8. Building our Ecocolumns!Week of 11/04/13
For the next three weeks the students will be constructing EcoColumns. EcoColumns are a combined terrarium and aquarium. The first part we set up is the terrarium which is the top portion of the EcoColumn. We planted a combination of alfalfa seeds, mustard seeds and grass seeds. We used a fourth section to collect leaf litter and other organic material.
The students will record the growth of their plants which will release oxygen into their EcoColumn over the course of the next few weeks. Then, we will create the aquarium which will be the lower portion of the EcoColumn. In the aquarium we will house two aquatic plants, Elodea and Duckweed as well as guppies and pond snails. The students will have a first hand account to see how plants and animals interact with one another to keep each other alive. 7. Carnivore, omnivore or herbivore?Week of 10/24/13
There are three types of consumers in an ecosystem: carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. Carnivores are animals that eat meat. Herbivores are animals that eat plants and omnivores are animals that eat both plants and other animals. Students learned that certain features on the skull can help a scientist identify which type of consumer it actually is.
6. Vertebrates vs. invertebratesWeek of 10/14/13
Students spent this week learning all about the structural differences between vertebrates and invertebrates. Students quickly saw that the only difference isn't that one has a backbone and the other does not. Certain animals have other adaptations that help them survive without the strength of a backbone. Over the next few weeks students will look at animals and find many ways to classify them including identifying if they are a vertebrate or invertebrate. 5. Getting to know the forest!Week of 10/14/13
This week we took a look at deciduous forests and confinerous forests. The students got a chance to look at the two very different type of forests and what type of organisms live in those forests. Deciduous tree leaves are broad and change with the seasons. The leaves on the trees change colors, fall and then bud again in the spring. Coniferous trees have long thin leaves or needles and stay green all year long.
4. Living or Non-LivingWeek of 10/07/13
In order to help the students figure out if something is living or not I introduced the students to my buddy G.E.R.M.A.C. When thinking about an object you must ask yourself if it:
G- Grows E- Needs Energy R- Reproduces M- Moves A- Adapts to its environment C- Made of Cells 3. all about me!Week of 09/09/13
Get to know our scientists!!! 2. Creating a Successful diagram!Week of 09/16/13
Scientist use diagrams to help teach people about the parts of objects. In a diagram we discussed the importance of the following criteria:
1. Team building!Week of 09/02/13
This year in science we will spend a lot of time working in teams. To help create a sense of "team" and camaraderie I posed the marshmallow challenge to the kids. In eighteen minutes the students had to work together to build the tallest free-standing structure that would hold the weight of a marshmallow. The materials the received were 20 pieces of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string and one marshmallow. They did a wonderful job rising to the challenge!
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Ms. Lohitsa
Teaching is a passion not a profession! Useful links All about habitats Living vs. non-living things Learning about lake ecology Build fish based on its habitat Natural selection Plant & Animal Habitats Learning about carnivore, herbivore and omnivore Vocabulary 1. Ecosystem 2. Habitat 3. Ecology 4. Aquatic 5. Terrestrial 6. Terrarium 7. Photosynthesis 8. Aquarium 9. Organisms 10. Herbivore 11. Carnivore 12. Omnivore 13. Food chain 14. Food web 15. Producers 16. Consumers 17. Decomposers 18. Deciduous 19. Coniferous |