November update

The owls just finished studying animals and plants that live in different habitats.  They studied the desert, the rainforest and the ocean. The kids made a book about each biome, and shared them with their buddies this week (photo below). After Thanksgiving break, the owls will start working on a play that will summarize the 3 different biomes. They will write, produce and act in the play.

The owls have been observing their garden (right outside their classroom), and found aphids and praying mantis cocoons. The pictures below were taken when we released ladybugs in the garden.

The magpies have started their animal study by taking a closer look at our bodies. We talked about the structure and function of the skeletal and muscular systems. We also discussed vertebrates and invertebrates, and dissected squids. Most kids were able to find the eyes, tentacles, arms, beak, fins, pen and ink sac.

The hawks finished their plate tectonics study. You should ask them what happens at different plate boundaries. This week the kids made a 3D map of California showing plate boundaries and indicating the relative topography. After Thanksgiving break they will learn about the formation of CA's landscape.

The crows are studying human's impact on the environment, and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to help Putah Creek council on a restoration project. Below are some pictures of the kids planting seedlings along the creek.

The crows have also continued their health study. We are very fortunate to have Colleen Callaghan, a parent who is also a pediatrician, helping me with this unit. Dr. Collaghan talked to the kids about nutrition (focus on macromolecules) and body image, and will be coming back after Thanksgiving to talk to the kids about vitamins and minerals.

A quick update

The owls had fun learning about animals around Davis and exploring different habitats. They saw animals in their habitats during field trips and around the school. Last week the kids learned more about owls and made a class poster summarizing the information they learned. They were really excited to dissect owl pellets and find numerous bones (pictures below).

The magpies have been busy learning about plants and taking care of the garden. They are currently working on a (each student is making their own) plant book. They have learned about and looked at seeds, roots, stems, leaves, stomata and flowers. They also learned the biological definition of fruits and vegetables and dissected a few samples in order to classify them. Some kids were surprised to learn that zucchini and pumpkin are fruits and that potato (a vegetable) is the stem of a plant.

The hawks are enjoying their geology study. The kids used an online dichotomous key to identify rock samples and then each student researched their favorite rock. Last week we had a fun hands on activity. I made a sedimentary rock cake and a metamorphic rock cake. We started by reviewing how these rocks are formed and the kids took core samples (with clear straws) of the rocks. We also talked about the age of the layers, and looked for fossils. Next week they will learn more about plate tectonics.

 The hawks are also learning about native plants. During our field trip to Winters they had a great opportunity to see some plants that are native to our area. We also started talking about ethnobotany and will continue this discussion in "gardening" classes.

The crows are studying human impact on the ocean. They are currently watching videos, reading articles, books and webpages in order to learn more about their specific topic. The kids will be working in groups to make and present a poster summarizing a topic (there are 4 topics: coral reefs, overfishing/fisheries, polar ice and pollution - oil and plastic in the ocean).

The crows have been really helpful in the garden. They have placed the stepping stones in the garden area, they took care of the weeds, helped with the compost, planted grains (oats, wheat and barley) and peas, and analyzed the soil (pH, N, P, K). Below are some pictures of the kids getting work done!

New school year

I am really excited about this new school year. It is great to have more space and more families to work with. This year I am teaching science and gardening/nature. In science classes, children are scientists exploring different branches of science. During this first trimester, the Owls (kindergarten) and Magpies (grades 1 and 2) are studying life science, while the Hawks and Crows are focusing on earth science.  If you want to take a look at the standards, Peregrine Elementary uses the Next Generation Science Standards - http://www.nextgenscience.org/, and I am writing a more detailed summary of what each class is studying below.

Although the kids will definitely spend a lot of time outside planting during garden/nature classes, they will also be ecologists, and health scientists. The content covered in each class will vary. I will make the content relevant to topics the kids are studying in science and/or social studies. Here is a brief summary of what we are doing in garden/nature classes this trimester. The Owls are ecologists studying the animals that live in our school (outside), and this week they planted a small vegetable garden outside their classroom. Since the Magpies are studying food with teacher Pa, they are responsible for the school’s vegetable garden and they will also study nutrition. The Hawks will help with the school’s compost (connection to earth science study) and plant native species around the school (connection to Native Americans study). The Crows will study health and help the school develop the garden area. They mapped the school area, and are analyzing soil quality (pH, N, K, P) before planting.

I started the year by bringing one of my favorite tools to school: my handheld microscope. We had a lot of fun taking a close look at clothes, hair, skin, nails, ears, a spider, a fly, and more. We have also had very good discussions and hands on activities in science classes so far. Here is a quick update of what each class is doing:

Owls

The Owls are always engaged in science activities. Our focus this trimester is on animals and plants – their needs and habitats. We are starting the study with animals, and focusing on species we can find around the school. The kids will be making their own books about these animals.

The owls studied worms. One of the things that they investigated was whether worms prefer dry or wet areas. 

The owls had fun listening to their hearts with stethoscopes, and finding their pulses before and after running.

Habitat study! Quiet owls observing burrows outside the school.

Magpies

The Magpies will be studying structures and functions of living things. What do animals and plants need in order to survive and how do they get what they need? The Magpies started the trimester studying plants. So far, garden and science have been integrated. We have been talking about plant structures, plants’ needs and our needs (focus on nutrition).

The magpies are great gardeners. So far they have planted broccoli, carrots, radishes, beets, celery, mint, parsley, cilantro, artichoke and asparagus.

Hawks

The Hawks have been enjoying their geology study. They have learned about the Earth’s structure, and the rock cycle. The kids had fun digging in the dirt to study the Earth’s crust, and looking for different rocks around the school. After finishing our rock study, they will learn about plate tectonics and study California’s landscape (its formation and history).

Crows

The crows started the year discussing California’s drought, and water distribution in the world. They were surprised to learn that only 3% of the planet’s water is not salty. Our next topic is the ocean. We are going to start by taking a quick look at how the ocean interacts with the atmosphere and then we will take a look at the different ocean ecosystems. The final topic will be Earth and human activity.

Nursing students Alissa and Jasmiene training crows to be first aid responders.

New trimester

Owls - This trimester the owls will be studying energy flow in organisms.  We are starting this unit by studying what plants need to survive. This week we had a class discussion about the field by our school – the kids noticed that the field is really dry, and the plants are mostly dead due to the lack of rain. Next week, we will talk more about other things that plants need to grow – with a focus on soil and nutrients. Later in the trimester the owls will learn about decomposers, and producers.

Magpies – The magpies will have two exciting projects this trimester. During the first week of school, we started to talk about the vernal pool project. The kids will have a mini vernal pool in their classroom. We have been waiting (and hoping for) some rain! Vernal pools are perfect (and local) environments to illustrate examples of local adaptation. In addition to studying vernal pools, the kids will play an evolution game throughout the trimester that will help me address the concept of evolution in a fun and informative manner.

Crows – The crows have been busy finishing up their study of structures and functions. We started by finalizing the human body study – the kids had to put things together by making a life-size drawing of the human body and making connections between the different systems. After this, we focused on plants’ structures and functions. The kids learned how water moves through a plant (you should ask your child about the function of stomata), and saw xylem vessel members and guard cells under a compound microscope. The crows have also talked about how plants respond to their environment.

            During the next two weeks, the kids will be learning a little about cells. Afterwards, our focus will be on physical science – they will have fun learning about potential and kinetic energy.