My youngest scientists used micropipettes to fill circles of various sizes and colors. I began by asking them what is in a pipette? Although they thought the pipette was empty, I explained and demonstrated that air is in the pipette. Then we learned how to squeeze the air out of the pipette, place it in water, and then as we stopped squeezing, the air with water rushed back inside.

How many drops will fill each circle? Why does the water stay on top of the foil? Why do the drops of water cling together in a circular shape? Could we fill a square with drops? This is a great activity to develop fine motor skills and self-control. Then we tried to suck up the water in the drops and put the water back into the cup. A baster, which works the same way, is a fun water toy to use in the bathtub.

Our back-to-school team building activity was held at the Urban Escape Room in Alpharetta. Everyone escaped! (The facility has a 37% average escape rate.) What a fun and challenging morning! When we returned to school, we discussed how successful teams work together and the ways we saw the growth mindset demonstrated (the belief that talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others.)

I thought it would be fun to have a new invertebrate in the lab, so I plan to order Monarch larvae in the next few weeks. To feed the larvae, a supply of milkweed plants is needed. I ordered those first and found a Monarch caterpillar eating away at one of the plants.What a surprise! He traveled in the mail from Pennsylvania to Georgia.

I’ve planted some of the milkweed plants in pots and others in my garden. Hopefully, they’ll attract some Georgia Monarchs too.

Click here for more information about raising Monarchs.

Our turtle, Squirt, had grown too large to keep in the lab. She has a new home now, and Myrtle, our new red eared slider, has joined the fun in the science lab.

She has determined that I am the one who feeds her, so this afternoon as I worked at my desk, she tried her best to grab my attention.