Bird watching Dec 13-17

Nice photography of some of the regulars, the red bellied woodpecker by Matt C and a white throated sparrow.

Extra Credit Problem!

What should your speed be (in m/s) if you want to run 5 kilometers in less than 30 minutes?

Show your work and submit, by the comment link below, e-mail, or on paper in school.

Per 4 class: Here is my cover shot of the cardinal that interrupted class:

Walking Speed Lab

We finished collecting data today. The questions on the back of the lab are homework. Don't forget to show your work, (formula, substitution, and solution) if you want credit.

Extra Credit Opportunity!

Explain why water mounds up on the head of a penny instead of flowing off the side.

Thanks Matt C and Julia K for taking the pictures of your lab!

Birds, nature walk, November!

Testing pH of water on campus.

Red bellied woodpecker

Bluejay

Project Feeder Watch begins...

Friday we started learning the names of birds so students can do accurate bird counts. Here are a few photos of some common birds. Can you name them?

Photo by Shelby G.

Photo by Lexi K.

Photo by Kelsey P.

Photo by Deedee L.

Molecule Models

Building molecular models lab was due Friday. Here are some pictures of your good work!

Safety Contracts Due!!

Don't forget 8th graders, if you want to participate in lab on Wednesday Nov 3, you need to have you Lab Safety Contract signed by you and a parent/guardian. No exceptions! It's all about safety!

The vocabulary crossword review is also due tomorrow.

Homework

Grade 8 - Can You Classify Matter & Atomic Structure worksheet

Grade 6 - Populations Assignment - Side 2 (10 fill in the blank questions)

Bring in a clear 2 liter bottle if you have one!

Quizzes Wednesday!

Sixth graders - quiz on Ecosystems

Eighth graders - quiz on Solutions

Curious me: I would not have thought spiders would still be out and hunting. This predator was sitting in a newly spun web waiting for prey. It's 51 F outside!

Busy Week!

I haven't posted in a while as the days start to blend together as we get into the school year. It was great to meet all your parents at Open House on Tuesday.

Sixth graders - you did a great job on the webquests about ecosystems this week. I was most proud of your behavior when we went out in the field today exploring the various ecosystems right on campus. If the weather holds out we'll go back out Tuesday and explore the stream valley and take another look at the forest ecosystem too. Meanwhile, just go outside your house and explore a bit to see what interesting populations you find.

Remember to do the vocabulary crossword puzzle to study for the quiz next week.

Eighth graders - We'll finish the SSB (sugar sweetened beverage) project on Tuesday and don't forget the quiz on Solutions. We'll have to work in the Density Challenge as well.

This little bird visited my yard this week, so I had it pose on my hand for a few pictures. I haven't been able to ID it yet though - some kind of sparrow but my bird book isn't very detailed. Can anyone help me ID this bird?

Mantis Monday

Thanks Michael, for bringing in the beautiful praying mantis. They are quite active and visible this time of year as they are getting ready to lay eggs, and the foliage where they hide is starting to die back for the winter.

An extra credit opportunity: using the visible markings on the meter stick, how long is the mantis from head to bottom end, ignoring antennae and legs? Click on the word comments below and leave your estimate.

HOMEWORK

SCIENCE 8 Homework due tomorrow 9/16 - DENSITY DRILL worksheet

Quiz Friday on Density!

SCIENCE 6 Homework due tomorrow 9/16 - SCIENTIFIC METHOD worksheet

Quiz Friday on Scientific Method!

Metamorphosis - Part A

One of the most frequently asked questions is how did a yellow, black, and white striped caterpillar turn into the green with gold flecked chrysalis? I spent the better part of this morning capturing the metamorphic process on video.

When I saw a caterpillar hanging in the shape of a "J", I knew things were about to change.

Here is what happened:

Caterpillar Club

It's getting crowded in the caterpillar jar(s) since I'm caring for 8 individuals. Seven are still caterpillars and one formed a chrysallis this morning. Here are five I managed to wrangle into one shot. The smallest one has increased its size by a factor of 10 over the past 5 days.

The dark splotch near the one on the far right is a shed skin. They wriggle out of their skin 5 times as they grow. Each stage is called an instar. The little one is instar 1 or 2, and the larger one is probably instar 3.