Around this time I should be posting pictures of our seedlings being thinned and transplanted. Mrs. Sink's plants grew. Ms. Deal's plants grew. Not ours. Our class had the opportunity to discuss the fact that science experiments don't always work the way you think they will! We isolated variables and realized that we all have the same watering system, lighting set up and fertilizer. The only thing different between all three classes was the seed packs. We have replanted using different seeds and have our fingers crossed that these will grow.
In the meantime, enjoy some pictures from arts integration which is a music class this term. Ms. David had us sing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" to identify the "mi, re, do" notes at the end.
After we heard the notes, we practiced identifying the notes on the staff and then finding them on the piano.
I put a link on the sidebar (under the Word Wall words) to our DonorsChoose grant for two iPod Touches. We have two donors so far. Feel free to send the link to anyone who might be interested in knowing what we'd like to have for our classroom!
Comments (8)
Drats! too bad about those seedlings! Maybe they would like it if you sing "Swing Low" to them! Some people believe that singing and talking to plants help them grow. What do you think? I look forward to seeing you guys and the plants a bit later today!
Love,
Betsy
Posted by Betsy Towns | March 17, 2011 5:30 PM
Posted on March 17, 2011 17:30
Nice picture of Mara and her friend singing. Singing was always my favorite part of school. Keep up the good work.
Posted by Joyce Coburn | March 17, 2011 9:45 PM
Posted on March 17, 2011 21:45
Here in Portland, OR, our garden seedlings are persevering despite strong winds, rain, hail, cold and dog paws. Crocus are peeking out. This is amazing considering (1) frequency of dog paw tromping; and (2) the buckets of rain we've had lately. We still love it here!
I remember my classes on germination. We put our seeds in between moist paper towels to encourage sprouting. Some experiments got a bit moldy. Hmmm. Do you get to eat what you grow?
What about making a guacamole treat and then try sprouting a tree from the avocado? If you have a tree, don't expose the leaves to full sunlight too quickly or they get sunburned!
And -- important news for one or two folks on the blog who have caught fish longer than the catcher is tall -- the sea lions have learned there are sturgeon fish snacks up river and they won't leave.
I'm not certain which is most amazing and miraculous: Portland dog-pawed crocus still growing; salt water seals eating anadromous fish in fresh water; yummy guacamole; sunburned trees; or seeds (and cotyledons/embryos)! Which one is it for you!?!?
Someone's crazy uncle, from Oregon.
Posted by Scott Robinson | March 18, 2011 7:37 AM
Posted on March 18, 2011 07:37
Hay! I showed my mom the blog! She laughed for 5 minutes strait after she saw the Oops post. She could not beleave it!
Gary
P.S. Hear is a link!
http://www.coolmath.com
Posted by Gary Whitt | March 18, 2011 12:03 PM
Posted on March 18, 2011 12:03
Looks like ya'll are having fun!!! Ya'll class experience reminds me of the Japanses Story, THE EMPTY POT, When the Chinese emperor proclaims that his successor will be the child who grows the most beautiful flowers from the seeds the emperor distributes, Ping is overjoyed. Like the emperor, he loves flowers and anything he plants bursts into bloom. But the emperor's seed will not grow, despite months of loving care, and Ping goes before the emperor carrying only his empty pot. The emperor ignores the beautiful blossoms brought by the other children and chooses Ping, revealing that the seeds he handed out had been cooked and could not grow.
Ya'll may all really be furture Emporerer or Emporess'es!
Love, Addison's MOM
Posted by erin | March 18, 2011 4:15 PM
Posted on March 18, 2011 16:15
Teacher is welcome to delete this nutty entry from blog queue to avoid class room plan disruption.
Variable isolation! Now that's good stuff.
When a computer engineer debugs a program, she might have to figure out what the "variables" are, which are fixed or the same (sometimes called "invariants"), and what has changed or different. She forms a hypothesis of what might be wrong (or right) and then set out to see if is true by controlling and observing these variables.
Good debuggers can often find the problem by simply thinking about what could have happened and why.
It sounds like the class is well on the way with this skill!
If the chicken soup tastes bad, what variables are involved?
Ingredients and their freshness, the recipe, the order in which items are combined and cooked (this one gets me - I never follow the recipe). What else?
It seems like all sorts of people must do this; students doing germination experiments, scientists, medical doctors, sports coaches, teachers, automobile technicians, STURGEON FISHERMEN, seed sales, .... What kinds of variables exist for these people? How can they test what is happening?
Who else must do this?
If you owned the company that sold the bad seed package, wouldn't you want to fix the problem?
What variables affect the seed packaging and sales business?
What tests or questions can you ask to see where the problem is to be found?
How would your rank your questions? (What is most likely?, Which questions best let you test the nature of the failure?
Which questions are easier/cheaper or more expensive/harder to answer?)
If you find a solution, can you make sure that every single package is ok? Is that possible?
How would you design your seed packaging plant/processes to make it easy to find problems later?
What other questions should a seed company be asking?
Ok, maybe this is going TOO FAR. But it's your fault for doing all this cool stuff!
Pedanticus Maximus
Posted by Scott Robinson | March 19, 2011 4:57 AM
Posted on March 19, 2011 04:57
Hmmm...perhaps the St. Patty's Day leprechauns played with the seeds! Hayden tells me that if you find red footprints (instead of green ones) that it means an "evil leprechaun" has been there! I'm glad your class enjoyed your book about seeds and flowers. Love the picture of you and Mara singing together - did you feel like the Von Trapp children learning the Do Re Mi??
Happy Day and Happy Spring Break to everyone!
Mackenzie's Mom
Posted by Mackenzie's Mom | March 24, 2011 6:37 PM
Posted on March 24, 2011 18:37
playing piano is fun! in my bedroom looking at gerbils soooo cute!
Posted by Ben LeFevre | April 21, 2011 11:04 PM
Posted on April 21, 2011 23:04