Citizen Scientists

I have loved nature and the natural world for as long as I can remember. My parents nurtured my various fads and interests, from fossils to minerals to flora and fauna. I loved to observe, and even to this day get really excited by things like the annual monarch butterfly migration (as you can see in the picture I took of the very first monarch caterpillar I saw this season!).

I love the idea of the 18th- and 19th-century "Naturalist," the educated gentlemen (and gentlewomen!) who spent their days on long walks, observing nature. I realize I'm romanticizing this (I mean, really, all they had to do all day was wander around?), but I still think it's important to pass on that enjoyment of observing the natural world to our students today.

There are some great websites and tools out there to help. One that I've used with my students is Project Noah, which according to their website is "a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere." I love their extensive area for educators, which includes lesson plans as well as places to start your own exploring "missions."

Another favorite is Journey North, a website that brings together citizen scientists to study migrations worldwide. At the risk of sounding too nerdy ('cause y'all haven't figured that out already!), I myself have been uploading my own sightings of monarch butterflies and caterpillars this spring. 

If you're looking for a fabulous book study for your kids, which combines history, nature and gender equality issues, I would suggest "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate." This young lady learns a lot from her naturalist grandfather, including a passion for science that clashes with her Victorian upbringing.

If you have any suggestions of your own, please leave them in comments below! And don't forget to keep an eye out during your next walk -- who knows what you'll find!

Designing Experiments

I never really played with Hot Wheels growing up -- I was much more into unicorns than cars. After this last month, though, I have to say that these speedy little toys are definitely at the top of my to-give-to-nieces-and-nephews list.

Right before Christmas, a huge box of cars, ramps, loops and connectors showed up at my door, courtesy of their Speedometry curriculum. I figured it'd be good for a challenge or two, a nice break from the routine, but nothing serious.

Boy, was I wrong.

My second-graders have been experimenting with Hot Wheels for the past month -- first designing tracks to see how far they could make one go, then following the Speedometry curriculum's lesson on potential and kinetic energy. Their theme for the year is "change," so I introduced the idea of "variables" -- the parts of an experiment that can change. We did Speedometry's book/ramp experiment -- then branched out to our own.

I created this experiment design page, and my kids have been designing their own experiments with their own identified variables. Questions included "How does the number of tracks in the loop affect the car's ability to go around it?" And "Does the type of car determine the success of the loop?" (As you can probably tell, my second-graders are really into loops!) 

I'm not sure how much longer we'll be working with the Hot Wheels, but I definitely give them two-thumbs up as classroom supplies.

Releasing Creativity

My classroom is a mess this afternoon.

Paint spots on the table, clay fingerprints on the counter. A spare goggly eye stares sightlessly from under a chair where it fell, and small pieces of yarn have attached themselves to the carpet. Space critters in various stages of completeness dry on top of the bookshelves (safe from curious fingers).

I am exhausted, but must smile as I survey this scene, the culmination of a weeks-long study into outer space. We launched it all back in September with this great Reading Rainbow video, followed up with IIM research into chosen planets.  Then my third-graders had to create annotated diagrams of space creatures and exploration vehicles that would be specially adapted to their chosen planets.

As we worked through the research and planning process, I quickly realized my students' pacing was all over the place. I didn't want to hold back the fast workers, or frustrate the more thorough thinkers by hurrying them. So I drew on this summer's Langford training and created a modified capacity matrix, so kids could track their own progress through the project -- and know what's coming next.

I love that this project has been a blend of research skills and divergent, creative thinking. Now, to clean up the creative mess.

Down the (Glowing) Rabbit Hole

Did you know that scientists have learned how to splice jellyfish DNA into furry creatures' DNA to make glow-in-the-dark critters? I had no idea, until my fourth graders started researching DNA this fall. And oh, what a fascinating, complex study it has become.

I envisioned this project oh-so-simply. The yearly theme for my fourth-grade GT class is "structure." Of course, we will do the toothpick bridges and famous buildings, but how interesting to add a biological component to this theme. And what is more integral to living creatures' structure than DNA?

I figured we'd do a little research, present what we learned with a PowerPoint, Keynote, maybe a sculpture or two...and move on.

Not so much.

This is the joy and difficulty of teaching a GT class. As we delved into this fascinating topic, my students' paths shot out like the tentacles of that glowing jellyfish. Suddenly, we're looking at DNA, RNA, cloning, mutations, GMOs, genetic engineering...and on and on and on. By our second day of research, I realized a quickie presentation was not going to cut it.

"How would you guys feel about making this our semester project -- and creating a DNA museum?" I asked them. Cheers! Excitement! And so it begins...

We used a Circle Map to define a quality museum exhibit.

"Digging" Science

Yes, ok, the title is a little punny -- but if you've ever met my dad, you know I couldn't resist a good (or bad) pun. My second-graders are in the middle helping to build a school garden. We've been doing research on plants, but I knew if I didn't get their hands dirty soon, there would be issues.

The big garden is not quite ready yet, but I figured a window herb garden would be just the ticket -- and if I could mix in some scientific methodology, even better.

I started with plastic cups, dirt (just a bag from the local box store -- nothing fancy), some seeds and some water. I also put together these gardening journal pages so they could document the process -- just like scientists do.

They had to measure, in grams, the amount of soil they added to their cups. They had to measure the depth they planted their seeds (in centimeters), and they had to measure, in milliliters, how much water they gave their plants. They loved it!

Plus, they will come every day to document their plants' progress -- because this is what scientists do. They measure. They observe. They document.

When their plants start to (hopefully) grow, we will work together to draw conclusions about what worked, what didn't, and what we may do the next time.

Their Directions

Soil Measuring Station

Seed-planting Station 

Watering Station