January 12

A Study of Ice

Temperatures have dipped below freezing, and I saw ice for the first time on a recent Greenway walk. Since Atlanta rarely is that cold, I am sharing some photos from friends who live where they consistently see ice and snow.

Use water to teach the states of matter. Ice is the solid form of liquid water, produced by freezing.

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Can you identify the object in this photo captured by my friend Ellen? Watch below to find out!

May be a closeup of outdoors

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Click here for a lab about melting and freezing.

There are many simple investigations that children can perform to investigate how water changes from liquid to solid.

  1. Does water expand when it freezes? Fill a mason jar about halfway with water. Draw a line where the water stops. Place the jar in the freezer and test your hypothesis.
  2. Does hot or cold water freeze faster? Place a small glass of each temperature of water in your freezer. What do you observe? (Results may surprise you!)
  3. Mix salt into a cup of water until it is saturated. Will the water still freeze?
  4. Fill a Styrofoam cup halfway with water. Place it in the freezer. What happens to the cup when the water freezes? Apply what you learn to why potholes form on roadways.
  5. Take ice out of the freezer and place it in a bowl. What happens? How long does it take for the ice to melt? Will it melt faster if you sprinkle salt on the ice?
  6. Color ice cubes with food coloring. Drop one in a glass of vegetable oil. What happens? Click here for more information.
  7. Make slushies or ice pops (popsicles). There are many recipes online.
  8. This is a great opportunity to investigate insulation. Place an ice cube in a can, glass jar, and Styrofoam cup and cover each. What happens? Design your own investigation.
  9. When outside on a cold day, touch various materials and compare the temperature of each. Include metal (car and gutter), wood, concrete, plastic, soil, plant parts, and glass.

Click here for an instafreeze investigation from Steve Spangler.

Tinkergarten has fun ice projects too. Click here and here for ideas from this great organization. The following photo of an ice ornament was taken in Montana and shared by my friend, Susan. How fun it would be to decorate a winter tree with these!

How does an ice spike form? Click here to learn more.

Integrate social study concepts into your study of ice and learn about the Arctic.

Click here for a lab about icebergs. Click here to watch the Safeshare link.

Ice Is Nice! : All about the North and South Poles Hardcover Bonn - Picture 1 of 1

Can bubbles freeze? Click here to learn more. Photo taken by my friend, Ellen.

May be a closeup of nature

Which sports use ice? Click here to view full screen.

Sports are based on physics. Watch the video below to learn more. Click here to view full screen.

Category: Art, Reading, Science, Social Studies | LEAVE A COMMENT
January 9

Cats

While at my daughter’s home during Christmas, I practiced new camera skills using her rescue cat, Phoebe, as my model. Cats do have their quirks, so let’s learn more about the reasons for some of those behaviors below.



After watching the following video, look again at the photos above. What does her body language tell you?

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Many children’s books have cat characters. Use this picture book to teach perspective or in an art class to illustrate how the same subject can be represented in different ways.

Click here for the Safeshare link.

Amazon.com: They All Saw a Cat (9781452150130): Brendan Wenzel: Books

This story is from the cat’s perspective. Click here to take a peek inside.

Category: Art, Reading, Science | 1 Comment on Cats
January 5

Science Can Be Smelly!

The many ways that animals are unique is incredible! Just look at the variety of noses, eyes, tails, feet, coverings, and ears. A fun way to compare these differences is with the following series:

There are so many other ways that species differ, including habitats, diet, and reproduction. Animals also discard wastes in multiple ways! Biologists can identify an animal through its scat, and they will examine it, a non-invasive method, to determine an animal’s health, movement, and diet.

The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit Mini Edition - Picture 1 of 1

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I occasionally see scat when I hike. Who do you think has been here?

We planted grass in the fall. Guess who we caught nibbling it.

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The following book shows the animal’s tracks, as well as its scat, and challenges you to identify the animal using both clues. Owl pellets are distinguished from scat.

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When we visited Yellowstone, I came across this book. Watch a preview of the story below.

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January 2

Pigeons

I was visiting my daughter in an urban area of Chicago for Christmas. Yes, it was frigid and snowing, but pigeons were still surprisingly active. Before landing on rooftops, synchronized flocks swooped across the sky. Doesn’t this appear to be a black and white photo?  However, it was just a gray day with barely a hint of color. I was drawn to the monochromatic palette.

As I watched the behavior of pigeons, I wondered how they have adapted to life in the city. They are certainly amazing birds and I have a greater respect and interest in them after further study!

Some facts:
There are hundreds of species of pigeons, and they are related to doves.
They historically nested on coastal cliffs which is why feral pigeons have easily adapted to living on city buildings.
Highly social animals, they are often seen in flocks of twenty to thirty birds.
Pigeons mate for life and both sexes care for their two chicks. They average eight broods a year.
Young are fed nutritious crop milk which is regurgitated from their parents.
Pigeons are selectively bred for racing, show, and in some cultures for pets.
They can fly up to 600 to 700 miles in one day at speeds averaging 78 mph.
Pigeons are known to be highly intelligent and can recognize themselves in a mirror.

Do you remember the scene in which the Banks children in Mary Poppins want to feed the pigeons for tuppence a bag?

Integrate history into your study of pigeons by investigating passenger or homing pigeons. There are many theories about how pigeons find their way home. They may use the sun and visual cues or Earth’s magnetic field (magnetoreception). Other studies indicate that infrasound (low frequency sound waves) or olfactory navigation guides them back.

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Noah may have been the first to use a homing pigeon. He sent out a dove who returned to the ark:
“He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So, Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.” (Genesis 8:10-11)

Mo Wilhelm has a popular picture book series about pigeons for young children. Teach dialogue and character traits through the series. These humorous tales can also be used to instruct persuasive writing and types of sentences (commands, statements, exclamatory and questions).

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Search for additional monochromatic examples in nature, in your home, or in clothing. Such a great assignment to teach observational skills! Task your students or children with creating a realistic or abstract monochromatic painting. For additional fun, ask them to dress in a monochromatic scheme.

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