First engineers are studying the Arctic and were asked to construct an igloo. Materials included cotton balls, marshmallows, toothpicks, sugar cubes, cups, and glue. Although this was a difficult task, they persevered! Every time their igloos collapsed, they changed their design and tried again.


We are also building an igloo from water/milk jugs, but we are in need of additional jugs to complete it. If you have any in your recycling bins, please send them to the Science Lab. We can’t wait until it is finished, and we can sit inside and read.

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January 16

Chattahoochee Nature Center Family Fun Day

Sunday was a beautiful day to attend Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Family Fun Day. This gem is located in Roswell and it is a great place to learn about the Chattahoochee River watershed and the animals and plants found there. Click here for more information about the Nature Center and upcoming events. I went on a bird walk with representatives from the Audubon Society, dropped by booths to collect field trip ideas, visited the live animal exhibits and shows, and just enjoyed being outside on this unseasonably warm day. My favorite part of the day was an interactive lecture by a scientist from the Center for Biologically Inspired Design at Georgia Tech. He spoke about biomimicry or how we are learning to solve human problems by using animals as our model. Photos below are of Beaver Pond, inside the Discovery Center, Tinker Station, Unity Garden, and one of the creature features.



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January 10

Frozen Pond

Animals continue to amaze me! When temperatures are below freezing, our ducks will swim in a circle ensuring some of the pond remains unfrozen. They need water to drink and a means to escape predators.

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