Hatching over Thanksgiving Break!

We are very happy to welcome our new TROUT to the classroom. Over Thanksgiving Break our trout eggs hatched and we now have "alevin" swimming around in the bottom of our tank. We have over 100 trout hiding in nooks and crannies around the tank and we will have our "Trout Vision" camera installed so the students can see pictures and movies of the trout. In class we will also be studying the life cycle of the trout as well as charting their growth, coloring, and behavior weekly. This is our second year with the Trout in the Classroom program and we are excited about having this opportunity again. Please feel free to stop by to see our new additons!!!

The Trout Have Arrived!

Great news!!!! The trout arrived today!!!! Hooray!!!! We are welcoming 200 trout eggs this year as a result of our success last year. We are acclimating the eggs tonight and will be introducing them to their growing basket soon. We will be installing our Underwater Camera this week as well so we can film the growing trout. We look forward to having images on the blog as soon as possible. The photo's here are our first photo's of our eggs.

Earth Cycles TOO!

Today we discussed the Carbon, Nitrogen, and Water cycles in depth and we talked about different web pages where they can be found. Below is a web site with all of the different earth cycles and how they work.
Be aware...you will have a quiz on the cycles soon!
Happy Studying!
www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/cycles6.htm
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/earth_system/biogeochemical_cycles.html

Earth Cycles and YOU!

In our Sixth grade classes we have been discussing the different cycles on Earth. We began with the Water Cycle and have since moved on to the Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles. I would like to have you continue this conversation at home. If you would, please discuss the ways in which each of these cycles are at work in your own yard and community. Please talk with your parents or an adult, and try to cite some examples from your yard and/or your neighborhood. Please share these discussions with your classmates on the blog so we can have an open discussion about them. I look forward to your examples and thoughts!
www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/cycles6.htm
Please use this web address to gain more information to talk about.

5th Grade Life Science Introduction

Today in class we read about and discussed what Life Science is and what Life Scientists do. I would like you to discuss at home tonight the importance of Life science in the world today with your parents or an adult and post the thoughts you are able to come up with on the blog. We will discuss your postings tomorrow in class. I look forward to reading your thoughts!!!

6th Grade Biomes

Some of you may have heard that we have begun a sixth grade Biome project in science and computers. WE HAVE!!! Our students have begun researching and assembling information and pictures in computer and in science class about different biomes around the world. They were able to choose the biome that they were most interested in and are currently working with Mrs. Dight and myself to find out more about their climate, weather, animals, plants, and distinct features that make their biomes so important to the organisms that live there. This is an interdisciplinary project that will be graded in computer class as well as science class.
This is a very exciting project that we worked on last year and due to it's success we are continuing it this year using new and improved technology. These projects will be presented in science upon their completion. These projects are being worked on in school so that there is no worry about program compatibility between school and home. Although the students are encouraged to find pertinent information at home and bring it or the web page they found it on to school, they are not to work on their projects at home so there are no problems with the transfer of information.

5th Grade Field Guide

Hello to all of my fifth graders and parents. We have begun an interdisciplinary project between science and computers. It is a field guide of native plants and animals that can be found in and around Connecticut. This field guide will be completed in computer class with Mrs. Dight and with me during science. We will do lessons simultaneously in science that will aid in project completion.
We have been doing research inside as well as outside to identify leaves and trees that we have on campus and talking about native animals that could be found here as well. I am looking forward to the finished products with their pictures and descriptions in place. Be on the lookout for our Northeast flora and fauna at home too!

Attention Plant Hunters!!!

We had an amazing trip to the Botanical Gardens on Wednesday. As I said on the way back we would have work to do via the Blog for homework/classwork.
Let's start with a comparison.
Compare the native trees to the area: Oak, Maple, Apple, to the Royal Palms, Cacao trees, and Kapok tree of the rainforest. What is the difference in the size of the leaves? Why does that help each plant survive in the regions that they live in?

Next: Why do the plants that are native to the Desert area have small if any leaves? What about them allows them to survive in such a waterless environment?

Finally: Do all plants need to be rooted in soil? Are there plants that grow without being planted? How do they do it?

I look forward to your conversations and your posts to the blog. We will talk about them on Tuesday. Please also feel free to bring your written responses to class if you do not want to post them.

I am excited to read your ideas... feel free to discuss your answers with your parents before you post.

Exciting Opportunity here in Ridgefield!!!

Please view the information below. This is an incredible opportunity for our young budding scientists to hear from one of the greatest in her field. I hope some of you will take advantage!

The Ridgefield Library Presents
The Last Mission to the Hubble Telescope
with world-renowned astronomer
Dr. Heidi B. Hammel
On Sunday, September 28 at 2 PM, Dr. Heidi B. Hammel will give a presentation about the last shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope scheduled for launch on October 8, 2008.

With images and videos, she will describe how the astronauts have trained for the Hubble mission. She will show pictures of the new equipment and share what astronomers are most excited about, while explaining what is in store for Hubble in its final years. She will also bring an actual piece of Hubble, a section of the telescope's outer covering that flew in space for over a decade.

Dr. Hammel, a Ridgefield resident, is a long-time Hubble user with over 15 years of experience with this amazing telescope. She led the Hubble team that tracked a comet crashing into the cloud-tops of Jupiter in 1994, has published many scientific papers based on Hubble images, and still uses Hubble to study the atmospheres of the planets Uranus and Neptune.

Dr. Heidi Hammel is currently on the Board for AURA Inc., which oversees the Space Telescope Science Institute. She is also an Interdisciplinary Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, the next Great Space Observatory which is scheduled for launch in 2013.

For more information visit www.ridgefieldlibrary.org or call (203) 438-2282



Sunday, Sept. 28
2:00 PM
Ridgefield Library


Registration is not required, but space is limited.

The program is suitable for
ages 8 to 108!

6th grade Project Presentations

Ladies and Gentlemen...The hour is quickly approaching for the presentation day. As you know our project is due on Wednesday 10/1. You must have the following completed:
Create a poster with pictures of your species and its location. You must have on your poster a one page typed poster that 1) describes your species, 2) it's location,
3) where it came from, and 4) what it is doing to the new location.

If you have any questions make sure that you ask them tomorrow. You have already had this information for two days so I hope you have all started your poster layout!!!!
We look forward to viewing them.

Week in Review

This week we have all been working very hard. The fourth grade were able to experiment with the mealworms by testing which color they preferred crawl on better, black or white. Please ask about the experiment and the handling of the mealworms that came afterward.
In 5th grade we examined cell slides and examined the interior structures of cells using reflective microscopes. We will be using compound microscopes this upcoming week so we can examine live cells, both plant and animal.
Our 6th grade classes were busy studying about the world around us. We were learning about the Animal Kingdom as well as how to classify animals as well as break them down to vertebrates and invertebrates. From here we will begin to talk about the other Kingdoms.
Please ask your students to talk with you about the wonderful discoveries we have had in science this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Middle School Parents Night

It was wonderful to see all of you who were able to attend tonight. For the 5th grade parents I hope you could feel the excitement that I have about teaching science and for the 4th grade parents I hope you felt the same from both Mr. Nash and myself. Your children come in every day ready to learn more and we always seek to provide an exciting and interesting venue to do so.
I look forward to using this blog as a springboard into our investigative classroom events for you to discuss with your children. In the upcoming weeks I will be posting open ended questions here for you and your children to discuss and answer together in comment posts. Feel free to give it a try together! I love getting to read your comments. This will be an exciting year and I can't wait to have you all involved throughout the year.
Thank you for a wonderful evening.

4th and 5th Graders, while your parents are at RA....YOU CAN DO SCIENCE!!!

So... Tonight your parents are visiting with me at RA we both know that you have a little bit of homework to do, however, you can also take a peek at the beautiful pictures on the NASA web post of the day and on the National Geographic post of the day right here on the blog! Tonight, your parents will be doing "Helium Hoop"! SHHHHHH.. Don't tell them how to do it. Let's see if they can beat your time. I am excited that I have the opportunity to introduce them to our year in RA science and show them some of the wonderful things we will be doing together. Remember to ask all about Parents Night when they get home, and how they did with "Helium Hoop"!
See you all in the morning. =)

4th Grade Mealworm Invasion!!!!

Today Mealworms invaded our 4th grade science classes!!!! Our students did an incredible job observing these invaders and shared their stories as well as new discoveries about their structure, color, and movement. Many students were able to count the segments of the mealworms and all were able to distinguish the difference between it's head and tail. It was VERY exciting!!! Next week we look forward to being able to handle the mealworms as we further our investigations about Animal Behavior with experiments designed to find out more about our invading friends. An excellent job was done by all. Have a great weekend!

5th Grade and the Week of Cells

This week the 5th grade has been investigating the discovery, structure, and function of cells. We were introduced to the early scientists that were influential to our current knowledge of microscopes and microscopic life. These scientists include, Robert Hooke, Anton van Leeuwenhoek, Matthias Schleiden, and Theodor Schwann. Coming up next week we will be looking at actual plant and animal cells under the microscope and learning about the importance of the structures within the cells and how they function. If you find any cool information out about cells this weekend please let us all know where we can find the information too. Great job this week. Have a great weekend!!!!!!

6th Grade Project Update

After speaking with a few of you this morning I wanted to give you a bit of direction to focus your search for invasive and introduced species. Below are two links to web pages that will give you information on plants and animals that have been introduced to Connecticut. You can also find links from these pages to other states. There are many links on these two web sites so if you go to a different site that is helpful to you let us all know about it.
Please feel free to post positive comments or questions to the blog from home. If you find other information please also share it in your comment. As always, email me if you have questions or concerns that you need help with. Check back often for updates and new links. Have a great weekend!!!!!!
http://www.ct.nrcs.usda.gov/plants.html
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2702&q=323494&depNav_GID=1641

6th Grade Introduced/Invasive Species

Over the last few days our 6th graders have been studying introduced and invasive species. Today they were assigned a research project where they will be locating and researching an introduced or invasive species in a location of their choice. The locations chosen should be one's that you know about and the species need to be factual. You may not choose to introduce a lion to Ridgefield. I look forward to hearing about your species and its location on Monday the 15th. Happy Hunting!!!!

The Beginning 4th, 5th, and 6th

Welcome to the beginning of our classroom blog. As you all know I am teaching across three grades this year and I am extremely excited to be able to jump start our Fourth grade into the world of Middle School Science this year. Our fourth grade is learning about observation techniques that they are going to put into action with our first unit, "Animal Behavior". The fifth graders have come in ready to investigate "Plants in our World" and are diving into the microscopic world of Cells. Finally our experienced sixth grade has continued where they left off last year researching about the Plant and Animal world and Ecosystems and they are extending their knowledge by studying "Ecology and Land Management." We are all very excited about getting to use our campus to further our knowledge about the local environment and have many investigations and experiments planned to extend our abilities in the science realm. I look forward to working with everyone this year. We have exciting things happening and I am thrilled to be a part.