The Properties of River Rocks!

2nd graders have shifted from observing volcanic rocks to sorting river rocks by properties: color, luster, texture, size, shape and even weight.  They have been surprised by all the colors that are in each rock and by how smooth the rocks are.

Sorting by color.

Sorting by weight.

The river rocks have patterns on them.

Sorting by luster: shiny or dull.

After we sorted the river rocks by different properties, we looked at our data and wrote what we noticed.  Most of the river rocks were smooth.  There were many different colors in the rocks, but there weren't many white rocks.  

Next...what happens when we put the river rocks in water?

The rocks are smoother.

The water gets dirty looking.

The shiny rocks look duller.

The colors of the rocks get brighter when they are wet.

Our Mealworms Turned into.....Beetles!

The wait is over!  We finally know what our mealworms turn into!!  A darkling beetle!  The mealworm shed for the last time and made it's protective pupa. Although we didn't have to feed the pupa, it did twitch if we touched it. Then...10 days later.....the darkling beetle!

This pupa is about halfway through it's transformation.
You can see the black dot where the eye will be!

There is it's shed skin and the pupa!

Everyone is amazed that you can now really
see the three body parts!

The beetle moves much faster than the mealworm.

The beetle is very gentle, but it will hop/fly to get away from anything that is scaring it!  We have had some beetles escape, but thankfully we always manage to find them!

It can even walk upside down.

Where is it?

They still love eating oats and getting moisture from carrots!

Kindergarten Goes Outside!

We have been learning how the different parts of the tree helps it grow and survive!  Now it's time to go to Lorianne's Garden in the Pre-K school yard and look closely at a lovely cherry tree.  What critters will we find living on the tree? What do they leaves look like?  What will it look like the next time we go out and visit the tree?

When we looked closely at the tree, we found ants!

Anything on the sign?

What are those bumps on the bark?

Last week, most of the leaves were green!

I found evidence of something eating the leaf!

The bark is smooth and rough!

Are there worms at the roots?

An ant!

Looking for critters!

A baby millipede.

Worms!

Something ate this leaf!

The bark is so rough and bumpy.

A soft, smooth, yellow fall leaf!

The leaves have yellow and orange in them now and are starting to fall off the tree!

Silkworms and Mulberry Leaves!

1st grade has been looking at silkworms over the past few weeks!  Like the mealworm, the silkworm has body segments and 6 legs.  However, there are some interesting differences!  The silkworm has a set of fake eyes and a horn by it's tail.  We can also see the spiracles - dark spots on the body - through which the silkworm breathes.  All insects have spiracles, but they are harder to see on the mealworm!

The silkworm only eats mulberry leaves!

Look!  They stick on the leaf!

It's hard to pick them up.

I think the fake eyes are to scare predators.

It is so soft!

Look!  It can be upside down and not fall!

I see the breathing holes!

I can see the spike at the back of the silkworm!

Always eating!